《One Sin》


 Chapter One (RW) - Sin:1

    <u>Chapter I - Sin</u>


    I was bleeding, but I couldn''t stop moving.


    I didn''t know how many people were chasing after me. I ran into the forest in hopes that I could lose them. It was a dense forest like maze. The sun still pierced through the foliage of the fall trees. I tore off a piece of my shirt while running and tied it around my forehead. Warm blood trickled down my face as my breathing intensified. My dark attire used for foul business now covered in blood, sweat, and dirt.


    Frantic was the pace I moved on. You would be too if you only knew the people that were chasing after me. It was stupid of me to get caught in a moment of weakness. Gods, she almost killed me! I should have never gone to that town. I only went to get a glimpse of the funeral, but I overstayed my welcome.


    A knight in shining white armor suddenly appeared to ambush me and bashed his shield against my skull.


    My ears rang, and my vision went a blur, but I held onto his shield. It was pure luck that I did. I gritted my teeth and gathered my bearings before he could do anything else. As he jostled with me, I pulled out my dagger and stabbed him in the eye. Blood gushed out instantly as he screamed in pain. A knight''s visor was easily the weakest spot in his armor. I pulled out my bloody dagger and twirled around him. His cry of terror carried throughout the forest until I used my blade to snuff out the sounds that came from his throat.


    Another white knight with a mace stumbled through the forest following the sounds to find me only a few meters away from him.


    Gods, they just kept coming. It was like I was stuck in a labyrinth in some sort of twisted game. While I was looking for a way out, everyone else was looking for me. I was going to be cornered quickly if I kept fighting everyone.


    I flipped the dagger in my hand and threw it at him. He easily deflected it, but I ran away while he did. I still had my short sword by my side and wasn''t totally defenseless. A dagger would be useless against their armor anyways. The Royal Army never used cheap metal. At this time, I stayed away from the roads, so deeper into the forest, I went. The sun was going to set, and I would be in the element I''m most comfortable around, darkness.


    Metal clanking and footsteps echoed throughout the forest. They wouldn''t stop pursuing me, not when they just found me again, not until I was dead and buried. The air that filled my lungs was hot as my temperature rose significantly. Irrational fear was filing my mind rushing through the dense forest. I didn''t know if I could keep my pace, but I would be dead if I didn''t. My long brown hair fluttered for a moment, and I saw a fireball coming towards me.


    I ducked down instinctively not before some strands of my hair got burnt to a crisp. Damn! Of course, they had Mages! They always have Mages with them too. My luck couldn''t get any worse.


    I looked towards the direction of where that fireball came from to see a Mage in the flesh. The Mages'' robes waved and moved like a starry night sky, an Imperial Mage of Bareth. The stars on his robes signified as much. He must''ve used magic to have gotten so close to me. His mouth was uttering nonsense, and his eyes closed as if he was going to cast another spell. I wasn''t going to let him get a chance to do another when I barely avoided one.


    My legs surged with a jolt of energy as I dashed straight for him.


    The Mage kept mumbling his words as mana was swirling around the air.


    I leaned forward while running and grabbed a handful of dirt off the ground. I jumped towards the Mage and stuffed the dirt in his mouth. I bet he didn''t think that I could close the distance between us so quickly. He choked and gagged on the dirt as the spell canceled. If you stop Mages from speaking, they will be practically useless. I used my sword to cut open his stomach and watched the blood pour out like a waterfall. He wasn''t going to speak ever again.


    I inhaled the air as I tried to catch my breath.


    I prayed that this was the only Mage here. They all die just the same, but they were the most troublesome I had to deal with in battle. Magic, I fucking hate magic. If it became a ranged battle, I was most definitely going to lose. I quickly checked his body and found some minor potions. I didn''t hesitate, and I drank them all in one gulp.


    It was disgusting! I have forgotten how minor potions tasted like. I was too used to the best money could buy. The ones that tasted like fine wine with some honey mixed in. These minor potions tasted like a stew of vegetables and medicine.


    My wounds healed slightly, but my stamina was nearly gone.


    I was getting exhausted, and I didn''t have anything to heal that.Paranoia mounted on me as I set forth through the forest. I knew why they wanted me dead. They would have chased me to the ends of the world if they could. But, I wasn''t going to let myself die for them.


    Even if the whole world hated me, I did what I needed to do.


    "Look! He''s over there!" Voices carried through the forest.


    "He killed another one!"


    "Gods! They just didn''t stop!" I tried to catch my breath again momentarily, but I had to keep moving, and I did.


    Bushes, shrubs and low branches covered this area of the forest. It seemed like the vegetation wouldn''t let me go away safely either. The green scenery was hostile to my movements. I was already frantic, but I fell further into a frenzy as I shook through bushes, jumped over plants and tore away branches with my hands. Everything just seemed to block my way. I went through another bush only to come face to face with a mountain.


    "No¡­no¡­no!" I slammed my fists on the side of the mountain.


    My breath was ragged, my eyes shot, and I felt trapped like a rat in a cage.


    It looked like everything hated me and wanted me stopped.


    I had to turn back toward the direction of my pursuers.


    I broke backward to retrace my steps and then I saw them. Three white armored knights and one other woman I knew very well. The look on her face told me everything when she stared at me dangerously. She almost killed me earlier in town if I didn''t feel her blood lust. I knew she wasn''t going to let me get away from her without a fight. She always liked to get her hands dirty, and my blood on her hands would have satisfied her.


    My eyes scanned the surroundings for a way to escape, but I couldn''t find it.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    They were in front of me, and my back was against a wall of rock.


    The sun was still setting to the east, and it would be better if I ran towards the light. The Knights watched me and held out their weapons. I still had a trick up my sleeve, but I needed them grouped together as close as possible. I checked the direction of the wind just in case, and the leaves told me it was good. The winds weren''t blowing strong enough through this dense forest. As they came closer and converged towards me, I threw a bag from my belt to the ground, and it exploded with smoke.


    I saw an opening, and my body moved instinctively.


    I could''ve handled the knights but not with her there.


    I sprinted fast as I dodged through obstacles only to look over my shoulder and see a figure chasing me.


    Of course, it was her; she knew me all too well. I couldn''t trick her; she expected my smoke bomb. Her white armor shone through the dark gray smoke that billowed throughout the forest. Even with her face in a permanent scowl from my sight, her beauty would not leave her. She didn''t need to wear a helmet. Nobody could injure that pretty face of hers even if she hadn''t the prowess of the blade. Her contorted face was mad with anger, and her golden hair violently shook in the wind. With every step she made towards me, the rage in her eyes like an ocean deepened.


    I always knew her before as a cheerful, kind-hearted girl some ten odd winters ago.


    I never imagined she would''ve become this wretched and wicked looking.


    It''s mostly my fault, and I knew it.


    "Demitri! You Traitor! Stop running and fight!" She yelled.


    I ignored her and kept running.


    She''s a much better fighter than I was. I didn''t know if I could fight her head on and come out unscathed. Up ahead in the direction I headed towards, an exit seemed to open in the forest, and my body moved that much faster to get there. As I came closer to the exit I was stopped dead in my tracks; it was a cliff. A damn cliff.


    "By the Gods," I exhaled.


    I turned around almost immediately and met her face to face. She was shorter than me physically, but when I looked at her, she was much more imposing. I stood my ground and tried to catch my breath. I had no way out; I thought maybe I could talk to her.


    "What is a lady from Bareth doing out here?" I said with a curt smile."Didn''t think I would meet you in town Cassandra."


    Cassandra''s seemingly permanent scowl never wavered.


    "Stop your filthy mouth from uttering my name," Cassandra glared.


    "Is that a way to talk to an old friend?" I replied with a smile.


    Cassandra''s eyes were cold when she glared at me; I could guess I was no longer a friend in her eyes. If I were in her position, I would hate me too. Gods know that I already hate myself for what I''ve done.


    "Draw out your weapon! I will kill you myself!" Cassandra held onto the hilt of her sword while waiting for me to make a move.


    "So will I expect your honor to a one on one duel?" I throw my hands up and give her a kind gesture.


    She returned my kind gesture with a rude one of her own. That stung a bit.


    "Unlike you," Cassandra said. "I do have honor!"


    Cassandra drew her sword and pointed it at me. I readied my sword and widened my stance. I knew this wasn''t going to be good. She was a genius swordswoman, a prodigy from a great house. I was an orphan, a back-alley street rat. My skills were mostly self-taught while she studied from great warriors. Sweat poured down my face, and I waited for her to make a move.


    The sword in her hand danced and thrust towards me. Her movements were elegant but still fierce. All I could do was dodge and hope. Another sword swing came at my head, a killing blow. I blocked it with my short sword, but my muscles tighten from the impact. She swung her fist at me and her gauntlet connected with my jaw. My bones rattled, and I staggered backward. I felt the blood swirling in my mouth and knew she broke some teeth as well.


    "That''s not enough for you," Cassandra said furiously. "I''ll make you suffer!"


    Adrenaline pumped through my veins, and I chopped wildly at her. She blocked everything as her defense was like an iron wall. She slipped past me and slashed at my back. I cried out in my pain when her blade met my flesh. I turned around and faced her; she still stared coldly at me. She slashed at me again, but I guard it this time with my sword.


    Our swords locked and I could only grit my teeth. I couldn''t overpower Cassandra for some reason. She pushed my sword down and headbutted me. Blood gushed out from my nose as she knocked away the sword from my hand. I touched my face and saw my palm covered in crimson. I stood up tall with my hands to my side, and I looked at her, resigned to my fate.


    "Didn''t I tell you I was going to hurt you?" Cassandra sheathed her sword in a scabbard and threw it away from her side.


    I charged at her trying to take her down but received a knee to the stomach and an elbow to the back of the head. The sound of my bones crackled as I fell over gagging in pain only to witness a boot to my face. I fell over backward from the impact, and my body was screaming in pain. I staggered back up to see her with raised fists.


    She came to me, and I dodged mildly, my stamina was already low. I tried to uppercut her chin only to receive a counter to the liver. I couldn''t fight her, whoever said women were weaker than men never fought her. She moved too quick and was too agile for me. I couldn''t evade her swing, and I took a hook to the ribs. My breath was knocked out from my lungs, and I desperately gasped for air. It wasn''t long before her fists connected with my face again.


    Fist after fist hit my face as her white gauntlets became stained red. My face felt bruised, and my left eye was swollen shut. I crumpled down to one knee and looked her in the face. Her eyes showed no remorse. She grabbed me up by the collar of my cloak and propped me up against a tree with a thud.


    "So how?" Cassandra said with her voice cracking. "How does it feel to know that someone you care about can hurt you so much?"


    There were tears in her eyes as she looked at me. She was holding onto me, but I can feel the ease of her grip as she started to cry. I could only stare at her in pity, and I started laughing hysterically. I knew what I''d done, but to me, I did the right thing.


    I spat my blood into her face and held her in my arms as I smashed my bloody face unto hers. How many men or women would dream of touching her face with theirs? But I was going to turn her beauty into a bloody mess. I released her from my embrace and punched her in the face. She stumbled backward and then lunged a kick to my gut. I toppled over and vomited blood to the ground.


    "You fucker! Now you die!" She screamed as she moved to get her sword.


    Night finally came, and darkness enveloped us. I couldn''t hold up for much longer. I felt weak, exhausted, and feverish. I could tell that Cassandra earned her fearsome reputation. My body bled, my bones felt broken, I could barely see, and an insufferable amount of pain coursed through me. I stood up through it all as my pride wouldn''t let me die as I looked up from the dirt.


    Cassandra grabbed her sword and pointed it at me. I saw no way out, but my eyes wandered over to the cliff. I wasn''t going to let her kill me. Friends killing friends always leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. So I ran towards the cliff, and I felt my muscles explode, with one last effort, I leaped.


    Cassandra couldn''t reach me in time, all for the better. I was free falling as I heard a raging sound beneath me. I looked at the ground and saw nothing but pitch black darkness. Maybe I was falling straight into the underworld for what I''ve done. As I began to accept my end, I plunged deep down into the water below.


    Everyone called me an Assassin or a Thief; I never denied those things. All I wanted to do was save the Kingdom. I used to wish for fame and glory; I got that now. Just not in the way I expected. I didn''t have the luxury of living a normal life anymore. I had to run; they would have never stopped chasing me. I had become marked for death. My name is Demitri. And my sin? I killed the Hero, and this is my story.


    ---


    ~ Cassandra followed the Hero as closely as a puppy would, and she loved him as dearly as anyone could ever love another. ~

 Chapter Two (RW) - Sin:2

    I floated in water, and dreamed of days gone by. I dreamed of a battlefield, I dreamed of the smell that wavered through the air, and remembered friends that stood side by side. When I opened my eyes, I saw a pile of bodies in front of me. Soldiers walked past me and I felt heavy with fatigue. I rested a little and could only look at the faces of the dead amassed together. A smell lingered through the air, and it caught the attention of the living.


    Death was a putrid smell; it just wouldn''t let you forget.


    Living had always been hell for me. I never liked living, but I knew I had to survive. Why? It''s because I feared death most of all. I remembered when I talked to him about it. He never feared death, and I used to admire that about him. Now when I thought about it, that made him seem even more abnormal. The Hero of the Veil was far from normal.


    "Don''t you ever fear you''re going to die by doing all the reckless things you do?" I remembered asking him.


    The Hero stood next to me and looked almost like a perfect painting.


    "Nope," he said with a pure smile.


    "Why not?" I was intrigued by his brashness.


    "Because I''m strong," he held up the sword that made him famous.


    "Well, I can''t deny that," I grinned as his words were true just like how his blade was fierce.


    I took it for granted how a nobleman like him could talk to a street rat like me. We were in different positions and grew up in different lives but we had banded together. He was a pure light that I couldn''t help but follow. One that lit up bright in the sea of darkness which covered me.


    "Well then, what if you weren''t strong?" I asked another question to get a sense of his nature.


    "No," he returned another dazzling smile.


    "Okay and why not?" I crossed my arms waiting for his answer.


    "Because I''m smart," he said almost hesitant.


    "Well, I can deny that sometimes," I returned his hesitation with humor.


    The Hero didn''t say anything further but just gave me his usual smile.


    It was funny that we could talk about the most random of things in the most hellish places.


    "Seriously, though, do you?" My eyes wandered around to the fields of death.


    "I don''t," his voice became cold and I could tell that his eyes wandered down the fields too.


    "Care to explain?" I said looking over to a hazy grey sky.


    "Well, it''s because I''m the Hero."


    Everything seemed to be normal for him, and that too made him abnormal.


    We had to gather the bodies together and burn them. It was the only way to fight against the disease which plagued the poor. As if that wasn''t enough there was a famine that hit the countryside. We had to alleviate as many problems as we could. At least that''s what he always said. Most of us were just going through the motions.


    We just followed him because he was our leader.


    We followed him and walked a path through hell because he was the Hero.


    The war only started then.


    A jolt shook me awake from my dream, and I took a mouthful of water. I swam up to the surface and released the mixture of blood and water from my gut. I was surprised I still had my bearings about me. I gasped for air, and my throat felt warm again. I swam over to the shoreline and crawled out of the river muck. I was disoriented, and I didn''t know where I was. I guessed the Raven Queen did not want to come get my soul yet.


    I didn''t know how far the river took me and for how long. I only knew that it was cold, deathly cold. What I wouldn''t give for some warm place to heat my body and soul. I barely escaped with my life. A happy and smiling Cassandra filled my head for a moment. She''d be furious to know that I''m still alive.


    Darkness surrounded the forest, and only one glimmer of light appeared. I looked up to the night sky to see the moon staring back at me. It looked beautiful tonight even with one eye. Pain coursed through me. Half of my face swollen from Cassandra''s beating. I remembered when Cassandra used to sit with him during the moonlight nights. I wondered if she could still look up at the moon now?


    I dragged my body next to a tree and tried to rest against it. Its wood bark felt like stinging needles to my wounds. Everything was hurting like hell thanks to Cassandra. The cuts on my back were burning like mad. I took off my clothes, and I tried to warm myself. Having pulled out a red potion from my pocket, I poured a little on my back. I felt some relief, and all I could hope for is that it closed the wound.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I spat out some blood that built up in my mouth. Then I drank the rest of the potion before having tossed the vial aside. As soon as the liquid touched my lips, I felt its healing effects. I swirled it around my mouth and hoped that it gets rid of the taste of iron. I shallow a little and felt slightly refreshed.


    My tongue squirmed around my mouth to check my teeth. I found the culprit and pushed out the dislodged tooth with my tongue. I spat my tooth covered in blood to the ground. My body started to shiver; it was going to get colder. I pulled at shrubs and plants nearby; I needed some kindling. I produced a small knife from my boot and a flint from my pocket.


    I gathered my kindling beneath some fallen branches. I struck at the Flint with the knife. Sparks danced out from the metal knife which lighted up the kindling. I couldn''t inhale properly to fill my lungs with air as I blew softly at the tiny flames. The embers looked like friends long separated, insignificant and alone but stronger when grouped together.


    "Come on¡­.catch¡­come on!" My hands trembled and my voice was weak.


    I desperately tried to insulate the fire through my wheezing and small puffs. Then with a small breath of light, the embers disappeared. Now it did seem like everything hated me. Frustration and anger mounted in my heart as I stabbed the knife in the dirt. I guessed the Raven Queen wanted me to suffer more.


    "Gods!" I flipped the branches and kicked the small burnt kindling.


    The clouds above me blocked the moon as I whimpered on the side of the tree. Now there was no light for me, and I was alone in the dark. A howl echoed throughout the forest. It seemed that I wasn''t alone as I had previously thought. Still, I was naked, lost, and shivering in the shadows.


    I pulled out another potion from my wet clothes; it was my last one. I just wanted to feel some of its soothing effects again. I drank it as if it was the last thing I ever would. I felt a tingling sensation as it poured down my throat. The potion couldn''t heal everything wrong with my body, though I had wished it would. If only it could heal the nightmares that affected my mind.


    The mind is a very fragile thing, right then my mind was playing tricks on me. My eyes were seeing places and people that would no longer welcome me. I knew it was pitch black, but I saw it clear as day. Dead people started to appear, lost friends, hated enemies and they started to walk by me. I heard no ravens so I didn''t believe that the mistress of death had come for me yet.


    I watched the people pass me, smiling, almost indifferent to me being there. I followed them with my exhaustion mounting, and then I saw a pair of yellow orbs floating. They twinkled a little and the yellow orbs danced as they came closer to me. Only when it came too close that the orbs revealed a sinister row of teeth below them.


    My mind returned as a creature lunged at me. I grabbed its neck to prevent its teeth from tasting my flesh. A large wolf which sought its own survival through me. I felt its coarse fur which looked as black as night. Its yellow eyes stared at me as it saw a midnight meal. I struggled with it; its strong neck muscles were pressing down my weak arms. With a growl, it let out its claws which dug into my shoulders.


    I cried out in pain, and I felt anger, I wanted to kill this monster. My eyes wandered for my knife, and I saw it firmly planted in the dirt at my side. My right arm reached for the knife as the monster''s teeth reached closer to my throat. My left elbow propped against its throat, and I smelt the horrible breath of its mouth. The beast will have struggled to its end with me.


    Having grabbed the knife, I stabbed it into the side of its head. I twisted the knife as I felt its body going limp. I stabbed it again and again with blood having spilled all over my blade. My hand and body became covered crimson in its blood. Its yellow eyes were still staring at me even when the light of its life had faded away.


    "Fucking beast," I started breathing wildly as I gave out a grunt of victory.


    Some of my senses came back to me as I felt the beast laid on top of me. Its body was warm, very warm. I tossed it over to the side and knew I had something now to survive throughout the night. I looked at the beast closely, and I could see that it was a Black Wolf. They littered the forests in between Bareth. Some claw and teeth marks were scattered across its body. It was alone, so its pack probably abandoned it, I knew the feeling all too well.


    I got up on my knees, and I started using my knife to do work. The young butcher Martin had taught me well, once, long ago. I carved out its skin meticulously; its pelt was going to give me warmth throughout the night. Tomorrow, I''d use its meat for a meal before having moved on. I felt some sympathy for this creature, so I was not going to waste its life.


    The wolf was big, far larger than most I''ve seen, but the leader of its pack was probably bigger. I wondered if this wolf ever thought about not challenging his leader. Would he still be with his pack alive today? I never stopped wondering how different my life would be if I didn''t kill mine. Perhaps it was nature''s fault for the weak to challenge the strong. This wolf was like me, except, win or lose, we both were failures.


    I peeled off the pelt, it was still sticky with blood and a mild stench. I didn''t care about that as I wrapped it around my cold body. All I cared about was that it was still warm and I needed to feel that again. My body seemed to crumple away while wrapped in the pelt. I was tired, and I could finally rest.


    The moon appeared back in the sky as I laid down. My breathing slowed, and I felt my eyes go heavy. My mind slipped back to a pitch black nothing. I dreamed again, and I remembered about that time when we talked, it was the beginning of the end.


    I still remembered what he told me through those god forsaken fields.


    "I died once you know," the Hero said.


    The bodies were piled high around us while flesh and earth burned.


    "You? Don''t make me laugh, who could kill you?" I chuckled.


    The clink of armor and the sound of dragged bodies echoed.


    "It''s true¡­I died," he said.


    The smoke filled sky looked like a sinister overcast.


    "Oh yeah?" I tried to humor him. "So Hero, what happened when you died?"


    The Hero smiled again and faced me.


    "I came here," he voice was stoic, and I knew he was serious.


    I remembered looking at his face and how his eyes seem to pierce my soul when he said it.


    "I didn''t come from this world...I was reincarnated from another."


    ---


    ~The Raven Queen waits in the underworld. Her raven''s claw and nip on the dead. They call for her to come take the souls of the departed less they walk among the living again.~

 Chapter Three (RW) - Sin:3

    My dagger was stuck deep in his heart. I never remembered any blood; maybe he didn''t bleed. His eyes were green, and I hated the look he gave me. Was it pity? Was it shock? His hair was blue like the sky as if he were made from up above. I still remembered his eyes and that look. That awful look.


    "Forgive me," my mouth moved, but the sound didn''t come out.


    Those green eyes, did I hate those green eyes? Or maybe it reflected the envy I felt for him. If I didn''t envy him, I don''t think I could ever call myself human. He had everything, and I had nothing. I won''t deny my jealousy. He was supposed to be better than all of us. He was meant to be better than me. But he had the eyes of perdition...


    Sunlight touched my eyelids, and I stirred awake.


    My right eye confirmed my surroundings, and I knew I lived for another day. I already lived through thirty winters, and perhaps I could live through another. The forest seemed to wake up as I did, becoming alive than it did the previous night. I threw the pelt off my body and felt dirty all over. Though it was still the kind of dirt that I could have washed off. I limped over to the river and cleaned myself up.


    How I missed the inns and castles that I became accustomed to. After I ran, I could stay at those places no longer. I used to say that it would make people weak and soft. I didn''t know that I would have been one of them.


    I glanced up the river and saw that it stretches over the horizon. I thank the Gods that Cassandra and her men didn''t find me while I slumbered. Maybe they hoped that I was dead. I had nothing to live for, but I still wouldn''t die so easily. Some of my wounds clotted over, I looked at them and knew they were going to be scars. More wounds to signify the things I''ve done.


    My stomach rumbled, and I moved my gaze over to the wolf carcass. At least I knew I could fill my belly up with meat. Black Wolves don''t make for good meals, but the pain of hunger was too much. I wanted to satisfy it at least. Best that I die with my stomach filled.


    Wasting some daylight, I made a fire as I had the luxury of time now. I carved some wood branches with my knife and propped a fire spit together. I was going to roast the meat and dry my wet clothes. I squatted and waited for time to take its course. My idle hands tried touching my face. The left side of my face still stung, and my left eye couldn''t open yet.


    Cassandra''s fists were harsh indeed.


    I searched the surrounding vegetation in my vision and caught sight of some flowers. I moved over to examine them. There were some "Arica" flowers, and I plucked them out. I knew what they were called because of a girl I grew up with. She used to sell flowers in the city until she was forced to sell something else. I wished I could''ve saved her back then; it was one of my first failures.


    After I had plucked enough, I went back over to the fire and watched my meal cook. I balled up the flowers tightly and compacted them in my hands. Using the handle of my knife, I smashed the flowers on a log. I repeated to smash them until they became a paste-like salve. I dabbed my fingers slightly in the salve and brushed it over my face. I felt a slight sting, but I knew it would keep down the bruising. I cut part of the pelt and created a makeshift eye-patch to cover my left eye with the salve underneath.


    Some time had passed before I was able to eat the meat. The meat was gamey and tough as I tasted it. I wished that I had some seasoning to alleviate the flavor. I think I had done more chewing than eating. I cut some more meat to roast and packed it with me before I traveled. I didn''t know where I was and my sense of direction was gone.


    I just knew that I had to head north to go into Demon territory. I wanted to go there to right some wrongs. It was there that my honor and valor were still on good graces. It''s been many years since I''ve last been there with the Hero and the others.


    The sun was high above me before I was ready to make my journey. My clothes were dry now, and I cleaned them over again. The dark leather armor and trousers I wore no longer stained with blood. My brown boots looked fresh like tree bark. At the very least I would not look like I was near death anymore. Though my wounds, if you saw them, would''ve told you otherwise. I bundled up the wolf pelt with me, and I moved downstream.


    The river looked large enough in size that I could only hope that there was a town that way.


    An explosion echoed throughout the forest, and I heard the sounds of fighting. I rushed to see what was happening. I only had a small knife with me, but if anyone needed help, I would assist them. Unless it were something beyond my control, I help those in need. It was something I learned with the Hero. I wasn''t a heartless person, but of course, I cared about my survival more. I heard a boy''s voice mixed with the sound of roars and growls.


    I stumbled upon him, and my eyes would not avert their gaze. He looked to be around nine or ten years old, just a small child. But he was unleashing magic spells like they were nothing. Many beasts surrounded him, and he looked calm as if it were a stroll outside. It was like he was a monster, no, monsters showed no fear, but he showed no mercy. In a blink of an eye, the beasts all died to his hands.


    This boy¡­he seemed to remind me of him.


    <"Alright! I leveled up!"> The boy said. <"How many skill points did I get?">


    What words was he using? It seemed like nonsense to me. I never heard words of that tongue before. Did the river take me far south to the land of the ancients? No, it couldn''t have been. Otherwise, I would''ve seen the great desert.


    I watched the boy closely. I saw him touching the air, but there was nothing there. He was talking to himself, but I couldn''t understand him. Could a small boy like him even speak coherently? Was he mad? Maybe he wasn''t from around here? I tried to ponder this, but he stopped and looked in my direction.


    "I know you''re there! Come out!" The boy said.


    This time, I clearly understood his words. The common tongue of the Bareth land. So it appeared that I did not leave Bareth. I emerged from the forest and appeared to him.


    "You can speak my language?" I said.


    "Of course, I can! I was born in a town not far from here." The boy said as he looked up at me.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    No matter what, this was strange to my senses. If I saw the boy from a distance, I would think he could barely stand let alone have a conversation with me.


    "What were you saying earlier?" I asked.


    "What?" The boy replied.


    The boy looked to be afraid.


    "You were saying something earlier," I said. "Before I stepped out, what was that?"


    "Oh, you heard that?" The boy said.


    I nodded my head and stared at his face. I tried to decipher what he would be thinking.


    "It''s another language," The boy said.


    "Oh? What is it?" I asked.


    "English," The boy said as he crossed his arms.


    "English? I never heard of it," I said.


    I stared at him with some suspicion in my eyes.


    "It''s from some place far away," The boy said.


    "Then how do you know it?" I said.


    Sweat seem to drip from his forehead as he looked panicked.


    "It''s¡­uh¡­my-my mother! She knows it! She taught me," The boy said.


    I eased my posture and relaxed.


    "Oh, okay," I said not trying to show my emotions.


    The boy exhaled a bit, and his face indicated he felt relief at my approval. I didn''t believe him really, but I was going to play with his charade. He was just a little boy no matter how amazing his abilities were. The boy looked human enough and seemed to want to explain himself. I couldn''t press the matter any further.


    "Where''s the closest town?" I asked.


    "It''s quite a distance from here," The boy replied. "The closest town is my home."


    "Can you take me there?" I said.


    "What for?" The boy said as his eyes showed distrust for me.


    I couldn''t blame the boy; we had just met. Still, I''m surprised he could understand not to trust strangers for someone his age. Usually, a boy his age would do as he was told. My senses told me that he was no regular boy at all. My gut feeling that he was dangerous.


    "To sell this wolf pelt," I said and produced my bundle.


    I was going to sell the pelt anyway but what I really wanted to know was where I was. I needed to get out of the country. There was too much trouble that followed me. I hoped that this boy wouldn''t ask too many questions. The boy looked at the wolf pelt with a nod of his head and seemed to understand.


    "Oh," The boy said. "How about we make a deal?"


    "Deal?" My eyes sharpened on him.


    "Yeah, I''ll show you the way to town but could you sell some of my things as well?" The boy said. "Of course, I''ll give you a commission!"


    I raised my eyebrows slightly while I looked at the boy.


    "Why couldn''t you sell it yourself?" I said.


    "Nobody would buy them from me," The boy said. "They would think I stole it."


    I could understand, as a street rat myself I stole many things when I was a boy. Many merchants wouldn''t deal with me, but there were some that would. Only to give me a fraction of the market price, it was, of course, all stolen goods. Was this boy already thinking about making money at his age?


    "Okay," I said. "It''s a deal."


    The boy offered a handshake, and I felt how tiny his hands were. This was all too strange, no matter how I looked at him he was a child. I couldn''t stop feeling that he''s much older than he was. I didn''t know any magic that could reverse aging, and he doesn''t look like a demon. I knew that I should find out more about him, but I was worried about what I would find.


    "Alright boy, since we''re partners you can tell me your name," I said. "My name is Demitri."


    "My name is Dante Lyons," Dante said.


    A family name? So he was a noble as well. Only the rich and privileged had family names to which they didn''t let anyone forget. Yet his clothes seem too poor, and he didn''t act like a privileged child. A young noble wouldn''t think about selling wolf pelts. This boy was very abnormal to such an extent. Now he completely reminded me of the Hero.


    "Well, lead the way Young Lord," I said.


    Dante turned and went away from the river. I guessed if I followed it downstream I wouldn''t have found the town for days. We found a road, but he ignored it and led me around the twists and turns of the forest. It was if he was following a map. Had he learned the ways of a hunter? It was very perturbing to me, but I kept quiet, and I saw the little glances he gave me.


    <"I should level up inspect.">


    "What?" I said following close behind.


    "Nothing," Dante replied waving his hand.


    This Young Lord was a strange boy; I couldn''t help but wondered about his real age.


    "How old are you Young Lord?"


    "I''m ten winters old."


    "¡­"


    Truly, it was unbelievable.


    After some time had passed moving through the forest, we arrived at a town. It was strange how far we were from town and where I found him. It seemed like a journey for a boy who only saw ten winters and he was out all by himself. He even knew how to get back home with ease. I pointed my gaze towards him, and it seemed like he was playing with the air again. He saw my face and returned a look back to me. His face was stiff as if he were in shock and then it transformed into a grinning smile.


    "Demitri," Dante said.


    Dante stopped in his tracks and looked up at me.


    "Young Lord?" I replied taken aback at his look.


    "Could you keep it a secret that you saw me out in the forest?" Dante said. "My parents wouldn''t like it if they found out."


    This boy looked to be scheming something as he gave me some pitiful look on his face.


    "Your secret is safe with me Young Lord," I gave a quick bow of my head.


    Dante smiled at me, and I gave a shrug of my shoulders.


    "Okay, then your secret is safe with me too," Dante said.


    Dante gave me a smirk, and I was perplexed at his statement.


    "What secret?" I said.


    "I saw your stats and your title," Dante said as he looked at me with a hideous grin.


    I didn''t understand what he was saying.


    "I know who you are¡­Hero Killer..."


    ---


    ~ The Hero knew people and places almost too well. He would know the names of people he''s never met and walk through uncharted territory like it was the back of his hand. It was frightening to witness.

 Chapter Four (RW) - Sin:4

    What? Heavy thoughts raced throughout my mind. My eyes sharpened on the Young Lord. I didn''t know how he knew, but I was going to feign my ignorance. I shrugged my shoulders and looked away. Then I gathered my bearings to focus back on the Young Lord.


    "I have no idea what you are talking about Young Lord," I said without a hint of emotion.


    "Oh, really Demitri?" Dante rubbed his chin. "Well, I''ll leave it at that."


    Who was this Young Lord? He seemed to hold secrets, but he was far too young to have them. Thankfully he moved away from the subject and guided the way through the town. He told me the town was called Balenos and that we were still in the Kingdom of Bareth. Although, he didn''t know the lay of the land to much detail. I felt disappointed that he didn''t know. Which was kind of strange that I expected him to know as much.


    The town was bustling with people and excitement. It was the kind that you''d expect from a city and not a small town like this. Goods were being traded, and the people looked happy throughout. You wouldn''t have known that these lands were at war only months ago. The terrible faces I saw of the populace seemed like a fleeting dream.


    "Why is everyone so happy here?" I asked while throwing the hood of my cloak over my head.


    The Young Lord smirked at my question.


    "Well, we had a good harvest, and my father is a wise governor," Dante said.


    Was his father the Lord of the town? I truly met an amazing Young Lord in Dante. To think that someone of his stature would be wandering around the forests alone. It seemed even more Bizarre. Dante looked genuinely happy and proud of Balenos.


    "To this extent?" I said as I scanned the area. I never thought I''d see smiling faces in Bareth again. Whatever Lord rules this area must be a kind and forgiving one. Usually, they would work their subjects and take whatever they wanted. For the people to be so enthralled, he must be well respected.


    "We had found a rich ore mine not too far from here and my father ordered its excavation," the young Lord said. "People have come to help in its mining, and in return with so many people visiting, our economy has been bolstered."


    "What kind of ore young Lord?" I said.


    "Mithril," Dante said with a smile.


    My eyes went to shock as I rested them at Dante. Mithril was a rare and hard to find metal in the Western Kingdom. Even a couple of pounds could make one''s family well off for generations. A rich Mithril ore mine was located around here deep by the surrounding forests? The Lord and this territory would be rich beyond their wildest dreams. It was no wonder why the people are so happy.


    "Here we are Demitri, one of the best shops in town," Dante pointed to a shop. "Also try not to tell people who I am."


    "People don''t know who you are?" I asked.


    "Not everyone does," Dante said as he shook his head. "I sort of have weird rumors about me."


    It wouldn''t be a wonder if he did. He seemed too exceptional for a young boy. I gave the Young Lord a nod and continued. I didn''t care about his reasons, but he helped me, and I believed I could repay that much at least. I opened the door, and Dante followed behind me. The shop had a wooden sign that said it was selling both weapons and armors.


    The shop itself looked like a combination of two brick buildings merged. It was most likely doing very well for itself. I could assume that with the amount people, an increase in bodyguarding and monster slaying had risen. The businesses around the area must be glad as well for the increased traffic.


    "Hello! Welcome to my store, good sir!" The shopkeeper had a beaming smile on his face.


    There looked to be other customers rummaging through the store.


    "Good day to you shop keep," I said. "I''m here to peddle some of my wares, some black wolf pelt."


    I grabbed the wolf pelt from my side and placed it on the counter. I looked at Dante, and he had produced numerous pelts from out of nowhere. Where was he hiding them? I kept my expression tight but I had no idea that this boy would have had this many pelts. I barely survived against one black wolf, but this boy had ten more pelts. The shopkeeper looked at me with wide surprise, and I couldn''t blame him either.


    "Good sir, you must be a veteran and an accomplished hunter to be able to kill these many wolves on your own," the shopkeeper''s face was in utter disbelief.


    I could only give a crooked smile and a little nod.


    "I can give you four-no-five silvers a pelt," the shopkeeper said as he tried to keep his composure.


    I glanced at Dante and he seemed to be in deep thought.


    "I heard that black wolf pelts are sold at fifteen silvers a pelt here or were I mistaken?" Dante said without hesitation.


    The shopkeeper seemed a little frightened like he was caught red-handed.


    "I''d have to tan and work them to be usable for sale!" The shopkeeper said nervously.


    "Maybe it''s best I go somewhere else," I interjected.


    The shopkeeper looked to be in anxious thought as he eyed other customers. Some gave minor glimpses to our conversation. Others continued trying not to mind, but they heard Dante''s voice carry throughout the store. They probably now discovered the nature of the shopkeeper. It isn''t good business for customers to find out that you are willing to cheat them.


    "I can do seven silvers, good sir!" The shopkeeper said.


    "No worries, I trust a vendor of your caliber wouldn''t dare to under price him," Dante smiled, and I realized that he already calculated his return from the pelts.


    This boy had the personality of a devil; it was cunning of him to let the shopkeeper dictate his prices first. I hadn''t been to this town before so I wouldn''t know the usual market prices. Dante had the haggling skills of an old merchant. The gap in his strangeness kept growing larger. It was a mystery for a young boy to have so much experience.


    The shopkeeper had a worried face as some sweat glistened on his forehead.


    "It''s a deal then," I said to alleviate his worries.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I assumed the shopkeeper thought it wasn''t best to antagonize and cheat someone who killed eleven black wolves by himself. I only killed one, but he didn''t know that. He moved the pelts and then gave me a pouch of coins. I checked the weight of the pouch and nodded my head to assure Dante.


    Weapons littered around the shop from the plain to the extravagant. Those who sought the gold-encrusted swords and the spears with diamonds wanted to tempt fate. They wouldn''t know how worthless their weapons would be until they were dead and buried. Some scavenger was looting their corpses, finding their weapons and selling it back to the very shop that sold them the worthless thing.


    I didn''t need much but a simple blade. I asked the shopkeeper for a plain short sword and paid three silvers for it. Three silvers were all I need to kill and maim someone else. I looked around the store for a bit and saw a map placed on the wall.


    My eyes scanned the map, looking for my location. The town called Balenos was near the border between the two great kingdoms. Just an edge slightly under the jurisdiction of the Western Kingdom of Bareth. It seemed the river had taken me far east from my destination. I''d either have to enter back into the heart of Bareth or go along the border.


    I''d be no better in the Eastern Kingdom of Solace. It was a place where I committed many atrocities under the guise of war. The people of Solace knew me very well and hated me just the same. I vexed over the dilemma at being stuck between two countries that wanted me dead.


    "How much for the map?" My thoughts were wandering as my eyes still fixated on the map.


    "Ah, two silvers good sir," The shopkeeper replied.


    I paid for the map and rolled it up before I tucked it into my shirt. Dante wasn''t interested in anything else so we made our exit. I left with the Young Lord and handed him the pouch after a clear distance away. Dante counted the amount quite easily and I saw that he was well educated. This Young Lord that I met could quite have been a genius.


    "Thank you Demitri, here are seven silvers for your help," Dante handed me the coins, and I fiddled with the silvers before I placed them in my pocket.


    The silvers would help me buy some appetizing food while heading north. No matter how far I got in my life, I had always needed money. There was no difference in my life about that. Money was something I always chased after.


    "So what are you going to do now Demitri?" Dante gave me a peculiar smile.


    "Get something warm to fill my stomach before heading my way," I said looking up at the clear sky.


    "Then how about I invite you to come over to my place?" Dante looked to have found a way to keep me in his company. "My young maids are well-established cooks, you wouldn''t need to wander around, town and you can save your silvers."


    I can''t say I would deny many meals with young maids. I pondered a bit and saw the crowds of people throughout town. I didn''t want the same thing to happen to me days ago by getting recognized again. So I nodded my head to took up his offer. My own curiosity also wanted me to find out more about this Young Lord.


    As I was about to follow Dante, my eyes caught a glimpse of a beggar dressed in white rags.


    "Pray to the Gods, beg to them! The world will end soon, and in their glory, you will find your salvation! Cast away your sins! Do it now before they exact their vengeance upon you!"


    The beggar was ranting and raving in the middle of the street.


    People passed him by as he continued his sermon. He had long black hair that hid his face with an unkempt beard. I noticed that he was wearing cloth of the church. A lunatic priest? This was very strange especially given how highly regarded the Church of the Veil was.


    My mind wandered to a man who was like an older brother to me. He was clean shaved and bald; he always wore the pristine white cloth of the church. His name was Helem Edwin. We called him Master Edwin because of his lineage and his hierarchy with the Church of the Veil. He always talked about the Gods and the fate of our lives. I wondered what he was doing now that our group had disbanded.


    I gazed at the lunatic priest a bit closely to see his erratic movement and gestures. I finally realized that he was blind. Then as if he noticed me, looked in my direction before continuing his madness.


    "You will never be saved! Unless you confess!" The beggar in priest''s clothing ranted on.


    If he weren''t blind, I would have thought he was talking to me.


    "A Holy War is coming again!"


    I guessed that this town wasn''t as isolated from the war after all. It wasn''t realistic to think that a war between two countries wouldn''t affect the people around the borders. The town being this way could have been an anomaly from the young Lord and his family. Master Edwin would''ve said it was the Gods purpose and that fate had allowed the town to be so prosperous.


    "Who is that?" I asked and pointed to the beggar.


    "I have no idea, he came about a month ago," Dante looked troubled. "He doesn''t really do anything but lecture people in the streets."


    The Young Lord rubbed his chin while he looked around the town. The Beggar ranted and raved to the air around him. People walked by him, and some even threw coins at his feet. I wondered what he''d seen that had made him become this way. Usually, priests would have a mental fortitude higher than regular people. He''d probably been through something hellish for him to be made blind and turned into a beggar.


    "It seems no one pays any attention to him," Dante crossed his arms. "Plus he''s blind, so people, do feel sorry for him."


    "I understand," I said and nodded my head in agreement.


    I picked a silver from my pocket and threw it towards the blind beggar.


    "Demitri, we should go now," Dante didn''t seem amused by the ravings of a mad man.


    I was about follow Dante but hesitated a moment as I kept my eyes on the beggar for awhile.


    "Demitri?....Demitri?" I heard the beggar saying my name with a coarse voice.


    The beggar fell to his knees and searched for the silver coin I had thrown towards him. He picked up the silver and grasped it in both hands. It looked like he was praying as he knelt on the ground. Then he began to mumble incoherently and wandered off. I was startled at what he was doing but I assumed that it was just the actions of a poor wretched soul.


    I took my eyes off him and followed after Dante. My slow pace only rushed Dante forward as if to tell me to hurry. My thoughts still strayed back to the old beggar. This wasn''t the first time I ever saw someone like that. I had seen plenty of people displaced during the war. Many people had gone crazy from all the death and the destruction that war caused. I sometimes think why I hadn''t gone insane from witnessing the same things. Perhaps I am mad and just don''t know it.


    Maybe it was because of Master Edwin who was our physical and spiritual healer. He always saw the good in people and the karma of good deeds. Maybe if he had not been there, I would''ve gone insane long ago. After seeing the beggar and thinking of Master Edwin, I felt the need to go into a church and beg forgiveness for my sins. I doubted that it would be enough for me to atone through prayer alone although.


    I followed Dante a short distance to his house which seemed to be isolated inside the middle of town.


    It was a mansion fit for a Lord as it had a grand gate and numerous green landscapes. The mansion was enormous, to say the least and gave off a magnificent aura. I saw many servants walking about doing their chores. This Lord''s family must be very old and well off to employ so many people. There were even numerous guards scattered about them. It seemed like the family had theirvery own private militia. I didn''t know many noble families that could afford a sizable militia besides the Royal Family.


    They all gave me sharp stares as I followed the Young Lord around.


    As we neared the entrance, a well-dressed man and woman exited from the mansion. They had a look of relief when they saw the Young Lord, and I assumed that they were his parents. In an instant, they rushed to Dante''s side. All the guards gripped their weapons, and I stepped back a little to give them some room.


    "Dante! Where have you been?" The man asked.


    "Ah! I''m sorry father, I''ve been studying under my teacher here," Dante said pointing to me.


    Both his father and mother looked at me with shock on their faces.


    "Teacher?" Both parents said.


    I cracked a smile and was disturbed as well.


    What have I gotten myself into?


    ---


    The last war between the great kingdoms of Bareth and Solace raged for a year. It was a great one year war that shook the land. It was a war that started because of a dispute of territory and morality, but it was much more simpler than that. Simpler and sinister in its machinations.

 Chapter Five (RW) - Sin:5

    I was dumbfounded, just what in the world was this boy saying!?


    I gave a crooked smile to his parents and nodded my head a little.


    "Well, who are you?" The Lord said with a noble demeanor.


    The Lord of the city stared at me from top to bottom as I racked my thoughts.


    "Father, his name is Demitri, and he''s a former companion of the great hero of our kingdom."


    Dante interjected on my behalf as I put my hand over my head.


    "The Hero of the Veil!? Why didn''t you tell us sooner! Of course, we''d be more than happy to welcome you as an instructor for our son!" The Lord seemed in high spirits.


    The Hero of the Veil, I haven''t heard that name in a long time. The church had given him that title, and I was surprised that he received it willingly. Now that I thought about that time, it must''ve been the Princess'' influence. She was to give him all the titles and prestige to grow the hero''s fame. He was her dirty sword, and she was his dirty sheath. I never forgot that cold and emotionless Princess who made my blood boil over.


    "Thank you for having me," I said as I gave the Lord a bow. "I will only be here a few days, but I''ll instruct the Young Lord as best I can."


    I gave Dante a look as I probably played right into his hands. He had a smug face on him that I felt I needed to hit for some reason. I parted ways with Dante, and a butler guided me through the mansion. I was given a room as instructed by the Lord; it was quaint but still extravagant. There were silk sheets, magnificent upholstery, and expensive furniture that would make a farmer spend a lifetime to acquire. I could guess that this was a very old and noble house.


    I glanced outside the window and could very well see the town from this mansion. It was still bustling with activity, but the sound couldn''t reach over the hill. The abundance of the town would most likely affect the nobles who lived here to their benefit. The rich would get richer, and I hated that fact. The town folk would think it''d be a blessing and that wealth would spread, it wouldn''t. As more income came, taxes would rise along with prices. The common people who couldn''t afford it would be forced to leave. Then in due time, the rich would leave as well with their purses full as they sought another place that suited their wealth.


    It was always the same with the politics of greed.


    Sometimes I was glad that I was just a poor ignorant street rat. I wasn''t beholden to these rules. It was after meeting him, the hero, that my perspectives changed and my horizons broadened. Even having witnessed the inner workings of the church had left me faithless. Master Edwin would have thrown a fit if he knew that. With how many times he preached to me and gave me his sermons. I didn''t care for the church not while there were corrupt people pulling its strings.


    As the feeling of melancholy was festering in my heart, there was a knock on my door. I went over and answered it only for the Young Lord to appear.


    "Demitri, how do you like your room?" Dante said.


    "The accommodations are fine my Young Lord," I replied.


    "Please just call me Dante," Dante gave me a chuckle and a smile.


    "As you wish Dante," I said as I gave him a nod.


    I already knew he was abnormal but it was his home, and I knew how nobles acted. This boy seemed too experienced above his age. What he wanted with me, I wasn''t too sure. The more I looked at the boy, the more I had become puzzled.


    "So, why did you trap me here?" I asked straight to the point.


    Dante walked right into my room without any formalities.


    "Trapped? More liked helped," Dante said inclining his head. "You know there''s a Royal patrol looking for you."


    "A Royal patrol? Here already!?" I couldn''t hide my shock.


    I would''ve thought for them to have taken days to find me in the forest before moving on.


    "They came in through town a couple of days before I met you," Dante said. "They were led by a woman in shining white armor."


    "Cassandra¡­" I mumbled.


    I wondered why they hadn''t found me. Cassandra was no fool; she wouldn''t waste her time searching for me in the same spot. She knew me, just as I had known her. They had probably passed me while I was adrift in the river. If I had left town a little too early, I might''ve caught up to them. It would''ve been a huge problem for me. Well, it looks like this boy had thought of everything. I was deep in idle thought when Dante broke me out of it.


    "So you are the Hero Killer," Dante said.


    Damn! I had forgotten. I didn''t think he truly knew and he lured me out with a passing sentence. He got me; there was no use in feigning my ignorance.


    "So how''d you know they were looking for me?" I said.


    "Not that hard, they were looking for a dangerous criminal with elite troops," Dante said rubbing his chin. "A Royal patrol? This far away from the capital? Who would be more dangerous than someone who has killed the Hero of the Kingdom?"


    I felt embarrassed as even a child could guess they were after me.


    "It''s fine, why don''t you hang around town? There''s a festival going on to celebrate the welcoming of all the new people into town." Dante smiled. "Plenty of food and women."


    Women? I snorted. What would a child know of women?


    "Why should I go?" I said blatantly.


    "You look like the sort that can''t stay in one place too long," Dante said. "You seem like the sort to be left in misery just cooped up in this room."


    Dante left my room not long after that.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Well, he was right that I couldn''t stand staying in one place. Maybe it was a force of habit? I didn''t know. All my life I moved around without purpose until I met the Hero and gained allies. I thought my new purpose in life was to fight for truth and justice. Why did I think that? In reality, it was far from it, and I had truly become na?ve.


    I left the Lord''s mansion and headed down to the bustling town. It was getting dark, and the temperature had dropped. The lights coming from the town was on vibrant display. There was a great festival going on as to what Dante had told me. Truly this town was in a twilight of rebirth becoming close to that of a city. I wandered around watching the markets and the people enjoying themselves to their heart''s content. My eyes caught sight of small children moving through the crowds.


    "Orphans?" I muttered faintly.


    My eyes wouldn''t leave them as I watched them maneuver through the streets. They were in rags and had unkempt hair. Dirt and holes in their clothes seem to cover them all over. There were about six children in total that moved almost in a line. Five children were moving briskly while one tiny girl was moving slowly behind them. They navigated through the crowd magnificently. The bright lights and atmosphere must''ve lured them here. I could tell what they were up to and I followed them.


    My mind started placing glimpses of myself back to when I was growing up in the Royal capital.


    I was an orphan as well, but I did have a family I grew up with. We were all Orphans, bastards, and unwanted children. We bonded and stuck together through the cruelest period of our young stunted lives. They were all dead now, and I was the only one left. I couldn''t stand the sight of the Royal capital anymore, from the very top to the very bottom.


    These orphans looked like they had a plan and it was to steal as much as they could. For street orphans, to steal was to survive, it was a way of life. With so many people in town that were crowding the streets, the vendors wouldn''t be able to catch them. Now all they would have to do is find someone either busy or with easy access to their goods. The children looked no younger than five winters old and the oldest could have been around ten winters old.


    Perhaps I was getting sentimental and followed them because of nostalgia. I remembered how I had lived to survive and I felt empathy for these children. I watched around the roads and could tell there weren''t many guards out. Being with, that the town garrison probably didn''t have that many. The children stopped, and I saw the target that they had picked out for themselves.


    I got close enough to see their actions and I blended myself in the surrounding area. They were obviously hungry as they had picked a barbecue stall to steal from. The smell wafted through the air and lured these children there. I noticed how scrawny and small they were. Their eyes seem to lit up as their bellies growled being so close to food.


    The stall was outside in the open, right in front of a tavern and because of this, it was very crowded. The owner of the bar and the barbecue stall might be the same person. To eat meat and drink beer, a natural desire for men. It was an easy way to get money. These children obviously didn''t want beer which was understandable, but they looked hungry for the meat.


    The oldest was quietly moving around the stand; it looked like he was going to play the diversion. Two children moved to one side of the stall, and the rest moved to the other side. As I watched them, I noticed two burly men had their eyes on them as well. They hadn''t noticed, but this vendor had guards. Taverns already had guards on the regular, so they might''ve hired more to stand outside and protect the stall as well.


    Just as the oldest child was about to go up and start something I made my move. I went behind him and held him tight on the shoulder. The child was confused at first and then angry. I could feel his stare and worry from the side, but I ignored him.


    "Excuse me, could I get an order of your best barbecue for six please?" I said calmly.


    "Hey! I was here first!" The boy tried to stammer.


    The boy tried to get our attention, but the vendor only looked at me.


    "Yes, sir! That''d be one silver and twenty copper coins please."


    I handed over two silvers from my pouch and received the change. I looked down at the boy who was still burning a stare at me. I gave him a slight smile and ruffled his hair. I glanced around to see where the guards were and noticed they had stopped. They probably had guessed something, but I moved before they did.


    "What do you want!?" The boy said as he gave me a look of dissatisfaction.


    I knew that look; I used to saw it in my reflection many decades ago.


    I gave the boy a smirk back as I grabbed his hand and placed the change in his palm. The boy was the oldest orphan, and he felt that he had some responsibility to shoulder among the rest, I knew that very well too. He had a weird expression on his face when I closed his hand to the money like it was the first kind gesture he ever received. As the hot food came, I gestured over to his partners in crime and signaled them to come. Hesitantly they all came over to me, and I handed each of them a plate.


    The children were all bewildered by my actions and stood still.


    I knew that kind gestures from adults were never without payment, but my kindness was.


    "What do you want from us?" The oldest said, still hesitant.


    "Go on, take it home and eat up," I said with a smile. "And next time, just don''t get caught."


    I flashed my eyes to the left and the right. The boy followed my signal and noticed the two guards who were looking at us. The oldest wasted no time after that and left like he thought I was going to take back what he acquired. Some of the children gave me nods of appreciation while the rest just left. The tiny girl who struggled behind them could barely hold the plate in her hands. She looked up to me and gave me a warm smile.


    "Thank you, mister," the tiny girl said. "My name is Lisa."


    Lisa gave a courtly bow unlike her age and then left to follow the group.


    "Orphans," I muttered again.


    One of the guards came up to me after they were gone.


    "Why did you help those children?" The guard asked almost surprised.


    "Why?" I replied. "Because I used to be them."


    I left the guards stupefied in place as I walked back through the crowds.


    There''s no mercy in this world for children, and I had found that out the hard way. If anything I understood the plight of children too well. Especially those who were cast out and alone. There were not enough Heroes in the world to save everyone; I knew that. The Hero would sometimes tell me to act logically without emotions blindly me, I knew that too, but not everything can be calculated coldly.


    I stayed close the children and made sure they didn''t notice me. It wasn''t that hard for someone like me. I had given them food and money; I was going to make sure they got back to where ever their home was safe and sound. I knew what I was doing wasn''t going to help them in the long run, but I couldn''t just stand there and let it be. I always followed my heart and my gut. If just a little can brighten their world, I would do it without hesitation.


    I thought about the Hero and the group we had together. People of varying ages and abilities had all gathered around him. Everyone used to tell me that I had the kindest heart out of all the men they knew, Master Edwin especially. I didn''t believe that, as I always stated that Master Edwin or the Hero had a kinder heart than me. Now, I realized that the Hero was never a kind-hearted person. I wondered if Master Edwin still believes the same thing for me now that I''ve killed the Hero.


    If I told Master Edwin what I knew, what I had done, would he believe me? Would that justify the things I did? Would he understand? Would that absolve my sins? Would I ever get a chance to tell him?


    I followed the children, and they entered what looked like an abandoned church on the outskirts of town. As I confirmed their safety and was about to leave, I heard one of the children say.


    "Master Edwin! Master Edwin! We got food!"


    I looked back to the church and saw the children surrounding someone.


    It was someone in the holy uniform of the Veil.


    It seemed that I might get the chance to tell him after all.


    ---


    The Church of the Veil was founded on the principles of the Four Gods. The Four Gods that ruled the directions of the heavenly points. In the land, there was no following greater than the Church of the Veil which seemed to cross borders and weave its web into everything on the continent.

 Chapter Six (RW) - Sin:6

    "Children," The man clothed in Holy priest robes said. "You got food."


    "Yes! A good man helped us!"


    Is that Master Edwin? It was dark, and I couldn''t get a good look. I got closer to the church entrance to get a better view while staying in the shadows. The children seemed enthralled with the man they surrounded. Moonlight broke upon the entrance, and I tried to move away from the light. Someone noticed my movements; it was Lisa, the tiny girl who thanked me. She had smiled at me and waved her little arms. The rest of the children turned around and saw me basked under the moonlight.


    "Master Edwin! That''s the man! He''s the one who helped us," one of the children called out.


    The children parted away, and I saw the man. He was the blind beggar I''d seen in town earlier that day. Covered in long black hair while wearing the Holy priest robes. The man held what looked like a carved staff in one hand. Gone was the reverence he used to command. The jewelry that used to adorned him were gone as well. He wasn''t the Master Edwin I knew at all.


    I just couldn''t believe he was Master Edwin. He seemed too frail, too broken. My image of Master Edwin couldn''t be replaced with this blind beggar in front of me. An animosity built up within the pit of my stomach. Who was he and why is he pretending to be Master Edwin?


    "Kind sir, thank you very much for helping these children," the blind beggar said in a hoarse voice. "We don''t get much kindness from strangers nowadays."


    The children stare at me with happy expressions while surrounding the blind beggar. Their smiles broke down any negative feeling I had. Even if he had used Master Edwin''s name, it had to have been for a good reason. I gazed at the decrepit old church and back at the poor children. Even blind, he was begging on the streets to help these children and still spread the word of religion. Master Edwin would''ve been fine with this man using his name.


    I pulled back my thoughts and was about to leave until the blind beggar called out to me.


    "Excuse me, sir," the beggar said. "May I get your name?"


    The blind beggar was moving his head around searching for me.


    "It''s Demitri," I said in melancholy.


    The blind beggar seemed startled and stumbled towards me when he heard my name.


    "Demitri?...is that¡­are you Demitri?"


    The children looked worried as the blind beggar was shaking.


    "Yes," I replied almost in confusion by his actions.


    "Are you¡­one of the companions to the Hero of the Veil?" the blind beggar said clearing his throat.


    I nodded my head before I realized again he was blind.


    "Yes," I said.


    The blind beggar dropped to his knees at my confirmation.


    "Thank you, Gods!" The beggar said as he looked to the heavens. "You have brought him to me."


    I was puzzled by his questions and actions.


    "It''s been awhile Demitri," the blind beggar said.


    A calm expression returned to the blind beggar as he stood up. An almost regal feeling came over him. The impression I first had of him disappeared and replaced with a noble bearing. It seemed as if he knew me, but I didn''t know him. No matter how I looked at him, I didn''t remember this man at all. Who was this man?


    "I''m sorry, who are you?" I said.


    The blind beggar was smiling as his head motioned towards the sound of my voice.


    "It''s me, Helem," the blind beggar said.


    "Master Edwin!?" I said.


    Helem was Master Edwin''s first name; he had become known as Master Edwin when he was officially recognized as a Holy Priest of the Veil. His full name was Helem Edwin, and he was a noble too with a deep background. He had been Master Edwin for so long that people did forget his real name. Only a few people had known his real name, and of course, he had told us as comrades. We had fought off the Demon race together; we had gone to war together, we were allies and friends in the truest sense of the word.


    "What?....Why?" I said almost in disbelief. "What happened to you?"


    "You," Helem said in clear tone. "Come inside, these children would like to eat their meals, and we could talk."


    Helem was always bald and clean shaven. Now he was unimaginably scruffy and dirty all around. He took personal hygiene seriously almost religiously just like his approach to the Religion of the Veil. His soft and soothing voice was gone as well, replaced with something rough and hoarse. Just what had happened to Helem after that incident? I needed to know, yet I couldn''t stop thinking it was my fault. Only questions propped up in my mind.


    I followed Helem and the children inside the old church. There were brightly lit candles and a fireplace burning on inside. Most of the inner walls were ruined, and I could see some patchwork of materials used to cover the walls. Some benches and furniture were scattered around, broken into pieces. They were most likely using them as firewood for the time being. I didn''t think Helem and the children could have chopped down any wood by themselves.


    The children sat down close to the fire and began to eat their food while it was still warm. They didn''t savor any bite, but it seemed to be euphoric for them with every gulp. Just how long had they gone on without eating? Lisa approached me to give me some of her food. I shook my head to reject any portion, and she returned to eating her food quietly. I gave her a small pat on the head, and she seemed to brighten up by my touch.


    The atmosphere of the children enjoying their meals in the dreariest of confines almost transported me back to my youth.


    Helem slowly walked over to a chair by a mural of the Four Gods. He used his staff as a walking stick, tapping the ground to lead his way. The Carved staff looked to have been made by children with plenty of small cuts on it. I can see how the children must adore him. When he sat down, he had a faint smile but a tired expression on his face. It was the first time I had noticed; Master Edwin had gotten very old.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I stared at his face briefly and knew that his sight was truly gone.


    "Master Edwin," I said almost choked up. "What happened?"


    "Where do we start?" Helem said as he coughed.


    Helem tried dusting himself off as he gave a smile.


    "Why are you here Master Edwin?" I said.


    "Oh¡­I was ex-communicated," Master Edwin said. "You can just call me Helem now."


    I was confused by his statement.


    "What? How? Why?" I said. "You are the most faithful follower and almost guaranteed to be a cardinal!"


    Master Edwin was the closest Holy Priest to having become a Cardinal. The ranks of the Church of the Veil followed an almost rule by longevity. Whoever faithfully served the Church for how many years was guaranteed a high-ranking position. This didn''t include merits of outstanding accomplishment and valor which Master Edwin would''ve easily beat the next competitor. Master Edwin was the prime example of a faithful servant to the church. Being excommunicated sounded like a joke!


    Helem laughed coarsely.


    "Well, I couldn''t save him after all," Helem said, sadness crept over his face.


    I stayed silent for a while, and I had understood what he meant. He was a Holy priest and follower of the Veil, assigned to the Hero. Some of the blame must''ve been pushed on Helem by his enemies when the Hero died. The religion couldn''t let anyone else know that one of their priests couldn''t save the Hero of the Veil after all. It would''ve been a blow to their religion and their followers.


    "Tell me Demitri, what did you use to kill him with?" Helem questioned.


    I balled my hands into fists at my sides and looked down before I glanced at him.


    "The Demon Lord''s weapon," I answered.


    Helem''s face was solemn like he understood something at once.


    "That accursed thing that you picked up?" Helem said.


    "Yes," I said.


    Helem burst into a maniacal laughter almost scaring the children. I was taken aback by his insane crackling. The light of the fire seemed to roar out in laughter with him. Slowly, his laughter had died down to small chuckles as a smile covered his face.


    "No wonder¡­I couldn''t do anything¡­None of my healing spells would close the wound!"


    It seemed that my answer had lifted a heavy weight off his shoulders.


    "I told them, I told them I tried every healing spell I knew, but I couldn''t stop the blood. I couldn''t stop him from dying," Helem said holding the staff like it was someone he knew.


    Helem seemed to be in his world as he mumbled and shook the staff.


    I never realized at the time how dangerous a thing I acquired. The Hero was never touched when we fought with the Demon Lord. I picked up the accursed thing on a whim as a souvenir and as a symbol of our triumph over the Demon Lord. The Hero let me have it as I was the one to land the killing blow on the Demon Lord. If the Demon Lord had even scratched him with it, who would''ve known what would happen? We would''ve seen its capabilities firsthand. How would the Hero know that I would use it months later during the war between Kingdoms to kill him?


    A calm passed by with the crackling of the fire until Helem broke it.


    "Why did you attack him?" Helem said. "Why did you do such a thing?"


    A strong tightening feeling overcame my chest, and I let it burst out as quickly as it came.


    "Because he wasn''t who he said he was Helem!" I fired out strongly. "We falsely invaded another land and started a war for nothing!"


    I tried to let the matter off my chest, and Helem was puzzled.


    "We were attacked first! That''s why we defended ourselves! We had a righteous cause!-" Helem said as if he was lecturing me.


    "That''s bullshit, and you know it Helem!" I stopped his words and reprimanded him.


    Helem had a sharp expression on his face before taking a deep breath.


    "You are far too kind of a soul Demitri," Helem said.


    Helem gave out a sad expression as he seemed to think and time passed us by.


    The children finished with their dinner. Some seem to slope down on their chairs and benches. The children didn''t even stir amongst our argument. Thier energy went, like puppets with their strings cut. Little Lisa rested her head against me trying to fight off the realm of sleep. I patted her head once more and reminded myself of another little girl in the past.


    "Come, children," Helem said. "It''s late now Demitri; the children need their sleep."


    Helem stood up and tapped his staff on the ground. The children trying to fight off their slumber aroused up and came to him. They flocked around him like chicks to a mother hen as he moved around. Helem had guided the full and content children to another room. It was dusty and dirty, but it was warm, and they had beds to sleep on. After he had put the children to sleep, Helem signaled me out. I went, and Helem followed me out of the church.


    Helem faintly touched his eyes with his free hand.


    "How did you become blind?" I said while I waited for him to come next to me.


    "Punishment for what I couldn''t do," Helem said tapping the ground beneath him.


    Helem came to a halt before parting his hair to show me. His eyes were closed shut because there was something over them. They were the religious symbols of the Veil branded on top of his eyes. It seemed to have melted his eyelids and skin shut with scars all over. He was tortured by the Religion of the Veil as punishment. Anger and horror-infused into me as I balled my fists tight.


    "You know Demitri, with my eyes closed they are not blind," Helem said. "I see things for what they are now, dark black."


    "Forgive me Helem," I said biting my lip. "Forgive me, Master Edwin."


    Helem didn''t say anything but gave me a faint smile.


    My heart ached for what happened to Helem. I had always considered him to be like a big brother or a father to me. He cared about the religion of the Veil so much, and they did this to him!? I couldn''t imagine what he felt during the time after I left. It was my fault that led him into this situation.


    We walked a little distance more after the church. We talked about the things we used to do together. I told him of my eye patch which was courtesy of Cassandra. How our group of friends had banded around the Hero. I knew how much the Hero had meant to everyone in our group and I destroyed it. Still, I know I did the right thing, but it just doesn''t feel that way sometimes.


    "Here is good," Helem said. "You know there''s another thing that comes clear into my eyes every day Demitri."


    "What is it?" I said faintly looking up at the night sky.


    "The scene of when you murdered him, how I couldn''t save him," Helem said.


    I stood there and gazed back to him with a soured expression.


    "Now that the Four Gods have brought you to me," Helem said in a murderous tone. "I will kill you myself as atonement."


    --


    Master Edwin was the dedicated healer of our group and a parental figure. He was older than our group by twenty winters. He lived a pious and rigid life, hoping to install the same values onto us. With his noble background, he taught many of the uneducated how to read and write much like myself.

 Chapter Seven - Sin:7

    "Helem! What are you saying!?"


    As soon as I said something, Helem lunged at me with his staff. He jabbed me hard in the stomach while I instinctively moved afterward. The air was gone from my lungs as I crumple down to one knee. I noticed my surroundings and realized Helem had fought me into a dead end back alley. It was covered by the darkness of the night, we were on the outskirts of town and the only way out was through Helem.


    I could say that he was blind but he wasn''t stupid. I could climb the buildings but that would make me even a bigger target for Helem. He could use magic and sounds in this alley echoed as I hear my own breath. Magic is finite but all he needs is one good shot at me while I was climbing the walls. I couldn''t help but smirk, Helem had thought this through to the end.


    The air finally refilled my lungs and I stood up. I stare hard at Helem but he doesn''t seem to notice me. He''s waiting for me to make a move. I obliged, drawing out my short sword. Helem attacked me again as the sound and smell of metal waved in the air. I guess he wasn''t going to let me make a move after all. His staff collides with my sword as I deflect his blows toward my head.


    That staff of his was magically enchanted, it could easily handle the cheap sword I bought from the store. Helem was aiming for incapacitating blows and I couldn''t move very well in this back alley. I was a big target for a man who couldn''t see. I only had one good eye and couldn''t see very well thanks to the cover of darkness. His attack with the staff was fast and furious, I couldn''t block everything. My muscles and body felt like they were going to mush with the constant beating of his staff.


    "Helem! Let''s stop this!"


    "Are you scared? You have always been a faithless heathen Demitri!"


    Helem had the expression of a mad man on his face.


    "What are you talking about?" I said.


    "You have never taken the faith close to your heart! How you sneer at the followers of the faithful! How you insult the very GODS themselves!"


    Helem''s words echoed like explosions in the back alley.


    "The Gods have a destiny for us all Demitri! You have been brought before me as a test before the faith! I may have let the Hero and the Veil down¡­but I WILL NOT BETRAY THE GODS!"


    Helem kept pressing his attack as the sweat dripped down my forehead.


    "I have taught you Demitri! How to read! How to write! How to understand the world! YOU A POOR STREET RAT! Why can''t you understand my words!?"


    I started turning angry at his comments.


    Destiny? Fate? I spit at them with my very blood and tears. What are Gods which betray the innocent who did nothing wrong but desire the will to live? Was it my destiny to become a poor child abandoned by my parents? Was it my fate to watch all my friends and loved ones die for the most meaningless of things? Are destiny and fate the real difference between Nobles and the poor?


    "Those GODS are nothing but a convoluted mechanism of religion to keep people oppress! They have done nothing but give empty promises while lining up their pockets!" I said.


    This is what I truly believed and hated the Church. They demand money while assuring everyone and anyone that the Gods would surely help them. The Pope and his cardinals were a flock of devils in human skin. They would torture or purge those who seem faithless and I had seen it firsthand. Most of the people in their ranks were of noble families. The Religion of the Veil was one of the most disgusting things in this world.


    Helem stopped when he heard my words.


    "YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU MOCK MY FAITH!? YOU SPAWN OF HELL! A HOLY WAR IS COMING AND I WILL BE THE ONE TO LEAD THE FAITHFUL THROUGH IT!"


    Helem was crazy with fury.


    "THE GODS HAVE NEVER STOPPED SHOWING ME WHAT YOU DID!"


    Helem was swinging his staff erratically now.


    "YOU HAVE TORMENTED ME DEMITRI! I CAN''T STOP THE BLOOD! HE WAS DYING! I COULDN''T STOP IT AND IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT!"


    I lunge a straight kick at Helem who topples over backward. I jump over him and run out the alley. I didn''t need to really fight a blind man who had gone insane. I didn''t think he looked at me in the same light as them in the upper class, he had a noble''s pride. I had forgotten that he was one of them as well. Helem to me was always a great man with a well of love and unselfishness. How could I have been so blind to all this? Or maybe I had pushed him down this path?


    As I exited the back alley I was greeted by the children who should have been sleeping at the church. There was something wrong with them, a light glowed in their eyes. Their bodies seemed pale as if the light of life had vanished from them. Blood seem to drool from their eyes and mouths. The children were carrying knives and sharp objects in hand.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Running Demitri!? Now I see you clearly, Lady Cassandra went far too easy on your wretched soul."


    I look back to Helem confused in the horror of the children.


    "What did you do to them?"


    "Oh?...You mean my little flock of sheep? They had been chosen by the Veil to be my new eyes and ears."


    Rage boiled up inside of me.


    "Are they even alive?"


    "These sheep? They are not human beings but pariahs to the world."


    Helem had returned back to a calm demeanor but I was still seething.


    "See what the power of holy magic has on them Demitri."


    Helem held up his staff and an amber light was emitting from it.


    "WHY CHILDREN!?" I screamed.


    I was enraged and couldn''t help see Helem in a different light now.


    "We had been given a holy task of finding and killing you for the Veil."


    Helem stepped closer to me.


    "These children would do the faith a service and sacrifice their bodies."


    My energy seemed sucked out of me as I almost slumped over. Did what happen to these children¡­my fault?


    Helem seemed to relish and enjoy my despair. The children stared at me with an unnerving gaze.


    "Who would have known that you would come to us? It is because the Gods willed it to be!"


    A fanatic look had come over Helem.


    "Kill him, my sheep."


    The children pointed their weapons at me, moving almost sinister and unnatural. Each of them rushed to stab or slash at me. I defend with my arms and take many deep cuts. No matter how much killing I''m willing to do in defense, I will not harm children. I tried pushing and fending the children off but they had a supernatural strength to them.


    Light and blood poured out of their orifices as they struggled with me. I break free from the children and try to fight Helem. I slash and stab at Helem in anger with my sword. The children had stopped moving in place as I was fighting Helem. He doesn''t block any of my attacks but now dodges them all. His movements were more natural  now as if he could see everything I did.


    I noticed the children staring at me with that glowing light in their eyes. Their heads were moving in unison watching me and Helem. Is he controlling them with holy magic? He had said that they were his eyes now. I run towards the children this time who move again to attack me. Helem had stopped in place and he confirmed my suspicions.


    The children surrounded me and stab me with their pointed weapons. I endure the pain while my blood splashes over the children. I maneuver myself so that my back would face Helem. In one swift movement, I throw off my cloak on top of the children while turning around with my sword. Helem hesitated for a bit but that was all I needed. I dash towards him and my sword tastes his flesh through his body.


    Helem screamed in agony and gripped my blade with one hand trying to prevent his demise.  With the staff in his other hand he raised it up high and it glowed again. I look behind me and see the children had taken off my cloak that had covered them. To my horror, they had their weapons pointed at their own necks.


    "CHOOSE!! ME OR THEM!" Helem wailed.


    I look back at Helem while gritting my teeth trying to bear with it but my grip on the sword was already loosening. My gaze returned to the children and to the glowing eyes of the tiny girl who had thanked me. Her hands were too small but they held a knife straight to her own throat. The light in her eyes were shining while they streamed tears of blood.


    I already knew I was going to choose the children.


    "You are a kindhearted man indeed Demitri," Helem said. "This is why we never told you of the plans."


    "You knew!?" I twisted my mouth in anger.


    Helem gave me a sinister grin and he waved his staff in the air. I look back and witness the children taking their own lives. They all dropped down, weightless, without the spark of life or light. My eyes were in shock but my arms moved and plunged my sword deeper into Helem.


    "WHY!?!?" I yelled.


    Helem dropped his staff and gargled on his own blood.


    "I''ll suffer, but as long as you suffer more, I''ll be satisfied." He said.


    Helem had the most deranged look on his face but it slowly faded.


    "Demitri, may you live a long and full life¡­may your sins haunt you forever."


    Helem had given me the most radiant smile on his face.


    "I can''t see it anymore...It''s gone, all gone¡­finally¡­I can rest..."


    He slumped over, dead.


    There was a taste in my mouth, I couldn''t quite get the flavor, all I knew was that it was bitter.

 Chapter Eight - Sin:8

    I''m not a saint and I never confessed myself to be one. Still, they all called me kind hearted to a fault. Is it that much of an offense to have? Killing people is a grave sin and the Gods may bear witness to my part in that. It''s not an excuse but I have only done so in times of self-defense and war. I killed many people but I never murdered outright, he was my only sin on that part.


    I carried the tiny girl in my arms, struggling with the wounds of my heart and body. I moved the children one by one back to the church. This time, I had noticed the symbols of the Veil on their bodies. It wasn''t holy magic that afflicted them but pure evil. They weren''t able to live full or meaningful lives yet, this was a cruel world for them. I felt the need for pain as a crux for my inability to save them.


    I even took Helem''s body back to the church while bleeding and covered in dirt. I can see the many wounds of torture inflicted on his body. He was most likely given a chance to return to the Religion of the Veil if he had brought my head. Everything seemed to be my fault and my soul mourns for it.


    Finding a place I deemed acceptable I started digging. I didn''t have a shovel, I was using my bare hands and anything else I could find. It was still dark but I wasn''t cold, my body was burning. I was thinking about what Helem had said. Was I the only one truly ignorant of the Hero and those sinister plans? I knew who was the actual mastermind behind it all but the Hero put it into motion with the rest of them.


    The image of her face came to my mind and I couldn''t help but feel anger. There were many beautiful women in the Kingdom of Bareth but hers was otherworldly. Many men were infatuated with her and the Hero was no different. I acknowledge her beauty but I couldn''t feel an attraction to her. Those eyes she had were dead, calculating, and expressionless.


    My mind started to retrace back to a couple days prior to today.


    It''s been half a year since I killed the Hero in the war between the Kingdoms of Bareth and Solace. News had finally spread that the Hero of the Veil had died. The Kingdom of Bareth couldn''t keep it contained any longer. Yet the specific details weren''t omitted everywhere. Only a few people on the ground and many in the upper echelons truly knew what happened. The general populace had no idea that a companion of the Hero had killed him.


    Information spread that his body was being returned to his home town and he would receive a hero''s burial there. Even though I did what I did, I was compelled to go there. Just to pay my respects at least, he was dead and it was my fault. I didn''t want to see the rest of my companions, I wouldn''t be able to bear the shame.


    An army was here and many people gathered to come mourn. If the military was here, it meant that the Royal family was as well. His hometown was simple but elegant. Many of the people knew and had talked to the Hero. He had told me that his hometown houses some of the friendliest people in the country. I could tell with how people greeted and interacted with me even if I was dressed incognito in my usual dark garb.


    I was amazed for months how no one chased me and carried on with their lives. The Kingdom was suppressing the Hero''s death beautifully until they could no longer. Now they said he had died fighting heroically in the war and it caused a cease fire between the two kingdoms. This was what began the elite patrols and search for a wanted criminal on both sides of the Kingdoms.


    Nobody knew the real reason why they wanted to capture or kill me. Even the Kingdom of Solace participated in trying to hunt me down. It was because something had happened and I was labeled an enemy of humanity as a scapegoat by the upper class.


    The Demon race had returned and there was a new Demon Lord.


    They had taken back their stolen lands in the north. It had only been a year since we had fought and defeated the Demon Lord. Idle hands move quickly if perhaps both Kingdoms had known the Demons would come back they wouldn''t have declared war on each other.


    I twist the ring on my finger as I think about the Demon Lord. I move through the streets of the city and headed to the upper noble areas. This was Cassandra''s hometown as well and I didn''t want to fight her, she was a monster. Cassandra and the Hero were childhood friends who have stayed most of their lives together. As I approached my destination, I see her and she still looks stunning in her white armor.


    I blend with the background and stay flat with the wall. I was close to my objective and I didn''t want to be found out here. Cassandra and her entourage of knights had exited from the Hero''s home. It was the biggest mansion in this town and had a long wide gate. There was a long road between the gate and the mansion but trees covered both sides of the road. It would be easy for me to hide in them and move toward the mansion.


    Waiting for Cassandra to exit the gate, I jumped over the wall and headed to the mansion. There was a special guest here visiting and that was who I was going to meet. I could see the mansion being crawled with royal guards. With Cassandra leaving as well, she''s most definitely here.


    I had only been here a couple times but I knew my way around. I had been sneaking around places like this all my life. I enter the mansion through a side window and close it behind me. If I had to guess where she was, she would be in his room and that would be on the second floor.


    Quietly I moved through the mansion, guiding myself around the maids and guards who moved throughout. Although it was too suspicious for me how little people I had come across inside the mansion but it wasn''t out of the ordinary. The mansion was huge so you might not see the same person every day but I wouldn''t count anything past her. Perhaps she already knew I would come and it was in her schemes.


    I finally make it to my destination and what awaited me was two mahogany double doors. On the other side of these doors was the Hero''s room and no doubt she would use it after he was gone. I open the door and let myself in as if I were invited. After ensuring no one was watching or behind me, I closed the doors and look to the center of the room.


    There she was sitting on a white chair at a wide round table, drinking tea.


    If anyone would see this scene right now they would think she was a part of a beautiful painting. She had a mesmerizing beauty but it would never clean the filth inside her soul. Her skinny frame and body were womanly to that of an upper-class woman. Wearing a white dress that benefited her body and her gray hair. She was not old but far from it, her hair came as a trait that belonged to the royal family. She was the first princess of the Bareth Kingdom, Princess Helen.


    "Excuse me, princess," I said while taking out my blade.


    She seemed to have come alive from her picture perfect painting.


    "Ah Demitri, I knew you would come and Cassandra said that you wouldn''t."


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She was still sipping her tea before her expressionless hazel colored eyes rested on me. I step closer and closer to her but felt some tremendous pressure. It wasn''t because she was strong or some great fighter or mage. This was the bearing of royalty and someone who had an intelligence defying all expectations.


    She was a schemer and only few would have known that under her beautiful fa?ade.


    Princess Helen used to have many siblings and some of which were ahead of her in the royal family line. All have died under mysterious circumstances and she is set next in line to inherit the throne. In the Kingdom''s history, there has been no crown princess and she may very well be that first Queen. Her father the King has grown old and feeble minded. With the numerous deaths of his children and the turmoil the Kingdom of Bareth was under, he has become a recluse.


    Princess Helen is the de-facto leader of the entire Kingdom. The Kingdom of Bareth was ruled under the King in name only. I could already guess why she hasn''t taken the reigns in front of the populace yet. She was going to smear the King and the rest of her enemies. It was like a game she was playing and it used the lives of people.


    "Princess Helen¡­"


    "Oh my, Demitri, you still call me your Princess after what you''ve done?"


    Unbridled rage builds on my face and I pointed my short sword at her.


    "Relax, it was just a joke Demitri and I know you aren''t going to kill me."


    She had given a chuckle with the utmost calm demeanor.


    "¡­"


    I relaxed my stance and sheathed my sword, she knew I wasn''t going to hurt her. I wasn''t a monster, I was not like them.


    "If you may?"


    She gestured her tea cup and I go over to the table. She wanted me to pour her another cup of tea, I obliged. Maybe the reason why I haven''t been rushed by guards yet was because of her. I needed to know things so I''ll play along. She had me in the palm of her hand already.


    "I had built him up splendidly you know, now I have to find another piece to move," She said after tasting her tea. "You vex me Demitri."


    "You planned everything, it was all your fault!" I said.


    I ball my hands into fists at the mere thought. She pampered her lips with a table cloth before giving me her cold smile.


    "And?"


    "We were killing people in a staged war!" I slammed my fist onto the table.


    "No, we were saving people. There was a disease spreading, the famine wasn''t going to stop. We had no food and the population was growing massively." She said.


    "You even killed our allies and all of them only dare to oppose you!"


    "I did not, they were all killed in the war." She had a devious smile on her face.


    "It was all by your actions!"


    "I am not the King, Demitri."


    "Liar! You are the puppet master!"


    The war between the Kingdom of Bareth and the Kingdom of Solace was nothing more than a mere hoax. It was an agreement by the two countries to trim the fat and purge people. It didn''t matter who they were in the common folk: men, women, children, old, and young, they all died. Only nobles who opposed the princess were systematically eliminated. Elite armies moved around each other with no resistance only to face the forces of nobles they deemed disposable.


    I didn''t realize it until it was too late. But the Hero, he knew, and with how many of the rest of our companions. They didn''t try to stop it, they only tried to justify it. We were killing people whether they were soldiers or not. All the towns, villages, and cities we supposedly "liberated" were razed not just a few days later.


    How stupid of me, when I thought I was "saving" villagers from occupying enemy soldiers. Only to visit their mass graves later and see the look of despair on their faces. The horror of that war and the stench of death won''t leave me. I knew I had to stop the Hero who led the purge and in my rage, I had done so.


    "What I''ve done, was only for the Kingdom and its people." she said.


    "Don''t you dare say that! You nobles just didn''t want to look incompetent! Both kingdoms were rotting away because of the upper class and their flatulence. Don''t you dare talk about the people when you were killing them indiscriminately!"


    My emotions came to the surface while she only had the look of dead eyes on her white face.


    "So tell me why!?" I slam my fist on the table again.


    "I''m going to make this country great again." She said.


    "At the cost of other people''s lives?" I said.


    "So? Every country is steeped in bodies of the dead." She replied.


    She had no remorse for the things she had done. She had dead eyes and it irritated me greatly. This was how the upper class saw people. Nothing but specks of dust in the wind.


    She was really the dirty sheath to his dirty sword. She pointed and led him around while he did all the work. Why did he have to follow this mad princess? What a dark pair these two were together.


    "My legacy would be beautiful as I take over the reins of my incompetent father and raise a glorious Kingdom."  She said while putting her hands together.


    "My cousin will lose his life as well and I''ll unite the Kingdom of Bareth and Solace back together."


    She looked genially happy now when she talked about it.


    What an evil woman and she were in the position of power. She was going to let her father take the blame for all the wrong doings and sweep him under while using him as a stepping stone. The Kingdom of Berath and Solace used to be one country until it was split into two by opposing princes. Her cousin was referring to the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Solace, he had married into the position and was going to be a ladder for her legacy. Her twisted thinking and schemes! Why couldn''t she use her intelligence to help the people instead of herself?


    "If it weren''t for those Demons in the north, my plans would have moved faster." She said.


    Princess Helen looked out the window but returned her gaze back to me.


    "Well, Demitri. Our time must come to an end."


    She gave me another cold smile.


    I felt killing intent coming behind me.


    The doors of the room burst opened and Cassandra rushed to cut me with her sword. I avoided it not before suffering a wound to the head. I ran and jumped out the window, crashing to the floor outside. The guards had poured into the mansion but I had already left running for my life.


    My mind returns to today and I had finished burying the dead. I offered a small prayer that they find peace in the next life. There was no peace for them in this life. I stagger back toward Dante''s mansion.


    I had understood one thing, there would be no peace for me in this life as well.

 Chapter Nine - Redemption:1

    My vision was getting blurry from all the blood loss and I could barely walk. The exhaustion I felt was almost unbearable but I moved along anyway. I didn''t know why but I would survive, I always did. That''s a tenacity from the life I lived. It was the fear of death in my very core.


    The living can go on and bury the dead, I was getting tired of burying the dead. What could I do? I was the one alive and I could only pay respects to the dead. They weren''t coming back, the dead stayed dead and I lived on. This was the cruel truth I learned in this world.


    The Hero use to recite about adhering to truth and justice. It was like a never-ending mantra and I believed it for what it''s worth. Now? I could only laugh. What truth? Everyone lies. Justice? There''s no justice for the dead. I had become bitter and I realized that.


    I was almost to Dante''s mansion, I had nothing to heal myself. I trust that he could help me as long as I get there. He was a little boy and abnormal but he was no monster. That title was reserved for the truly wicked. Dante definitely reminded me of the Hero, from his actions to his knowledge. The two images of their faces blended in my mind before I collapsed on the gate of the mansion.


    As my consciousness faded, I remembered the Hero and the time we first met. It was in my youth nearly a decade ago, I had just left the Royal Capital. All of the things that tied me there were long gone. Some of my friends were executed for stealing while others were caught in the cesspool of the underworld. I decided to go my own way and live my own life.


    I ended up joining an adventuring guild that was spread across the land. Adventure guilds were used by people to accomplish certain tasks. They ranged from bodyguards to monster hunting, people flocked to these guilds in the effort for money and fame. I joined for a different reason, I just didn''t want to steal anymore.


    Little did I know was that it wouldn''t stop me from stealing. I was fast and agile with quick wits, this enticed many parties to enlist my aid. I traveled to dungeons, temples, lost cities, all to steal treasure and buried artifacts from people long dead. I''d see many amazing and horrifying things in my youth, they all didn''t compare to when I met the Hero.


    I had traveled to his hometown of Crestwood, there was a monster outbreak near the town. I sought to make a name for myself there, not because I wasn''t getting work. It was because only the famous were able to dictate where they would go. I didn''t want to wait to be chosen, I wanted to choose. Perhaps this was my fate that I could not get rid of. I added my name to the bulletin board of the Crestwood adventure guild.


    The only thing I could do was wait and see who would join me in my task. Many people asked for me only to scoff and rebuke me when I came into their view. I wasn''t particularly clean, I wasn''t a strong man, my looks were average and I was far from a noble. That''s when he came up to me.


    "Are you Demitri?"


    "Yes."


    The first time I saw him, I knew he was a noble. Just the air around him and the way he dressed. He also had a beautiful girl at his side. He looked at me from top to bottom but I didn''t feel the judgment from his eyes.


    "Can we join you for the monster subjugation task?"


    I was looking for a party but he asked me if he could join me instead.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes."


    "Then it''s a deal."


    We quickly left and went straight into the area, hunting for monsters. I had found out that this was their first time out in the world away from the confines of their lavish homes. The Hero and Cassandra moved perfectly with no wasted effort in killing monsters. I was amazed at how powerful and skillful they were. I couldn''t keep up at all, I felt the clear difference between ourselves, not only in status but in strength.


    "That''s fifty goblins." He said. "What else is on the list?"


    "Wargs, they are terrorizing the farmlands," Cassandra replied.


    "Don''t we have enough? Why are you guys so dedicated to hunting more monsters?" I said.


    The Hero thought for a second and then looked at me with his green eyes.


    "They are monsters, the more we get rid of, the safer the people will be."


    I had taken his words to heart and they have stayed with me since. I had believed I found my purpose in life. The purpose had its face replaced constantly from monsters to corrupt nobles, to the Demon Lord, to another kingdom and finally back to the Hero. I tried to think about my purpose now but it was lost, it was a dark blank.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "Demitri!...Demitri!..."


    I was shaken awake and felt my body ache all over.


    "Demitri! Are you okay?"


    My eyes glance around the room and see that I''m inside the guest room that was given to me. Next to me was Dante who had a worried look on his face. He told me he called over help when he found me at the front gate unconscious. Servants carried me over to the guest room and helped me. My wounds were cleaned and bandaged, light healing magic was used so that I wouldn''t get any scars. I didn''t care about that, frankly, I thought I needed the scars as a reminder.


    When the servants all left, Dante closed the door and talked to me.


    "Was it Helem who did this?" Dante said.


    My eyes grew wide and I grabbed him by his shirt.


    "How do you know that!?" I said.


    "Relax, I knew that he was a companion of the Hero." He said.


    My face twisted, this Young Lord knew things he shouldn''t know.


    "How!?" I asked.


    Dante looked in contemplation for a while but decided to tell me.


    "I have a special gift, Demitri." He said.


    "Gift? Like magic?" I said.


    "Something beyond magic." He said.


    "What?"


    Magic itself wasn''t rare but it was powerful. I had no aptitude for magic and I only knew a few people who wielded it, the Hero included. I almost died many times to a reckless companion who cast magic like she playing with water. But Dante was saying that his gift was something beyond magic.


    "I can see things that tell me who people are."


    I loosen my grip on his shirt and relaxed my gaze. His eyes told me he was telling the truth.


    "Did you use that gift on Helem?" I said.


    "Yes."


    "What did it tell you?"


    "It told me that he was a priest, that he was a former companion of the Hero, that he became ex-communicated from his faith and it told me that he had gone insane." He said.


    Dante looked like he could continue on but I stopped him.


    "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?" I said.


    "Well¡­.honestly? I thought you knew that already. I thought both of you were working together."


    "Why? That gift of yours doesn''t tell you?"


    "No, I have to figure it out myself."


    Now I knew how Dante could know so much for being so young. I started thinking and wondering if the Hero himself had these special gifts. I focus my attention back on Dante, I needed to know something.


    "What does your gift say about me?"


    Dante tilted his head before looking at me.


    "Do you really want to know?"


    Maybe I could find a new purpose using Dante''s gifts.


    "Yes."


    "My power tells me things in titles," Dante said. "You have about 10 titles that describe you."


    Dante put up his hands and wiggled his fingers.


    "Five are positive titles and effects, the other five are the opposite."


    "These titles are doing something to me?" I asked.


    "Yes, for instance, the title "Hero Killer", it has a negative effect on your mind," Dante said.


    "It''s abnormal that you have so many titles but I think it''s because of all your actions."


    Dante looked closely at me but I could tell that he wasn''t really looking at me.


    "I can see eight clearly but you do have two more." He said.


    "Why can''t you?" I said.


    "I think I''m under-leveled." He said.


    "What?" I said.


    "Nothing." He said.


    "So what are they?" I asked.


    "Your positive titles are Savior of Children, True Hero, Kind Hearted, and The People''s champion," He continued. "Your negative titles are Hero Killer, Killer of Reincarnators, Faithless, and Betrayer of friends."


    "You said, you thought Helem and me were working together after you saw his title," I said.


    "Yes." Dante nodded.


    "What was it?" I said.


    "Both of you possess the Killer of Reincarnators title."

 Chapter Ten - Redemption:2

    Dante''s face was grim but I didn''t understand what he meant.


    "That word again," I said. "What does it mean?"


    Dante looked confused at my question.


    "What is a Reincarnator?" I said.


    Dante''s eyes went wide as if he expected me to know.


    "You don''t know?" He said.


    I shook my head.


    "Do you know what reincarnation is?" He said.


    "Yes, it''s the belief that when you die you''ll come back as something else," I said.


    "Yeah, so Demitri, a Reincarnator is a person who''s experienced that."


    "So what the Hero said might''ve been true."


    "What?"


    "He told me that he was a reincarnated person from another world, some place called Earth."


    Dante became pale as a ghost at my words.


    "The Hero?....he was a reincarnated person?"


    I nodded my head.


    "That''s what he told me. It''s strange, though I was the one who killed the Hero and no one else had anything to do with it."


    Dante looked like he was thinking of something.


    "That must mean there are more reincarnated people in the world," Dante said.


    "What? Just how many are there?"


    As I said that, Dante gave me a look like he wanted to say something but stopped short of doing so. Dante looked to be biting his thumb in thought. He really looked like a normal boy to me now.


    "Demitri, you can rest up, I''m leaving," Dante said. "Although tomorrow, I might need your help."


    I nod my head again to affirm. I owe this young boy a lot, he has given me insight to some mysteries and has helped me from the brink of death. I feel ashamed to be an adult in his presence. I rested on the bed, exhausted from the day. Dante left the room quickly not before leaving a lantern at my bedside.


    I heard him mumble something.


    <Too many variables, I need to level up.>


    As Dante left my room I wondered about the things he told me. I wasn''t a noble but I had titles that he could see. Were they branded on me because of the deeds I''ve done? Now I knew I was cursed but I felt some consolation. Dante called me a savior and a true hero, I couldn''t help but laugh. I always wanted to be those things but I know I''m far from it.


    My eyes wandered around the room, they felt tired. I look at the lantern and the little fire dancing within. It reminded me of that day, that day when I found out there were no heroes in the world. I blew out the light and darkness surrounded me again. I closed my eyes and drifted back to that day.


    It was half a year into the war between Kingdoms, I was standing with my companions. We were the Heroes party, all eight of us. The Hero was given command of the Royal Army and of course, we followed him. We all had been through the best and worst of things. Right now we were laying siege on the City of Glaive. It was the last city and the final line of defense before the Royal Capital of Solace, Windale.


    I was sharpening my sword chatting with Helem and Martin. Cassandra and Silvia were with the Hero looking over the war plans. Camille was trying to rob the soldiers out of their money in a game. The little wizard Lizzie was wandering around like she usually does. These were the last days I remember us all together.


    The siege was lasting longer than I expected. What I didn''t know at the time was that we were just waiting. A messenger came through and went to the Hero. In the blink of an eye, the Hero came to us in a hurry and made sure we were ready for the information. The Hero glanced at me and Helem, it was going to be terrible news. Martin still had a smile on his face, he couldn''t read the mood.


    Martin looked like a giant of a man with a big belly but inside he was a gentle child. He was the son of a butcher and he wielded cleavers in battle. He had great strength for a young man and a big heart. The Hero delivered the news and Martin dropped down to his knees screaming. His hometown had been destroyed by the Solace army, there were no survivors. Martin''s parents had long died in the famine but his siblings were still there and they were his world.


    I couldn''t console Martin, nobody really could when loved ones die. He was sobbing in a dismal state and we all swore that Solace would pay. Now I know that we were waiting for this news before we could attack Glaive. The Hero and Princess Helen let those people die, they took away Martin''s only remaining family. All my anger directed at the Kingdom of Solace was for nothing.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The Hero ordered an attack to quickly capture the City so we could move on to the Capital. The City of Glaive was heavily fortified and they knew we were coming. I was dressed in the armor of a Bareth soldier but I still wore my dark cloak. I wasn''t a frontline fighter, my tasks were subterfuge. We had planned until night had come.


    I had picked out some men to go with me, I only needed the quick and the agile. With a little magical help from Lizzie, we scaled the walls. There were only a few of us but we moved like mice in the dark. I took out guards as quickly and as painlessly as I could. They were my enemy but I didn''t want anyone to suffer.


    The men with me were a little sloppy in their movements and skills. I hoped that we wouldn''t get caught and alert the city. Right now I had one job and that was to open the gates. The city was quiet and the people were sleeping as if there wasn''t a war outside the walls. I thought I was going to liberate and save the people. What I didn''t know was that I was unleashing hell upon them.


    We raised the gates and the Army of Bareth poured inside the city like a torrential flood. Screams echoed through the walls, the sound of metal seem to overtake them. People were running in every direction. I wouldn''t have imagined the awful sporadic acts of violence that were being committed as the city was ransacked. Were we supposed to be their saviors? We were more like beasts.


    I stood on top of the walls and watched from a distance, my breathing got heavier and heavier. This was the true face of war and I had taken part in it. I witnessed children fleeing with their parents away from the carnage. I watched as a mother clutched her child tight, hoping it would protect the baby. It didn''t matter as a soldier''s sword ran through them both. Fear and anger for the children consumed my thoughts.


    I leaped off the walls and went down to the ground hoping to stop the madness.


    Fires were raging throughout the city and it had truly become hell. The sounds of men screaming and the crushing of bones resounded near me. Martin was fending off multiple Solace soldiers but he had a crazed look in his eyes. He chopped and hacked at the men who died howling, becoming chunks of meat and flesh. I saw that he didn''t need my help and my mind was on other matters. I quickly ran into the heart of the city and I heard shrieks.


    Women and children were being surrounded by some Bareth soldiers. They were ripping their clothes and laughing. Some of the children who were boys had their lives quickly ended. I could already guess what some of these dogs wanted. I ran up to them and stopped them from attacking the group of women and children.


    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? THESE ARE JUST WOMEN AND CHILDREN!"


    The soldiers were confused by my actions.


    "They are just people of Solace."


    "DOES THAT MATTER!?"


    "The Commander said to leave no one alive."


    The Hero was the Commander of the Bareth Army.


    "You''re lying."


    I took out my sword and threatened them.


    "The Commander told us we could do whatever we want!"


    A soldier attacked me and I quickly opened his throat with my sword.


    The rest of the soldiers were frightened.


    "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"


    I roared and the smell of urine filled the air.


    The soldiers ran away quickly before my fury. The women and children had a stare of deathly fear as they looked at me. My expression was grave but I tried to tell them everything was going to be alright. I told them to run away as far and as fast as they could. I watched them escape until they were stopped by someone.


    That was when I saw him, our commander, our leader, our friend, our Hero. All he did was a smile, that frightening smile as he murdered women and children.


    My heart broke.

 Chapter Eleven - Redemption:3

    My eyes opened as sunlight filled my room and the sounds of birds filled the air. I felt like vomiting, I dreamt of that horrific scene again. Sweat covered my body and I was shaking horribly. My hands reached for my face as I tried to build some resolve for today. The left side of my face still stung courtesy of Cassandra. It might be awhile before I could see out of my left eye again.


    I needed to clean myself and took a quick bath. I was glad that I stayed in a noble''s mansion to be able to do so. I tried not to remember about the city of Glaive but some of the details still lingered in my mind. The sounds and screams of that day still haunt me and I couldn''t deafen them. Those events and my actions after it will stay with me till the day I die.


    I changed into a new wardrobe that was laid on top of the dresser. I looked like a noble now with a white sleeved shirt, a blue tunic and brown trousers. My short sword was sheathed and tightly secured on my belt. I still wore my dark cloak and black boots which signified who I really am.


    I left my room after dressing in search for Dante.


    I needed something to do to take my mind off wandering memories. Dante needed my help, I only hoped that it was within my abilities. A maid passed by and I asked her where I could find Dante. She pointed me in the direction of the courtyard behind the mansion. Twisting the ring on my finger for a bit, I headed over.


    Dante was practicing his swordsmanship but I could tell he was still an amateur. I was actually relieved that he wasn''t good with a sword. He was already an abnormal child that used magic. I hailed him and he acknowledged my presence.


    "There you are Demitri."


    "Practicing early Young Lord?"


    "Just testing out some things."


    Dante looked towards me but I could sense that he was focused on something else.


    "So what can I do for you, Dante?"


    "Well, I have a request," Dante said. "Teach me some of your fighting techniques."


    "I don''t know if I can, most of my skills were self-taught."


    "Hmm¡­How about you just show me some of your moves then?"


    Dante walked over to an object veiled in a white cloth. He removed the cloth to reveal a wooden training dummy.


    "I asked my father to get me one. I haven''t had the chance to use it, as I focused my training on other things." Dante said.


    "I don''t know how much use in displaying my skills would do for you but I''ll try."


    No one has really asked me to learn my techniques before. Dante watched me intently and so I decided to give him a show. I drew my blade from my belt and readied my stance. I focused on the training dummy and an image appeared in my mind. Bursting forward, I stayed low to the ground dashing behind the dummy. My hands twisted the sword around and I pierced the dummy where the heart should be.


    My eyes went to Dante who had a smile on his face.


    "Dash and backstab, very useful." He said.


    "I don''t call it anything, I just do it," I said. "I never named any of my skills but I''ve heard of some that do."


    "Those skills of yours are very good Demitri, you''re a rogue type aren''t you?"


    "Excuse me?" I said.


    "Someone whose very fast, stealthy, and uses a blade."


    "Perhaps I am, but I have never been called that before."


    I sheathed my blade and witnessed Dante moving his hands in the air again. If he wasn''t my benefactor, I would''ve stayed far away from him. Dante asked for my sword and I gave it to him. Something strange was in the air about Dante now. He readied his stance and then imitated me perfectly. I was shocked at his movement and skill with the sword.


    "Dante¡­how did you do that?"


    "I just watched you Demitri." He gave me a smile.


    I knew this boy was abnormal, but to this extent? I wouldn''t exaggerate my skill with the sword but it has kept me alive so far. Dante was able to learn it by just watching me once. Something that I took years of fighting to do. I don''t even believe that the Hero could learn as fast as Dante did.


    "Let''s do a different one," I said.


    I felt a burning need to push Dante to his limits. This is probably what mentors felt when they find a prodigal student. Taking back my sword from Dante, I showed him various killing techniques. Some might say that showing such techniques to a child is harmful, but this Dante was very abnormal. I had always used my speed and ability to end battles quickly. I told him what vital points to aim for and how to subdue someone trying to kill him.


    Hours went by in the blink of an eye and we still trained. Dante was a sponge and soaked up the knowledge I gave him. It was amazing and terrifying at his ability to grasp everything. The cheap sword I used was already getting worn from the repeated use. Dante noticed the blade was close to its breaking point.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Demitri, I think we should get a new sword. What sword should I get?"


    "The type of sword doesn''t matter, it''s how you use it," I said. "Of course, some blades are better than others but even a cheap sword can be used well depending on your skill."


    Dante nodded but then as if he remembered something, ran into the mansion. After awhile he came back out holding swords in his arms. He handed me one sword in an extravagant black scabbard.


    "Here you go Demitri, a gift."


    I unsheathed the sword and noticed its flawless craftsmanship.


    "It''s made out of Mithril," Dante said. "I had my father ask a blacksmith to craft it from a chunk of ore found in the mines."


    "What!? Are you sure you want to give this to me?"


    "Yes, as thanks for your help."


    I bowed deeply and felt grateful to this Young Lord. A Mithril sword was a magnificent weapon that many would only dream of getting. Dante was a child but he acted with grace and dignity befitting the upper class. If only there were more nobles like him in the world. Then I remembered I had said the same thing about the Hero.


    "Should we test the swords out in a sparring match?" Dante had a mischievous grin.


    "No, but rather I think we should go out and test your skills on monsters."


    I deflected his intentions of fighting me, I couldn''t tell him that I never sparred with anyone. I was surrounded by better swordsman than me when I traveled with the Hero. I hadn''t even sparred with the Hero or any of my other companions. The reason being was that I couldn''t use my fighting style against other people in practice. My fighting style was simple, to survive by any means.


    "Alright, then let''s go east of Balenos," Dante said.


    "Why?"


    "There is a forest east of Balenos that had become infested with monsters. Some travelers and town folk had been killed when venturing too far into the forest."


    I had guessed Dante wanted to test his skills while getting rid of nuisances that plagued his town. After a short break, we gathered some items and headed into the forest. Even though it was not far from town, I wanted to make sure we had adequate supplies. No matter how abnormal Dante was, he was still a child and a noble at that. I wasn''t going to let any harm befall the Young Lord. Carrying a small satchel with me, I had filled it with healing potions. My new Mithril sword was bound tightly on my belt.


    "We should be careful not to get lost Demitri," Dante said.


    I was surprised at his statement.


    "You don''t know this area?"


    "No, I never been through here before," he said. "Why?"


    "When I first met you, you led me to Balenos rather quickly."


    "Oh, it''s because I use to play around that area before."


    It was kind of absurd that he could know one area far from Balenos compared to one close by. Although it was stupid of me to even think that he should know. Traveling through the forest with Dante was rather uneventful. We had only met with a few beasts  throughout the forest. They were easily slain by the two of us.


    "Let''s go deeper ahead."


    "Alright."


    I had noticed Dante was able to keep up with me quite well. His movements became fast and silent like mine. If I didn''t know he was there I wouldn''t have heard him. This boy was a genius through and through. As we entered deeper into the forest a strange feeling came over us. I had noticed too late but we had become trapped.


    "Demitri, someone''s using magic."


    "Damn it! They got us." I whispered.


    The forest began to come alive trying to split us apart.


    "Dante! Stay close!"


    I tried hacking at the vegetation with my sword. When I looked to my side, Dante had disappeared. A feeling of dread surfaced on my face. I ran in search for him but I felt like I wasn''t moving anywhere. I had become lost in the forest and my direction became skewed. No matter how far and how fast I went, the scenery didn''t change.


    I couldn''t see Dante anywhere but I began to hear voices. They echoed through the forest and seem to plague heavily on my mind. Yet I couldn''t understand them at all.


    <Who are you?>


    <You speak English?>


    <Why are you with Demitri?>

 Chapter Twelve - Redemption:4

    I couldn''t leave the forest and it was driving me crazy. I was getting paranoid by the enclosed sounds within. Echoes and whispers resounded in my mind but I couldn''t understand them. The voices grew loud and faint at the same time. Has more of my past deeds come to haunt me?


    <How do you know Demitri?>


    <I''m just a friend.>


    <I never saw you before, you''re just like him aren''t you?>


    <Who?>


    <That false Hero.>


    <I don''t know about that.>


    <You are definitely like him.>


    <How?>


    <Your heart.>


    <Why are you doing this?>


    <Stay away from Demitri, this is my only warning.>


    The sounds faded and the aura that covered the forest disappeared. Suddenly like I was out of a trance I noticed my surroundings had changed. My senses returned to me and I went to search for Dante. I feared for his safety only to find him an arm''s throw away. He looked like he was in heavy contemplation.


    "Dante! Are you alright?"


    Dante looked over to me.


    "Hmm¡­? Yeah, I''m alright."


    "What happened?"


    "Someone wanted to speak to me."


    "Is it someone you know?"


    "No, I couldn''t see them," Dante said. "Their voice came into my head."


    "What did it sound like?"


    "I don''t remember, it''s like I forgot."


    I tried to scan the forest but I couldn''t feel any other presence.


    "We should leave the forest and go back to Balenos." I said.


    Dante nodded and we quickly tried to leave the forest. As we left, I felt a pair of eyes staring at me but I couldn''t tell where it was coming from. I was on high alert and tried to make sure we didn''t walk into any more traps. A sense of relief filled me when we made it back to Balenos. Dante never said a word and seemed to be heavy in thought.


    "We''re back safely Young Lord."


    "Right, what should we do now?"


    "We aren''t going to do anything, this is where we part." I said. "I think I''ve taught you enough and I''ve stayed here far too long."


    "Are you sure you don''t want to stay longer, Demitri?"


    I shook my head, I had a bad feeling that my troubles might drag this boy down with me.


    "Like you said Dante, I''m not the type of man to stay in one place."


    "As long as I''m here, you''re always welcomed in Balenos, Demitri." Dante gave me a smile.


    "Thank you, Young Lord."


    "Oh, one more thing Demitri."


    Dante had a serious look on his face and leaned towards me.


    "If there''s anyone who speaks in a mysterious language like I can, be on your guard."


    "Like English?"


    "That or any other language that you don''t know of," Dante said." They might have similar gifts like mine, you should be careful."


    I gave my farewells and left the town of Balenos. I was still an outlaw and wanted criminal. I didn''t want Dante and his family to get caught up in my actions. They were nobles and had the lives of many under their care. I''m no leader, I''m just a killer and a forsaken one at that. Someone who betrayed his friends and his kingdom. I needed to leave Bareth as soon as possible and head into Demon territory.


    I felt the ring on my finger as I walked the lonely road north. My actions had caused much suffering and this was the only act of kindness I could give. With the Hero gone, the demons had returned. I had to make things right and stop them. Maybe it was the sense of guilt I felt in my heart or maybe Princess Helen had planned for this.


    Sometimes I wonder why I didn''t kill Princess Helen for the crimes she committed as well. Though If I did, the Kingdom of Bareth would be worse off. No matter how horrific her crimes were, she was in the position of power. Only one who is willing to take the role of leadership should kill her. I wasn''t in the game of politics and I had no notion to rule.


    The Hero I killed had no such place in the upper echelons. He was a sword like me and he was covered thick with filth. With his death, the war stopped as quickly as it was started. Now I was branded the common enemy of humanity for letting the Demons return unabated. I had killed one Demon Lord before and I had decided that I was going to kill the new Demon Lord now.


    I grabbed the map I had placed in my pocket and checked it over. Sunlight still shone in the sky but it would soon be gone. The next town after Balenos would take almost a day''s journey. I remembered the name of the town as it was famous in the Kingdom. The town was called, "Swillsden" also known as the "City of Pigs." That town was no city but it had a remarkable amount of pigs and boars that lived there.


    The road from Balenos to Swillsden was covered thick in forests. Civilization had not strayed too far from their respective towns. The border of where the two kingdoms of Solace and Bareth met were mostly uninhabited. Balenos and Swillsden were on the eastern outskirts of the Kingdom of Bareth. I was already surprised that the horrors of the previous war didn''t reach Balenos.


    I can only hope that Swillsden had acquired the same good fate. The Demon territory was rife with treacherous landscapes and harsh weather. I would need to get some items before I could cross the region. Mountains separated the Kingdom of Bareth and Demon territory. In those mountains lived many dangerous and dark things.


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    As I was deciding my next course of action, I noticed a couple shadows following me. They stayed not too far from me but they wouldn''t let me out of their range. I had to leave the road and see if they would still follow. Quickly straying off course, I entered the forest. I hid my presence while staying behind a tree.


    The shadows moved quickly into the area where I used to be. There seemed to be a group of them in dark garb and they were quiet as air. My vision came upon one of them and I knew who was following me. They were the Black Birds, covert assassins employed by the Kingdom of Solace. So finally the hands of Solace decided to make a move for my life.


    The Black Birds had realized I disappeared from the road and drew their swords. They scattered into the forest to find me. This was now a death battle between assassins and I was not going to lose my life here. I pressed myself against a tree in preparation for an ambush. A Black Bird came near and I sprung out to cut his throat before he could make a sound.


    Another Black Bird noticed that one of his comrades was missing and came to investigate. What he saw next was my sword plunged into his own neck. The Mithril sword I had was splendid in being able to reap the lives of men in an instant. Some shadows passed by me one by one without a glance. These Black Birds were definitely inexperienced.


    I had known only one previous Black Bird in my life and that was Silvia, one of the eight companions to the Hero.  She was very similar to me but more meticulous and cunning. She had forsaken her vows as a Black Bird to join the Hero and we welcomed her. Silva''s specialty was spy-craft, like hiding in plain sight and information gathering. If she was tracking me, I would''ve been found instantly.


    I began to follow these Black Birds now instead, while staying in the shadows of the forest.


    "Where did he go?"


    "How could we lose him?"


    "Where are Raven and Rook?"


    "Damn! He must have killed them!"


    "The Cardinal won''t be pleased if she finds out."


    "The master won''t! We must kill him!"


    The Cardinal? So there''s a new leader of the Black Birds? Silvia had once told me before that the master of the Black Birds was a man. He was also called the Crow not the Cardinal. I wonder who I antagonized enough in the Kingdom of Solace for the Black Birds to be after me. There were only four Black Birds left now and I had to take them out as precisely as I could.


    Even with my experience I don''t think I can handle four assassins at once. Nearing another Black Bird, I came behind him and mimicked his footsteps. I waited for the other Black Birds to look away. In that swift moment, my hands move to stab my blade towards his heart. As soon as his body was pierced, it evaporated into thin air.


    "Shit! Shadow magic." I whispered.


    "There! He''s over there!"


    There were only three assassins, one of the four was actually a shadow created by magic. I dashed quickly towards one of the Black Birds to kill him. He evaded my blow and thrust his sword at me. I blocked with my arm so I could take his life. His blade pierced my arm but my sword went into his heart. Blood streamed out of my arm and I could feel it weaken.


    My prospects seemed dimmer as the pain in my arm increased. I didn''t have the advantage of stealth anymore. I could only use one arm against two assassins. One of the Black Birds could use shadow magic. I didn''t even know if the one I killed was the user. The Black Birds stared at me, waiting, but I was not going to make the first move.


    If they weren''t going to fight, I was going to run. I slowly backed away and ran through the forest. They chased after me and my blood gave them a trail. I couldn''t stop to dress my wounds as they kept close. I looked towards the road and saw men on horseback. I decided I was going risk it and ran into the road in front of them. I only hoped that the confusion would let me get away or that I would be able to steal a horse.


    As I got closer, I observed that they were a group of giant burly men. They carried huge weapons with the muscles to show for it. The stoic faces and scars that each of them had told of their battle prowess. They were mercenaries and I had crossed their path. My hopes for escape came to a halt and the Black Birds were able to discern it.


    "You mercenaries! If you kill him we will pay you!" A Black Bird yelled.


    My body tensed up as I had led myself to my own demise. The head of the mercenary group got off his steed and produced his weapons. When I saw the weapons, he began to cleave the Black Birds in two. The head of the mercenary group was a mountain of a man and he turned around to face me.


    "Demitri! I never thought I would see you again."


    The mountain of a man spoke and I became conscious of the fact that it was Martin, one of my former companions.

 Chapter Thirteen - Redemption:5

    Martin laughed as he charged towards me, weapons in hand. He opened his arms and before I could stop him, buried me into his chest. His arms and muscles were solid as steel. Martin seemed rather cheerful in seeing me again. My breathing came to a stop as he almost crushed the air out of my lungs. The blood trickling down my arm seemed like an afterthought now.


    A tense air filled the winds as I followed behind Martin. My wounds had been bandaged and I was given a horse to ride. Many of his men seemed scornful of me for no particular reason. Perhaps they thought I should''ve been cast aside? I didn''t know if I should praise or curse my luck.


    I gave quick glances to the mercenaries behind me and was incredulous that Martin led them. They all had a dangerous feeling surrounding them. Martin looked like he grew up a bit faster and matured. He never asked about the Hero and I wouldn''t know what to tell him other than the truth. I could only stare at his back and hope for the best.


    "I don''t blame you, you know."


    "For what?" I said.


    "For the Hero, you did what you thought was best," Martin said. "The strong can dictate to the weak and you were stronger than the Hero."


    "¡­"


    Could Martin read my mind?


    "I''m not strong at all," I whispered.


    Was I stronger than the Hero? No, I don''t believe that. I''m actually far from strong, I could never protect the things I care about. It''s because I''m weak that I suffer and my scars are proof enough of that.


    "I didn''t know¡­" Martin said.


    "Know what?"


    "What the Hero and the rest were up to."


    Martin turned around and had a somber face.


    "If I knew, I would''ve stopped it before it began," Martin said. "I lost my brother and sister because of what they did."


    "¡­"


    Those hazel eyes of his looked at me with true admiration, and I felt grateful. So I wasn''t the only one that felt how wrong their course of action was. My weight seems to lighten as Martin told me. So not all of my companions knew of what was planned. My mind began to rack up many thoughts. Who else knew and who didn''t? Cassandra? Silvia? Camille? Liz?


    "So where are you headed?" Martin said.


    "To Swillsden," I replied.


    Martin had a stunned look on his face before laughing.


    "What fate! We are heading back there as well!" Martin had a smile on his face.


    "Mercenary work?" I asked.


    "No, I''m the Mayor."


    "What? Were you given a lordship?"


    "No, I was given a town to take care of and do things as I see fit," Martin said.


    "What about these mercenaries?"


    Martin gave me a surprised look and laughed.


    "These are my men, they are the town guards," he said. "They were displaced after the war just like me."


    I looked back to see the group of men and examine them. I had thought they were mercenaries because of the sternness shown on their faces, but their eyes told me differently. Those eyes were like mine, they had the expressions of a survivor. Martin had gathered his own following of strong people.


    "You''ve really grown Martin," I said.


    Martin gave me a smile and a nod.


    "I want to be better than the Hero." He said.


    I cast my head down at Martin''s words. Instead of dwelling on the past and wallowing in self-pity. Martin had tried to become better than the Hero. He had truly grown up to be a good man. This furthered my resolve to head into Demon territory and atone for my deeds.


    "Why were you out of town?" I said.


    "We were looking for some criminals that had been terrorizing Swillsden," Martin said. "We couldn''t find them, they had slipped past us using the forest."


    "If I can help out in any way, let me know," I said.


    Martin smiled and laughed heartily.


    "I knew you would, Demitri!"


    The journey to Swillsden didn''t take long on horseback. The horses were as fierce and sturdy as the men riding them. My mood became merrier talking to Martin and the pain in my arm subsided. Martin told me of how he went to his hometown after the war. There was nothing left but he did find some survivors. Though they were weak and didn''t make it through the coming days. Martin never asked what became of me and why I was littered with injuries.


    "We''re here Demitri! Welcome to Swillsden!" Martin grabbed hold of me on the shoulder.


    It was still amazing looking at Martin and knowing that he is just a young man. His enormous body and pot belly would tell a different story. He had a thick beard and a full head of hair that would make many think he was a bear instead of a man. Martin also had a big appetite that went with his big frame.


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    "Tonight! Let''s feast boys!" Martin yelled.


    The mercenaries behind us all goaded with vigor at his words.


    Entering Swillsden, it looked like a huge farming community. There were massive fields of crops and others like it. A river ran through the side of the fields, an appealing water source for the town and the crops. The only thing missing was the amount of pigs the town was known for. My eyes searched for them but they could not be found.


    "What happened to all the swine?" I asked.


    Martin showed a grim face.


    "They all died in the war," he said. "Both the soldiers of Solace and Bareth used them as war rations."


    "All of them?"


    "Yes, Swillsden was in starvation because of it."


    "How could they!?"


    "How could they not?" Martin said. "The weak can''t fight the strong."


    I expected the worse when we entered the heart of the town but it was far from it. Everyone had a smile on their faces, from the youngest to the oldest. The town folk looked fat and content, they looked like they were nobles themselves. I looked for the vagabonds and the strays but there were none. Martin had created a utopia in Swillsden.


    "Everyone looks so happy," I said.


    "Yes! No one has a want for anything, everyone eats!" Martin had a beaming smile on his face.


    "There''s no poor here?"


    "None."


    "How?"


    "Being poor happens only when they don''t have anything Demitri!" Martin said. "No one starves here in Swillsden, I won''t allow it!"


    Martin was one of the few to know the plights of the poor. He grew up a simple butcher''s son and had a great taste for meat. The problems of the Kingdom affected the poor first and Martin witnessed that first hand. Even though there was a famine that plagued the Kingdom of Bareth, Martin, and his siblings never starved. His parents made sure of that until they had died from never eating.


    Martin had a great appetite and ate most of his fill. The famine struck his town and many had abandoned their own children. His parents had loved him and his siblings greatly. Instead of spreading the scraps of food they had, they gave it to their children. In the end, they had died from starvation and Martin vowed to not let anyone else suffer that fate.


    The Hero had found Martin working as a mercenary, doing all sorts of dangerous things for food and money. The Hero heard of Martin''s story and offered him a place with us, he became a steadfast companion ever since. I''m glad that Martin was able to find a new place in life, only the living can make that choice.


    We hopped off our horses and tied them near a stable.


    "Come, Demitri!"


    Martin led me into a tavern with his men.


    "This place has one of the finest beers on the eastern side of Bareth!"


    The tavern was brightly lit and they had many tables to serve a lot of guests. Some patrons were sitting at the bar. There were only women who worked here and they were abnormally thin but beautiful.


    "I''ll go cook us some meat! Everyone get your beers!"


    The mercenaries inside of the tavern roared with excitement. Martin disappeared deeper into the tavern. Martin always had a skill for roasting meat from being a butcher''s son. He knew the highest quality cuts and the right way to prepare them. My mouth couldn''t wait to savor the delicacies he would make. My luck looked to be brighter in meeting Martin again.


    I sat at a table by myself in the corner. I could use a beer to lighten up my heavy thoughts. I waved my hand to the barmaid and she saw it with a piercing gaze. There was a look of confusion on her face but it was quickly replaced with a smile. The other men stared at her in lust but I had no thoughts of that at the moment.


    The barmaid had a bewitching beauty and came towards me to serve me a drink. She placed down my drink and had an unnatural smile on her face. Though I could tell there was a small hint of fear in her eyes and I didn''t know why. She leaned over, close to me, showing off her cleavage. The other men in the room were hollering loudly at her actions.


    "Who are you?" She asked.


    "My name is Demitri, I''m just passing by," I replied.


    The barmaid''s smile became more warming and she leaned closer to my ear.


    "Don''t eat the meat." She whispered.


    Quickly, she left as fast as she came.


    I became puzzled by her words, just when I thought my luck had turned.


    Was I wrong?

 Chapter Fourteen - Redemption:6

    My face became twisted at the barmaid''s words. What was she talking about exactly?


    Suddenly Martin appeared with plates of grilled meat. He began serving it to all his men in the tavern, they ate the meat and drank their fill of beer. Martin looked towards me and brought me a plate. An odor wavered through the air and it smelt familiar.


    "Eat up Demitri!" Martin said.


    My eyes wander over to the barmaid who still had a smile on her face, but something told me it was covered with terror.


    "I''m alright for now. I just want more beer!" I said.


    Martin smiled at me and laughed.


    "Okay! More beer! Everyone! It''s a feast!" Martin yelled.


    The tavern got more rowdy and loud. I quietly drank from my cup while I examined the meat. It looked like any other grilled and seasoned meat to my eyes. Yet there was something strange and I couldn''t quite tell. It was as if I seen it all my life but I never ate as much meat as Martin.


    Martin and his men ate heartily but it was almost savage in nature. My mind started to question about what was going on. Where did all this meat come from? Didn''t all the pigs die? I didn''t see any cattle or livestock when entering Swillsden either. My eyes move to other patrons in the bar and they all had a smile on their face.


    It had become eerie and I couldn''t shake a familiar smell in the air. The aroma of grilled meat lingered and the sounds of men increased. I only sipped my drink while observing others. Martin had sat with his other men and they talked about past glories. Some of his men pierced some gazes toward me but I ignore them. As the fervor of celebration reached higher, the tavern doors opened and someone rushed in. It was a man who looked to be another mercenary like the others.


    "Mayor!" The man said. "There''s a problem!"


    "What is it?" Martin replied.


    "The storage house was broken into!"


    Martin''s face tensed into anger.


    "Damn it!"


    Martin slammed his fist on the table.


    "What?" I said.


    "It must have been those criminals," Martin said. "No wonder we couldn''t find them!"


    "They led us out on a chase so they could get into the storage house."


    "What''s in the storage house?" I asked.


    "Our food supply!" Martin said.


    Martin and his men stood up, there was no cheer in the tavern anymore.


    "Is there anything I can do to help?" I asked.


    "Don''t worry Demitri, we''ll handle this," Martin said.


    Martin took his men and left the tavern. As soon as they left some of the patrons in the tavern relaxed. Their smiles replaced with looks of despair. Realizing I was still here, the smiles of the patrons came back. Only the barmaid came quickly over to me. The unnatural smile she had was gone, replaced with a stoic face.


    "Sir, I don''t know why you are here but you should leave." She said.


    "Why?"


    "There''s going to be trouble soon and you shouldn''t be here."


    "Why are you telling me this?"


    "You look different from them."


    The barmaid left me alone as soon as she gave her warning. There was something odd going on and I couldn''t just wait here. I left the tavern and wandered about the town. There was a strange atmosphere around the people. The town folk walked around slumped but when they saw me, they had a big smile on their face. Anytime I would look at someone, I was returned with an unnatural smile.


    There was also a disparity between the sizes of the town folk. Some of the people were big and overweight while others barely looked like they''ve eaten. Martin had told me that there were no class differences here but this seemed strange. Some people I saw were eating meat happily while others did not.


    While walking around town I witnessed a child carrying a meat stick scurrying to his mother. She looked like she was starving. When the child held the meat stick towards his mother she slapped it out of his hand. Her face was filled with terror as she berated her child. Suddenly her gaze came upon me and she broke into a smile. Quickly she grabbed her son and left deeper into the town.


    There was definitely something going on but I couldn''t understand. Was the meat tainted? Why did some people eat and others did not? I decided to investigate more and see what was going on. If Martin was in trouble I was going to help him. It was the least I could do for taking away his place in the world. Martin had created a new position for himself here and I didn''t want to see it broken.


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    People started disappearing from sight as the darkness crept over the horizon. The echoes of my breathing resounded through the town but I heard faint whispers. I could feel people watching me as the whispers continued. I couldn''t evade the eyes or the sounds as I lurked about. That familiar smell still lingered in the air.


    My nerves were being tested and I felt strange. I turned into an alleyway in hopes of regaining my composure. I stare at the ground while twisting the ring on my finger. My gaze moved down the alleyway and there I saw some hooded figures. They looked like they were in a rush to be somewhere and I moved to follow them. Could they be the criminals Martin was looking for?


    I could hear them talking to each other in low voices. I sneaked behind them and kept in the shadows.


    "Is he gone?"


    "Yes."


    "How are the others?"


    "Fine, a little shaken."


    "Good."


    "What about that other one?"


    "Who?"


    "The one who came with them."


    "I don''t think he''s like them."


    "He seems to be dangerous."


    "I heard that he''s an old friend of the mayor."


    "Then we should stay away from him."


    Were they talking about me?


    I watched as they entered a house on the outskirts of town. The house was in plain sight but it was covered by high walls and a gate. I don''t think I''ll be able to enter through the front anytime soon. I made my way to the walls of the house and walked around. The wall completely wrapped around the house.


    Sounds emanated from the house but I couldn''t make them out. A tall tree was situated close to the wall behind the house. The tree branch extended over the wall. I had found my way inside and would have to physically exert myself. I climbed up the tree swiftly as a squirrel. I still couldn''t see what was happening inside the house from the tree.


    I walked over the tree branch and dropped myself over the walls. My eyes came face to face with a small girl. She looked malnourished and she was playing with a doll. The small girl had a tired expression but became wide-eyed at my appearance. Her cheeks were sunken in and it looked like she hadn''t eaten for days. I put my finger to my lips to tell her not to make a sound and she nodded.


    "Hello sweetheart, my name is Demitri," I whispered.


    "Anna." she replied.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Playing."


    "Where''s everyone?"


    "They''re inside talking."


    "Do you know what they''re talking about?"


    "The mayor."


    My face turned grim at her revelation.


    "Is your family here?"


    "Yes, this is my house."


    This would be a terrible place for a criminal hideout if they had a small child. Or it could be the perfect disguise. With this child here, I don''t think I could do anything reckless. I wasn''t going to scar this child for life. I''ll just observe for now and if anything happens, I''ll escape.


    I pat the small girl on the head and leave her. I edge closer to the house and peer through the side of a window. There was a dim candle that lit the room and I could make out some figures. They were all cloaked but I could make out the shape of their frames. They had lean and scrawny bodies, very different from some of the plump town folk.


    It looked like they were in a heavy discussion about something but I couldn''t make out what they were saying. As I try to listen closer, I see the shadow of a little girl inside. She was the same little girl that was outside with me.  I realized my mistake when she pointed out the window to my direction. Many of the figures drew their weapons and ran outside the room.


    I try to make my escape and look for a quick way to scale the wall. I run and jump, trying to climb out the wall when an arrow pierced my hand. I cry out in pain while my momentum stops. I fall down to the ground like a rock. Removing the arrow that pierced my hand, I look up to the cloaked figures. A man rushed me and propped me up by the collar.


    "You''re with those monsters!" The man screamed. "Martin and his company of devils!"

 Chapter Fifteen - Redemption:7

    "What do you want?" I said.


    I kept a calm demeanor as the man looked at me with rage.


    "We want to be free from that monster!" The man screamed.


    This isn''t good, these are definitely the people Martin was talking about. It seems their anger towards Martin was being directed at me. I could feel the intense killing intent from them. Just as I was about to say something, a hooded man attacked me with his sword.


    I broke free from the man who held me and side-stepped the attacker. The hooded man wasn''t skilled in any way, he was just attacking me with raw emotion. His face was filled with hate and I didn''t know why. These people didn''t look like criminals at all but more like upset town folk. Just what happened that made them so angry?


    The hooded man tried rushing me when he noticed his wild swings weren''t landing. I moved behind him and gave the back of his knee a swift kick. He buckled over from the blow and I grab the sword in his hand. I move my arm under his armpit and across his chest into a hold. Bringing the sword to his neck, I pierce a sharp gaze at the other people.


    "Back off or he dies!" I said.


    It was a bluff, I wasn''t going to kill him. I just needed to get out of this place. My left arm was already weakened from wounds by a sword and an arrow to the hand. I was going to try and reason with them but it seems their emotions won''t let them. Their eyes were dangerous and they looked at me as if I were their sworn enemy. They didn''t look like common criminals but I knew how dangerous men are when backed into a corner.


    The man who grabbed me before raised up his hands, soon the others followed suit.


    "Drop your weapons now!"


    Some looked like they wanted to fight me but ultimately they all complied.


    "I''m going to leave this place," I said. "If you follow me, don''t blame me for what happens."


    I drag the man in my grasp over to the wall. I take away the sword from his throat and point it at the other men. I make my hostage kneel down with a hard kick to his leg. Then quickly, I jumped on top of his shoulders to use him as a springboard over the wall. The other men reacted but it was too late as I went over the wall with ease.


    The men would take some time to exit the house to get to me. I ran fast as the wind in trying to get back to Martin. I needed to warn him about the trouble that was brewing in Swillsden. I didn''t know why they were so angry at Martin and what he did wrong. But I couldn''t let there be bloodshed for nothing. Martin is the Mayor and I believe him to be a sincere young man. He should be able to find a peaceful resolution.


    I drifted from shadow to shadow and stayed quiet under the darkness. There was some chatter going throughout the city but I didn''t know why. Did criminals really infiltrate the town? Were these people actually criminals? I wanted to know what was going on but it seems like I wasn''t trusted enough. Martin wouldn''t tell me and some of the town folk were afraid of me.


    Finally, I made it back to the heart of the city and saw Martin. His men were surrounding him and looked like they were ready for war. The center of the town was intensely burning bright with bonfires and braziers. My eyes couldn''t adjust to the light, it seemed so perverse almost frightening. Martin seemed to be telling his men something and I move closer to listen.


    "By the Gods," Martin said. "How could you lose them!?"


    "They are under the cover of night and using back alleyways."


    "What were they trying to do?"


    "It seems like they tried to break into more storage houses."


    "Those fools! Don''t they know, we''ll all starve?!"


    Martin''s face looked grim, I had to tell him what I found out and walked over to his line of sight.


    "Demitri! Where were you?" Martin asked.


    "It looks like you''re in trouble," I said.


    "It''s nothing, just some criminals trying to terrorize my town."


    "I think I know where they are."


    Martin was surprised at my words and sharpen his gaze to me. I told him of the people in hooded cloaks and the house surrounded by walls. Martin nodded his head and had a wide grin of admiration. When I was done, Martin roared out with a laugh.


    "You were always someone special Demitri!" Martin said.


    Martin went over to his men in a proud stature.


    "You see this!? You weaklings took weeks and could only find traces of them," Martin said. "Demitri only took one day! This is the path of the strong!"


    Some of his men sent resentful stares at me but others seem to look at me in recognition.


    "Men! Get ready, we''ll end this tonight and we''ll continue our feast again!" Martin said.


    The men cheered and raised up their weapons.


    "How will you handle them?" I asked.


    "Don''t worry, we have our own way of dealing with criminals," Martin said.


    Martin had a sinister looking smile on his face and I became disturbed by it.


    "Do you need my help?" I said.


    I was concerned about Martin and the people he was after.


    "No, Demitri, you''ve done more than enough," Martin said. "This is my town, let me take care of it."


    Martin and his men quickly left the center of town in search for the criminals. I was left standing alone to my own devices. I wanted to help Martin but I didn''t want to overstep my boundaries. Martin had taken a leadership role and I didn''t want to fight his claim. Even with the Hero, I could only follow.


    I only hoped that Martin would use discretion when he dealt with those people. They didn''t look like criminals but regular people in my eyes. I often stayed in the underworld and knew they weren''t the type to be a part of it. Although I knew that this world can make good men into devils. I walked back over to the tavern, wanting to drink my worries away.


    As I neared, I heard voices speaking from inside the tavern.


    "Are they still not in the town square?"


    "No! They all left!"


    "What!? Did they find out?"


    "Where''s Michael and his men!?"


    "I don''t know!"


    "What about Roger and his group?"


    "They tainted themselves, just like half the town."


    "No¡­no¡­Gods¡­"


    "How could they!?"


    "They were starving!"


    I entered the tavern and it became deathly quiet.


    My eyes moved about the tavern and I could see a group of people within. Some of the people had a face of terror as they saw me. Few of them returned my gaze with an unnatural smile. All the people were unusually thin just like the barmaids. I walked over to the bar and with each step, their faces contorted with despair.


    "I''m not with them!" One of the patrons at the bar ran outside.


    Soon, more people had followed suit in leaving the tavern. I had become even more confused at their actions. What the hell was going on exactly? I wanted to know but at the same time, I had become afraid of knowing. What was Martin doing that would make these people so afraid? I was a stranger but someone closely associated with Martin. For some reason, that was enough for the people to be scared of me as well.


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    I sat at the bar and beckoned a barmaid for a drink. When it arrived, I grabbed my beer and became lost in thought for awhile. I noticed that there was an unusual silence by the people around me. I could hear some faint whispers at the other end of the bar. I look over to see the barmaids discussing something with each other. The barmaid who gave me a warning before walked over to me. She had a serious expression on her face and looked like she was walking to an executioner.


    "You, just what did you do?"


    "Excuse me?"


    "Some people saw you outside with Martin," she said. "After you talked to him, he left in a hurry with his men."


    "I told him about the group of criminals he could find in town."


    "YOU MONSTER!" She screamed and slapped me.


    I felt my face and looked at her troubled.


    "Do you know what they do to criminals?" She said.


    "What?" I asked.


    She started laughing with contempt at me but I returned it with a puzzled look.


    "You-you don''t know?" She said.


    "I told you, I''m just passing through."


    "Aren''t you with Martin?"


    "We were just former companions."


    "So you''re strong?"


    "What?"


    "Everyone in town knows that the Mayor was a former companion of the Hero." She said. "Does that mean you were with the Hero as well?"


    I nod my head at her as I took a drink.


    "Kill him." She said and pleaded me with her eyes.


    "What? No, Why?" I said.


    "If you''re strong! You can kill him!"


    Those eyes of hers seem to beg me to kill Martin but I wasn''t a cold-blooded murderer.


    "Look, I don''t know what''s going on but Martin is a good man," I said.


    "Man? That monster!?" She said.


    The barmaid reached into her dress and handed me a key with a map. The key seemed to be old and covered in blood stains. The map she gave me was of the town and there were marks on specified areas. Only one building was left circled on the map.


    "Fine, that''s the last one remaining, it''s better that you see for yourself," she said. "After that, kill him."


    As I was about to ask her some details, a commotion was heard outside. The barmaid left me and everyone in the tavern began to ignore me. Martin and his men came inside the tavern soon after.


    "Demitri!" Martin yelled. "Well done, our problems are solved!"


    "Oh?" I said with a look of discomfort.


    "We caught the criminals and got back our supply!"


    Martin was cheerful and patted me on the back.


    "So what''s going to happen to them?" I said.


    "What happens to everyone."


    He gave me a vague answer and I could sense that he did not want me to press on.


    "So, do you have more guards at the storage house now?" I asked.


    "No worries, my men are on it and only criminals would dare go near the storage house."


    Martin had a bright but intimidating smile.


    "Let the feast continue again!"


    Martin and his men cheered but the other people inside the tavern looked disheartened.


    "I think I drank a little too much, I''m going outside for a bit," I said.


    I got up from my seat at the bar and began to leave the tavern.


    "Alright Demitri," Martin said. "We''ll have some food here waiting for you."


    Outside the tavern, a smell still drifted in the air. I walked away from the tavern and headed into the direction I saw marked on the map. I clenched the key in my pocket as I looked around to see if anyone was following me. The noise of the tavern was being drowned out the further I walked into town. Dark clouds seem to hover above me the closer I went to my destination.


    The map lead me to a side of the town I never ventured in. The atmosphere around this part of town was eerie and deathly silent. There seemed to be no people living here and there were no lights to speak of. Not even the moon was able to beam its light down this desolate area. As I made it to the location, I noticed a pair of guards standing watch in front of a building.


    The building seemed normal at first glance but there was something bizarre about it. An aura crept around and seem to send shivers down your spine. To my eyes, it looked to be a big storage house but my senses screamed something else to me. I had to remove the guards to enter the building. Picking up small rocks from the ground, I started throwing them at the side of another building. The guards became alert at the noise and went to investigate.


    Quickly, I dashed over to the building and tried opening the doors. The doors wouldn''t budge and I remembered about the key. Producing the key from my pocket, I used it to unlock the doors. I rotated the door handle as quietly as I could and gently pushed it open. I saw nothing but pure blackness inside. A foul stench hit me as I entered the building. I closed the door behind me and my eyes adjusted to the darkness. What I was greeted with was a gruesome horror none should witness.


    Bodies of people were hanging from the ceiling. Men, women, and children were suspended on metal hooks like slabs of meat. Their flesh had been carved out meticulously and dissected with precision. Lines were drawn and marked on their bodies. Some were missing arms, legs, heads, and genitals. Muscles were spewed about and cut into thin slices. The flesh was laid out on tables and guts on plates. There was blood, mountains of blood everywhere in the room.


    My eyes could not stop soaking in the hideous scene before me. I started to identify some faces of the people hanging above. They were the people I''ve seen in town who were abnormally thin and had chosen not to eat the meat. A mother and her child were separated by a hair''s breadth, hanging side by side. They all had greeted me with an unnatural smile before. Now, I couldn''t comprehend what the expressions on their faces were anymore. I stagger around the room as I felt a discomfort in the pit of my stomach. This building wasn''t a storage house but a factory of nightmares.


    Breathing became hard as my vision wandered around the room. Then I saw some bodies that looked to be recently displayed on the walls. They were chained up and gutted, hanging upside down with the fresh scent of blood. I recognized the bodies as the hooded men I encountered earlier.  Next to them was the body of a little girl and my mind went blank.


    I vomited on the floor and felt a pale sickness.


    I finally realized what that familiar smell was.


    That foul stench that lingered in the air, it was the putrid smell of death.

 Side Story - Dante Lyons:1 - Redemption:7.5

    My name is Dante Lyons and I''m not from this world.


    Technically I was born here, but my soul isn''t from here originally. I still remember my past life as a student going to college. I had just finished my enlistment in the military and was finally going to school to earn my degree. I had a car accident and now I''m here in this fantasy world. I was reincarnated like all those novels I use to read about.


    I''m only 5-years-old here but if you add up my previous life, I''m thirty.


    I had thought I was going to start from the ground up but it wasn''t like that. It didn''t take me long to learn the language and customs at all. I guess I have to thank my skills for that. Some people thought it was odd for me to be walking and talking at such a young age. They never voiced their opinions in public since I was the first born son of a noble lord. My family actually governs Balenos and the territory around it.


    I was never a rich kid in my past life. I actually had to work and even joined the military. It''s quite a difference when you can just do hobbies and hone your talents freely without a worry. It''s no wonder people get jealous of the upper class when they could look attractive and have special talents. The only thing expected of me is to follow in my father''s footsteps. Nobody questions what I do and few understand it. Not everyone is educated in my town either but I think I''ll have to change that.


    When I discovered my abilities, I was surprised and amazed. I thought I was just going to live a relatively normal life but it seems I had video game powers. I played RPG''s before and I automatically knew what I had stumbled into. I had a status screen, stats, a map, and I could learn about skills just from watching people. To use those skills, I had to buy them with skill points I earned from leveling up. Reading books seem to increase certain stats too.


    It''s incredible, but I didn''t know why I had these powers.


    I was able to learn about magic from reading some books my father had. My father wanted to be a mage before but it seems he lacked the aptitude for it. In the end, he had a great deal of books dealing with magic. I use to venture out and test out my powers in a forest far away from Balenos. There were a lot of monsters there and I could earn experience points easily. It was there that I met him, Demitri the Hero Killer.


    Demitri had sneaked up on me and I wouldn''t have noticed him if not for my map. When I open up my status screen, a map is displayed of the surrounding area. I could use the map to see places I''ve been before. He was a yellow dot on my map, that meant he was neutral towards me. When I saw him, he looked like the typical badass assassin you see in games. He even had a eye patch made out of wolf''s fur, dude looked insane.


    I had to level up my inspect skill to be able to see some of his stats. It was crazy, he had so many titles, his stats were way above anyone else but there were things he had that I couldn''t see. Some of his items, titles, and skills were hidden. Talking to him, I found him to be a very righteous man. It was because of him that I found out there were other people like me around.


    The Hero of the Kingdom that I heard so much about was actually a Reincarnator. If there were other reincarnated people, that meant they had similar, if not better skills than me. I was only a young kid and I was under-leveled compared to the people around me. I only leveled up and learned skills because I was bored. It was interesting and something to do, I wasn''t going to save the kingdom or rule anything.


    Now I needed to level up and learn more skills just to survive. "Speak softly and carry a big stick" as the saying goes. I needed to be powerful as a natural deterrent from my enemies. Not that I have any but just in case. I also need more allies and I definitely need Demitri as an ally. He''s not a bad person and he''s pretty strong, so I know I could trust him.


    Right now I''m inside my room in Balenos. I wanted to check my stats and opened my status screen. I don''t know how it works, but all I have to do is think about it and it opens. I started checking my stats and some of the skills I acquired from Demitri. I gained a new class when I learned Demitri''s skills, it was called Spell Thief. Probably a mix between the magic I learned and the skills I got from him.


    <table><tbody>


    <tr><td colspan=''4''>Dante Lyons</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Race:</td><td colspan=''2''>Human</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Class:</td><td colspan=''2''>Spell Thief</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Level:</td><td colspan=''2''>15</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>HP:</td><td colspan=''2''>45/45</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>MP:</td><td colspan=''2''>150/150</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">8+5</td><td width="25%">Dexteritry:</td><td width="25%">10+5</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Constitution:</td><td width="25%">3+5</td><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">16+5</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">17+5</td><td width="25%">Charisma:</td><td width="25%">18+5</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Title: Reincarnator (+5 All Stats) <Active>, Heir of the Lyons (+7 Charisma), Prodigy (+5% EXP Gain), Strange Noble (-5 Constitution)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Skills: Magic User, Arcane Knowledge, Magical Perception, Magical Insight, Magical Detection, Inspect, Light Blade Proficiency, Stealth, Fast Hands, Silent Steps, Quick Reflexes, Acrobatic, Athletic, Investigator</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Abilities: Dash, Back Stab, Flee, Steal, Quick throw, Hide, Double attack, Heighten senses, Detect</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Magic: Fireball, Whirlwind, Gale, Light, Flame hands, Eagle Eye, Swift feet, Magic Steal</td></tr></tbody></table>


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    A knock was made at my door and I closed my status screen.


    "Enter." I said.


    An old man in a butler uniform opened the door. The old man''s face was covered in gray hair but he kept it trimmed and proper. He was well built and kept clean. The butler moved inside and closed the door behind him smoothly. He proceeded to greet me with a bow and I nod my head back.


    "Morris, so you''ve come back already?"


    "Yes, Young Lord."


    Morris was my personal butler and very skilled in the art of combat. He was a former adventurer and had long since retired. Morris used to be a great warrior but he also had skills of tracking and finding information. I trusted Morris enough that I told him about many things, just not my special abilities. I couldn''t learn skills from Morris as my stats weren''t geared towards them. If I had, I''d probably be more stronger than I am now.


    "So, where is he now?"


    "Just north of here, at Swillsden."


    Swillsden? I heard from father that they were having a food shortage and some refugees had came here. My father expected more but they had just abruptly stopped. If Demitri was there, something must have happened.


    "What was he doing there?"


    "It seems one of his former companions is stationed there as the Mayor."


    "What!? It seems fate is not too kind on Demitri."


    Morris nodded and I started wondering if I should go there or not.


    "Who else?" I said.


    "There are some undesirables." Morris said with a heavy tone.


    My eyes widen as Morris began to explain the situation. I felt disgusted in knowing something was happening so close to my home.


    "What''s going on there?"


    "Trouble," Morris said. "And it follows him."


    Morris had a keen sense for strong people and strange occurrences. He looked at Demitri once and knew that he was a good man. If Morris thought there was trouble, then there definitely was a problem. I wanted to go and help Demitri but something was preventing me from doing so.


    I was still afraid of the warning I received earlier from that girl. When Demitri was here I couldn''t explain it to him but after he left I started to remember again. It was a girl that talked to me in the Balenos forest and she warned me to stay away from him. She said that I was just like the false hero. Was she talking about the Hero of the Veil or Demitri?


    She knew how to speak English too, that meant she was from Earth. Her magic was out of my league, I didn''t notice it until it was too late. There were many mysteries still surrounding Demitri. Why was that girl following Demitri? Who else is after him? He hasn''t told me what he''s trying to do. I could understand the state of turmoil the Kingdom is under.


    "Morris, go back and see if you can help Demitri," I said. "Maybe not show yourself, but help the townsfolk."


    Morris bowed and quickly disappeared from my sight.


    Demitri was a kind man and sometimes, things would get the better of him. I had Morris follow Demitri around Balenos before. That''s when I found out about the children and Helem. Demitri had killed his friend who had taken the lives of children using holy magic. I might have to distance myself from the church here in Balenos. I wasn''t a very religious man in my past life anyway.


    I could already guess from his titles that he had a bleeding heart. Demitri genuinely cared about people and their plights. You wouldn''t have known by looking at him. Although, Demitri always looked at me as if he saw someone else. I wanted to be more upfront with Demitri but I knew the value of information. I knew, I had to keep a lot of secrets.


    For now, I''ll focus my efforts in Balenos and strengthen myself. In the mean time I should try and help Demitri as well. I might need his help in the future. I could feel that there''s something big coming ahead and I need to be ready for it.

 Chapter Sixteen - Redemption:8

    My composure was gone, and my body felt weak. I vomited again until my stomach was empty. Martin had become a monster and I had finally realized that. No wonder people were afraid of him, and me. So this was why some hadn''t eaten and would rather starve. While others couldn''t stop eating once they did. It was a slope of madness and despair that Martin had created, one of survival and the other of saving your soul.


    The poor, the weak, and anyone he deemed to be criminals was made to be eaten. Anger and disgust swirled inside of me. This wasn''t the utopia I thought it was. Martin wasn''t the man I thought he was. Then I remembered what I''d done, I had condemned some of these people to this fate. My knees fell to the floor as I screamed loudly out of frustration and resentment.


    The doors of the building opened and the guards looked at me. I stood up and wiped my mouth while grabbing the hilt of my sword. I gave them a look of anger, disgust, and pity. They returned my look with eyes of animosity as I had learned their secret. A guard charged at me with a spear and I used my sword to cut the spear in half. After that, I dislodged his head from his body in one swipe. The other guard was fearful and tried to run.


    I re-positioned the sword in my hand and threw it at his leg. My Mithril sword easily went through his leg like it was paper thin. My expression had become dull but there was a burning rage in my heart. I walked over to him and my body felt heavy. The weight on my shoulders were almost unbearable but I carried onward. I took out my sword and the guard cried out in pain.


    I knelt down next to the guard and firmly grabbed his head with my weak arm. I balled my right hand into a fist and began punching the man. I couldn''t feel the contact of my knuckles to his face. Blood started leaking from his nose and his mouth as I kept going. I stopped my attack when his front teeth went missing and I wiped my right hand clean on his clothes.


    The guard was gargling on his blood and his eyes showed the expression of a submissive animal.


    "Are there anymore?" I said and pointed to the storage house.


    "No-no¡­gargh..no¡­more."


    "Do you keep anyone alive?"


    "No-Rhkk¡­rgh¡­no¡­one..alive."


    The guard was still alive and I wasn''t satisfied with that but he only ran away from me. I stood up, cleaned my sword and sheathed it. My face was still expressionless as I left the man in the darkness. There were other men like him in this town and I needed to see them. What happened to my former companions that would make them turn insane? Is everything actually my fault? Or is this just how the world is?


    As I distanced myself from the building, a lone figure appeared.


    "So you saw it?"


    "Yes," I said and spat on the floor.


    The person who appeared before me was the barmaid. She was covered in a hooded robe just like the other men. I could see why she knew the things around town. She was probably a part of the people who dissented against Martin''s rule. This barmaid was one of those so-called "criminals."


    "When did you know?" I said.


    Her eyes stared at the floor before reaching me.


    "We were starving after the war," she said. "Martin had come, hearing about out plight."


    There was a bitter sneer on her face as she remembered.


    "Soon, we were able to have food again but something was wrong," she said. "People started disappearing and that''s when some people knew."


    Tears began streaming down her face.


    "First, it was the criminals, then it was the poor, and then it was anyone who didn''t smile."


    Her hands were shaking and I could hear the trembling of her voice.


    "Some people ate the meat but once they did, they couldn''t stop."


    "Did nobody say anything?" I said.


    "We tried but half the town had already eaten and anyone who dared say anything became a criminal in the Mayor''s eyes!" She said.


    There was a nagging ache in the back of my mouth and I couldn''t help but feel bitter at the whole situation.


    "Our group is going to burn down the town, we''re going to destroy this place and leave nothing left."


    She picked up some resolve after saying that.


    "Only the Mayor will stand in our way, so we need you to do something about him!"


    I gripped the handle of my sword tight and looked away.


    "Kill him, please, kill him!" She said.


    The barmaid pleaded again to me with tearful eyes.


    "I''ll give you whatever you want! If you want my body, I''ll give it to you! My family is gone! Just kill him!"


    She grabbed my cloak and held it tight in her hands.


    "There''s no need for any of that," I said.


    I gently brushed her aside and continued walking down my dark path.


    I couldn''t hear anything anymore. Everything was a pitch black darkness around me. Only faces of the dead appeared in front of me. They haunted me with their smiles, their unnatural smiles. I could see them just like all the people I let down. I walked by them and my heart was bleeding.


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    Would Martin have become this way if the Hero was still alive? Would Helem still not be a man of the cloth? Had I cursed myself to this fate of death and despair? I wanted to scream and cry at the same time. I tightened the grip on the hilt of my sword.


    I remembered when the Hero introduced Martin to me.


    "This is our new companion!"


    "This big guy?"


    "Yeah well, he''s still a kid, so teach him well."


    "THIS BIG GUY?"


    "He''s only fifteen, just a boy."


    "THIS BIG GUY!?"


    I looked up to the young boy who looked like a mountain.


    "What''s your name?" I said.


    "Martin," he replied. "I''m a mercenary."


    His face looked haggard like he had been through some tough experiences.


    "You look like you want to say something else," I said. "What is it?"


    "Are you strong?"


    I smirked at him and laughed but his expression was serious.


    "Well, depends on what you think is strong?"


    "Can you beat me?"


    "The day I can''t beat someone younger than me is the day I call it quits."


    Martin charged at me the moment I said that. I side-stepped him easily and tripped him down with my foot. He was surprised but he got up quickly and rampaged towards me again. I dodged his moves easily, it looked like there was some anger in his heart. I knew that type of frustration all too well.


    Martin became exhausted as he chased me around but he never laid a finger on me.


    "Done yet?" I said.


    "Y-you''re strong!" He said. "I like you."


    I looked at the Hero and the others who only laughed. It wasn''t funny to tell another man he liked him out of the blue. I had become a mentor of sorts for Martin after that. We taught him the way of the world and we taught him what strength meant. If you had any strength, you should use it to help people. That''s what I believed and I still do.


    My memories went back to the days after we defeated the Demon Lord.


    Some years had passed since I first met Martin, he was growing up to be a fine young man. We were all still in Demon territory and were heading back to the Kingdom. We had set up camp on a mountain and dark things often strayed far away from us. All eight of us were together and we talked about happy things. Helem talked about how he would spread the gospel of the Veil. I talked about how I wanted to settle down with a family and run an orphanage of sorts.


    Few seemed surprised but everyone still laughed and said I would do something like that.


    "What about you Martin?" I asked.


    Martin was occupied with the fire and he was cooking something delicious for us.


    "Well, I want to run a butcher''s shop like my father or maybe a tavern," he said. "I just want people to come and eat delicious things."


    "I would be your first customer! If you serve the same things as that dragon steak we had a couple weeks ago." Liz said.


    "As long as you have something to drink, I''ll be there," I said.


    Everyone joined in and told Martin what they would like him to serve.


    "Why do you just want to be a cook?" The Hero asked.


    "I like seeing the happy faces of everyone as I serve them something good," Martin said.


    Martin had a beaming smile on his face.


    "My little brother and sister will help me run the shop," he said. "Then I could stay home and take care of them."


    I went over and ruffled Martin''s hair as he always talked about his family. Everyone laughed when we all saw Martin''s embarrassed face. He loved his siblings dearly and acted like a doting parent. Since he was the eldest, he had to take care of them when his parents were gone. Even though he was away from them now, he could hold his head up high to say he was with the Hero''s party.


    My memories faded and I was back in the darkness.


    Suddenly, fires were raging around me like the memories in my mind.


    The townsfolk had started to burn away at this place. I walked as fires continued and my face was still expressionless. I had finally made it back to the tavern and stood still outside. The cheers of laughter were soon replaced by screams and the roars of fire. Martin''s men exited the tavern and ran around in a panic to quell the flames. Martin had come out but he looked like he did when I first met him.


    I looked up at him and he looked down at me.


    Soon the images of the young Martin was replaced with a monster.


    I held the hilt of my sword and then drew my blade.

 Chapter Seventeen - Redemption:9

    The fires were raging around us and only Martin was there facing me. We stood there, staring at each other for a good while. Martin had a look of surprise on his face and I was disgusted from looking at him. Martin walked out of the tavern and stood up with his massive frame.


    "What''s going on Demitri?" Martin said.


    "I saw what you did Martin," I said. "I went to the storage house."


    "You know only criminals go there Demitri."


    "Don''t fucking bullshit me, Martin," I yelled. "You''re eating people Martin! People!"


    I pointed my blade towards Martin with the swirl of flames around us.


    "So? Don''t fish eat other fish? Don''t birds eat other birds too?"


    The expression on his face was terrifying as he couldn''t comprehend what he did wrong.


    "Animals eat other animals Demitri!" Martin said.


    "We are not animals Martin!"


    "We are all animals Demitri!"


    Martin started to become furious.


    "The strong prey on the weak," he said.


    "The strong are supposed to protect the weak!" I said.


    I stood my ground and my gaze never left him.


    "No!" Martin screamed. "We''re predators!"


    Martin''s eyes were intense as he glared back at me.


    "Do you know when I knew? Remember when I told you how I went back to my hometown after the war?"


    There was a madness that seems to cover Martin''s face.


    "I found my brother and sister, they had actually survived the war Demitri," Martin said.


    He moved closer to me and his hulking frame seemed bigger.


    "What they died to was not the Hero, it wasn''t the famine, it was other people Demitri."


    Martin balled up his massive hands into fists.


    "There were other survivors too!" Martin said.


    I tightly gripped my sword and watched as Martin walked around me.


    "It was only a month after the war but some of the people thought they should be the ones to live," he said. "They weren''t farmers or hunters, they were those bastards who did nothing but take from other people."


    Martin stopped walking and stomped on the floor.


    "Don''t tell me¡­"


    "They ate my brother and sister, Demitri."


    I held my breath at his words.


    "Just because they were small, just because they were weak, they were eaten," Martin said.


    The fires crackled around the town and more screams could be heard.


    "When I found those survivors and the bodies of my half eaten siblings. That''s when I knew! This is just how the world is."


    The sounds of fighting echoed around the town.


    "They didn''t want to wait, they couldn''t survive on their own but they would eat other people."


    Martin looked up at the moon.


    "That''s how I knew people would do anything to survive, they thought they were strong but they weren''t, they were weak," Martin said.


    "What did you do Martin?" I said.


    "I killed them and I ate them in return, I was stronger than them."


    Martin had a hideous smile on his face.


    "People need to eat to survive and the strong prey on the weak," Martin said. "Strong people can eat the weak to survive."


    "You''re insane Martin," I said.


    Martin combed his long hair with his fingers.


    "We''re not protectors Demitri, we are all monsters."


    "No! You''re wrong Martin."


    "I will continue the path I walk on Demitri."


    "I''m going to stop you, Martin," I said.


    Martin had a sad look on his face.


    "Out of everyone, I thought you would understand me the most Demitri."


    Martin revealed his weapons, large cleavers, which were still freshly tainted with blood.


    "No one will ever starve under my watch," he said. "All those people that are evil will be eaten."


    "What gives you the right to make the rules?" I said.


    "Like I said Demitri, I will be better than the Hero," he said. "The Hero gets to make the rules because the Hero is strong."


    "No, don''t think like that! The Hero thought like that Martin!"


    "Is that not the truth Demitri?"


    "You will be punished!" I said.


    "The strong are not punished, look at you Demitri! You are stronger than the Hero! You are still alive! This proves it!"


    Martin''s muscles seem to bulge out and his eyes became red with madness.


    "I''m going to be better than the Hero and you...because I am stronger!"


    Martin rushed me and cleaved wildly. The air was hot and his swings were deadly. My Mithril blade easily blocked some of his attacks but I could feel his strength behind every blow. Martin was deep set in his mentality and I couldn''t change him. Martin wasn''t the same young man as he once was.


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    I tried moving around Martin but he was too quick and he faced me everywhere I tried to move.


    Martin is a Berserker, someone who loses all inhibitions when he fights. He doesn''t feel pain, he only gets stronger the angrier he gets. Martin was a visceral fighter, he worked on instinct and power instead of skill. His relentless and persistent attacks cracked the ground as he missed me. I would''ve been crushed before my body gets ripped in two by his attacks.


    I couldn''t even land a blow as I mostly evaded attacks. Martin was in a state of rage from remembering his dead family. I duck and roll under of one Martin''s massive swings of his meat cleaver. I prop myself up with one hand and use my Mithril sword to slash at Martin. The sword contacted his flesh and scratched his massive frame. I was surprised that my sword could barely cut into his body.


    Martin''s thick and big body was an armor made out of muscles. I tried slashing away at him but only small cuts appeared on his body. My Mithril sword seemed useless at laying waste to his frame. I jumped backwards, away from Martin. What could I do against this monster of a man?


    A thick black smoke was filling the air and the town was burning.


    My eyes wandered around and I see other people fighting each other. The townsfolk had taken up arms against Martin''s mercenaries. People were fighting around us, fires were raging, and it looked like the previous war. The noise of destruction and lives ending resounded in the town of Swillsden. In front of me was a hulking mass of a former companion.


    Martin threw his cleavers at me, I dodge not trying to be stuck like a pig. What I didn''t expect was Martin to rush me and grab me in a bear hold. I held my arms up so that I could bash his face in. My hands were pounding at his face but he wouldn''t let me go. I was too close to put any power to my sword and it did nothing but scratch his body.


    Martin lifted me off the ground and began to squeeze my life away. His face was pure madness as he laughed. I could feel his muscles crushing the very breath out of my lungs. My bones were cracking at the tremendous pressure he was giving me. Blood was rushing to my head and I felt it would explode at any moment. Martin revealed his teeth and took a mouthful of flesh from my shoulder.


    I screamed in pain as my blood covered his mouth while he tasted my flesh.


    I spread my arms wide and clapped the side of his ears. It worked in disorientating him and he released his hold on me. I grabbed my sword and drove it down into his foot. My sword was finally able to rend his flesh as I pressed down with my weight. Martin yelled not before kicking me away with his foot. I could feel the blood pour out of my nose from that blow. Martin pulled out the sword from his foot and threw it away to his side.


    Both of us only had our own fists to contend with now. I dashed towards Martin and tried landing blows to his body. A hook to the side of the ribs and a kick to the sternum. Martin looked like he offered his body to me willingly as I landed my blows. It did nothing but make him angrier and he laughed in a sort of rage. Martin landed a straight to my face which flung me backwards away from him.


    I landed on my back and looked at him with my good eye. My sword could barely do anything and I wasn''t a physical match for Martin. A swirl of emotions still filled me as I thought about the lives lost to Martin. Yet I couldn''t stop feeling responsible that I led him down this dark path. I knew that I had ended the lives of other townsfolk by pointing them out as well. Everything was still my fault and I bit my lip bloody.


    A noise echoed in the town and I could see that some of Martin''s mercenaries were dying. They all had arrows that pierced the sides of their heads and bodies. I looked around to find the source but it was too dark. Martin noticed the scene as well, as he looked away from me in search for the assailant. Suddenly arrows whisked by Martin and more caught him on the body. They did nothing in harming Martin but it pulled away his attention from me.


    I got up and twisted the ring off my finger.


    A pure black cloud that looked like a dagger, appeared in my hands.


    I dashed and then jumped at Martin to pierce the dagger between his eyes.


    Blood spurted at me from Martin''s face and the life in his eyes were gone. His body crumbled to the floor as I pulled the black dagger from his head. A black miasma stuck at the wound in which the dagger penetrated. Tears fell from my face as I cried knowing that I ended another life that was once dear to me.


    I fell down to my knees as I had killed Martin with the same weapon I used to kill the Hero.

 Chapter Eighteen - Redemption:10

    I sat there, next to Martin''s body until the light started to pierce the skies.


    Sometimes I wished I could become numb to my emotions. I couldn''t even feel the pain on my shoulder or the wounds on my arms, only the pain in my heart. How could I have been so stupid to not know what was going on? I just believed in the past and wholly expected it to be the same moving forward. I just never believed that this young man, who grew under my wings, would be capable of such things. If I found out earlier, would it have made a difference? Would I have been able to save Martin?


    The figure of a woman came up to me, she had a dead expression on her face. She spat at Martin''s body and gave him a kick. I gave her a glare but slowly calmed my expression. It was the barmaid who most likely had her family taken away. I couldn''t feel anger towards the people Martin had victimized. Yet I still felt that the living shouldn''t hate people that had already died.


    "I thought, that when he died I would feel happy," she said. "But I''m not, when will this feeling go away?"


    "It doesn''t," I replied.


    Only the living could feel the pain, the anguish, and the suffering. These feelings were what it meant to be alive. The dead were dead and that was the end of it for them. Even the undead who would come back didn''t feel anything at all. Only the living can feel anything and move forward. That was all we could do as we buried our loved ones in the dirt.


    "Where will you go now?" I asked.


    "I''m going with a group that is headed to Balenos," she replied. "We''re going to forget about this hellish place."


    "Good," I said.


    The barmaid left me and I was in the center of the smoldering town. A hooded man appeared with a bow slung over his shoulder and a set of quivers on his back. As he came near, he took off his hood and revealed the face of an elderly gentleman. I could guess he was the one who helped the townsfolk and distracted Martin for me.


    "Who are you?" I said.


    "A follower of the Young Lord, my name is Morris."


    "I see."


    Morris dropped a bag filled with items at my side.


    "This will help you on your journey," Morris said.


    "Did Dante think of everything?"


    "No, it''s my own way of helping someone who seeks to court death."


    "You know what I''m about to do?"


    "No, but I can see it in your eyes."


    Morris left me and I became the only living person in the town once known as Swillsden. Martin''s body was being consumed by a black miasma. I watched as it took away Martin''s body whole, leaving nothing left but black ash. This was the power of the Demon Lord''s weapon. It was a weapon that I never intended to use on my allies but I had now done so twice. I looked at the ring on my finger and wondered if I would be dead if not for this accursed thing.


    Many times before I had lost the ring or simply thrown it away, only for it to appear on my hand again. Ever since I took this item from the Demon Lord, it has stuck with me like it was my own flesh. It is powerful, very powerful and I don''t know what price I''m paying for it. Maybe this ring is the one to curse me to this life?


    No, it''s probably my own stupidity and naivety for thinking that way. I have always lived in the dregs of society and seen the many horrors of the human race. I wondered why I believe so hopelessly in the good of people and for righteousness? Was it the Hero and my former companions that changed me so? Or was it my own defense mechanism to prevent myself from going insane? I know I have been stupid but I just don''t want to be a cynic. I don''t want to become a cold blooded monster.


    This world makes it hard to show me any different.


    I grabbed the bag that laid at my side and searched through it. Morris had planted many items in the bag and it was good enough for half a month''s journey north. Then I would have to survive on my own and with the mess of all those dark things. The bag had some minor potions of healing in it. I take some out and began to drink them to feel its soothing effects.


    I wondered what my former companions were doing right now. I know that they all separated and Princess Helen couldn''t keep them together, they all hated her except for Cassandra. The oath and honor in Cassandra prevent her from doing so, she was probably still on patrols looking for me as her duty. Camille might be off somewhere swindling men out of their money with a smile. Silvia I know went back to the Kingdom of Solace but I don''t know where. And Liz, she was someone I always worried about.


    Liz was always a slothful and lazy girl, always not waking up on time unless it was for food. I get shivers remembering how that cute little girl was one of the most powerful Mages on the continent. She always wandered around and was always looking for something or someone when she was by herself. I can''t imagine her being by herself for too long. People had a natural tendency to try and take care of her. I hope that she found a place of her own in the world.


    How would these girls react in knowing that I''ve killed three of our companions already? If those girls were to fight me I don''t think I could fight back. Maybe this was my ignorance talking, they most certainly would avenge our comrades if not the Hero. I most likely will have to fight those girls but I can''t let them take my life just yet. I need to stop the Demon Lord and then, my life will be forfeit to anyone who wants it.


    The healing potions'' effects were wearing off but they worked like a charm on my body. Wounds from my left arm and shoulder were nearly gone. My body felt renewed but the feelings I had couldn''t be healed with a potion. I looked towards the tavern and saw that it remained unscathed. My feet moved before I even thought about it and I was inside the tavern. I dropped the bag inside the tavern as I searched for a drink.


    I grabbed a couple of bottles and sit at the bar with a glass. The first bottle I poured was a Dwarven ale, it was disgusting but it kicked like a horse. Shot after shot, I poured a drink and drank to my friends long gone. My body was burning but it numbed the emotions as I remembered about the last time I was blackout drunk. That was one of the many good times with my friends.


    We had just gotten home to the Royal Capital in the Kingdom of Bareth and were celebrating our victory over the Demon Lord.


    Silvia had discovered that it was Liz''s birthday and so we all planned a surprise for her.


    The Hero and Cassandra went to prepare the building for her surprise party. Silvia was helping Martin cook the food that was planned and of course there would be dragon steaks. Helem and Camille went to look for supplies and find a pastry chef. I was tasked with keeping Liz company and not letting her know of the plans.


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    Liz was wearing her usual outfit as we walked around the Royal Capital. It was one of the few times I''ve been back since joining the Hero. Liz had on a pointy blue wizard hat with an oversized robe. She would usually roll up her sleeves and leave her robe open like a cape. Her attire looked like a young boy, with a white dress shirt, black shorts, and a belt that hung around her waist.  If it wasn''t for her long river of blue hair, you would think she was.


    "Hoooo, Demitri, Demitri, I''m hungry!"


    "You''re always hungry."


    "But I''ll die if I don''t get any food."


    I give her an incredulous stare.


    "You just ate," I said.


    "That was then, this is now."


    "We just walked away from the restaurant."


    "That was then, this is now!"


    "By the gods¡­."


    Liz had an insatiable appetite, while Martin usually ate his fill, he couldn''t compare to Liz.


    "Okay, how about this, let''s go to the north side of the capital and look at that new Elven tavern," I said. "I heard their drinks are good but their food is even better."


    "Oooooooooohhhhh! Really?"


    "Yes, let''s go."


    The Royal Capital was an enormous city and a maze at the same time. I deliberately took the long route in order to buy some time. If I had known that it would''ve cost me some headaches, I would have never done it. By the time we made it to the tavern, night had fallen and it was closed for some reason.


    "I guess they aren''t open today."


    "Grrrrrrrrrr¡­."


    "No don''t! Liz, don''t do it!"


    "Grrrrrrrrr¡­."


    "No! Stop it Liz!"


    When Liz doesn''t get food, she gets cranky and when she does, hell breaks loose.


    "I''m¡­.."


    I started stepping a few paces away from her.


    "I''M¡­.."


    I flipped over a table that was outside the tavern and cowered behind it.


    "I''M HUNGRY!!!"


    Liz dropped to the ground, wailing and pouting about food.


    "I''M HUNGRY, I¡¯M HUNGRY, I''M HUNGRY, Demitri! You liar!"


    The voice of her shrieks cracked windows and the floor felt like there was an earthquake.


    "Ok, we''ll eat! Okay, calm down." I said over the table.


    "You liar! Where''s my food!?" She said.


    Suddenly a staff appeared in her hands from a portal up above. My face was filled with terror as it had gone over the usual scale that could calm Liz down. Now it had become a matter of survival for me. I dashed away from the table and ran like the wind in the Royal Capital. I was too far to hear anything but I knew that Liz was casting a spell to rain terror on the city or me. Liz disregards the sanctity of human life especially my own when it comes to food in her stomach.


    We usually keep her satisfied but today was supposed to be a special day for her. I held out from usually going to four or five restaurants because of the meals Martin was making. When Liz gets into this state there usually is no stopping her unless food is involved. All the shops looked to be closed and I was supposed to bring her back to our destination. Right now, the only thing I cared about was surviving her tantrum.


    I looked back to see a huge storm brewing on top of the city. I ran faster and faster in trying to get to cover. A torrential flood poured down from the skies above and Liz flew in the air holding her staff. I held my breath as the water came and washed me deeper into the city. Liz was flying in the air searching for me. What she hated more than not eating was liars and if she thought I lied, she would enact some punishment.


    I couldn''t hold my breath any longer and swim up for some air. My eyes met with hers as she looked exactly at the spot I emerged from. Quickly I swam to a side of a building and scurried up the walls.  I began jumping from rooftop to rooftop in a hurry. Liz started casting bolts of lightning at me and I barely dodged them all. I continued and she followed in the air.


    I had thought numerous times that this crazy little girl might be the end of me.


    I looked down the side of the buildings to see the streets that were flooded. I recognized the area and knew I was on top of the right building. I held up my hands in the air and waited for Liz. She appeared and threw a ball of lightning on top of the building I was on. I jumped up but the roof collapsed and I fell down with it. Liz floated over and then her face was filled with shock.


    "Ugh¡­.surprise?...." I said on top of a pile of rubble.


    There inside the building was all our friends and companions ready to celebrate Liz''s birthday.  Everybody was dumbfounded but they knew the craziness that involves Liz when she gets hungry. Liz was smiling happily that we were celebrating her birthday. Part of her crankiness today also involved the fact that she thought everyone didn''t know it was her birthday. Martin busted in the room holding a plate of freshly made dragon steaks.


    "Is she here?" Martin said.


    Liz ran over and started eating the dragon steaks that Martin held.


    "I think I need a drink," I said as Helem was casting healing magic on me.


    Everyone in the room laughed and we celebrated Liz''s birthday with vigor. Her birthday cake had a glaze of blue frosting and miniature versions of all eight companions on top surrounding her. All our friends and allies through the years were there, laughing and celebrating. We danced, sang songs, remembered the good times. We played games and just had fun together. The celebration lasted all through the morning.


    Liz had finally turned into an adult and was old enough to drink. She had always wanted to drink with me before and I needed a drinking companion. We drank together that day and I found out how alcohol had no effect on her. I became so drunk that day, but Liz stayed with me throughout.


    "I''m sorry." She said.


    Liz looked and seemed so mature now.


    "Ahh¡­.no worries, we had drinks, we had fun," I said. "I forgive you."


    Soon the people around us started disappearing.


    "I''m sorry that, I lied to you," I said incoherently.


    "Don''t worry, Demitri, I forgive you and I always will." She said.


    Now even our companions had left us and I was alone with Liz, looking at her.


    "Did you think you''d never be forgiven Demitri?" She said.


    Everything faded to black and I appeared back at the tavern in Swillsden.


    I was sitting at the bar and still drinking the Dwarven ale. Memories started to muddle in my mind as more of the alcohol touch my lips. I looked at the black ring on my finger and drank another glass.


    "No, I know there''s no redemption for me," I said alone.

 Chapter Nineteen - Bane:1

    I wake up from my drunken stupor.


    I have a headache and the pain stabs me repeatedly. I cleared out almost all the alcohol in the tavern that I wasn''t taking with me last night. The tavern looked like a mess of broken tables and faded memories. A couple days had already passed by and I still haven''t left the smoldering ash once known as Swillsden. I know I have to go north and I wanted to leave this place but I couldn''t move yet.


    The dead needed to be buried, so they wouldn''t have thoughts of coming back again.


    I had spent my time burying the dead and making sure all the filth was burnt away. I lingered here for far too long but it couldn''t be helped. I had some urgency in leaving before, until Martin and the rest of the townsfolk died. My heart and soul needed some time to grieve. It was the only way I could keep myself moving forward. I kept drinking so I wouldn''t have to feel the guilt but it didn''t help.


    There were now mounds of buried bodies and pickets littered in the former town. It notified all, that the dead were laid to rest here. My skills at making graves keep getting better and better. Everyone I buried here was given a small prayer for the afterlife. I had already stopped being a man of faith but these people might not be like me. Only the living could move forward while the dead go to the dirt.


    Today I was going to leave and continue my journey to Demon territory.


    It was a fool''s errand, but I believed it was the least I could do. I know a hero would face the coming odds by first gathering his strength, but I wasn''t a real hero. The Demon Lord had to be stopped at all costs. He were the bane of human existence and I had already killed one before. Though I knew it was suicide by itself, I had to try anyway.


    Swillsden was the last town before you''d hit the Wild Forests and then the bleak North Mountains. The Wild Forests didn''t worry me, it was the North Mountains. Dark terrible things resided there and they would make men wish they only dreamed of nightmares. I just hoped that I didn''t meet any Elves in the Wild Forests. They hate trespassers with a passion and they would especially hate it if they saw me again.


    Gathering my belongings, I readied myself for the journey ahead. I made note of all the materials and items that were given to me by Morris. I guess I''ll keep owing Dante favors even when he''s not here. He was an abnormal child but I could tell he was still a decent human being. I''m glad that I received some supplies for the journey into the North Mountains.


    I had enough supplies to last half a month. A good amount to get me through the Wild Forests and the starting mountains. As long as there were no setbacks, I would be okay. I wasn''t planning on returning alive from Demon Territory anyway. If I did, my life would be forfeit to anyone who wants it.


    My left eye started to itch and I uncover my eye patch just for a quick touch. For some reason my left eye wasn''t healing, even with all the potions I drank. I knew that Cassandra''s gauntlets were blessed by holy magic but was I so tainted that it affected me so? But I didn''t think about it for too long. I felt that I needed some scars for my sins as a reminder anyway.


    I exited the tavern and gave the blackened area outside a quick glance. This town used to have a name and people living here. Now there was nothing but burnt ground and grave markers. I set fire to the tavern, there shouldn''t be anyone living here anymore. With an exhale and some resolve, I left the town.


    Some time had passed and I had walked a considerable distance from town already. The public road disappeared and a new one emerged in its place. The road north was rocky and uneven. A thick fog covered the horizon and the path I walked on. It was a place less traveled and the landscape showed it.


    There was something strange about this fog but I couldn''t put my finger on it. I noticed that the trees were becoming more wild and the vegetation had grown rampant. Did I make it to the Wild Forests already? No, I shouldn''t be, it would take me a couple days before I reached it. My senses were on alert and I held the hilt of my sword.


    A noise echoed through the fog and I recognized the sound. I pulled out my Mithril sword and grabbed a vial from my pocket. The vial contained a green poison and I had already gained an immunity from overexposure. I poured the contents of the vial over my blade until it was covered in a green film. My sword was ready and I was ready for them, Goblins.


    A screeching and scratching noise, followed by mild laughter. That was the sounds Goblins made when they were hunting. They weren''t particularly strong by themselves but they made up for that in numbers. A hunting party of Goblins consisted of two dozen Goblin warriors. If I couldn''t run, I had to make sure every cut of my blade was a kill.


    I moved from the road and went into the forests. I climbed up a tree and held my position. For now they didn''t know I was here and I would use that to my advantage. Goblins never strayed too far from the Wild Forest and their territory. Why are they here?


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    I held my breath as some movement occurred down below me. There I saw them, a party of goblins lurking about. They were smaller and scrawny compared to humans but just as dangerous. The yellow eyes, sharp teeth and deformed heads would tell you how monstrous they are. Their pale green skin was covered in stolen armors and clothes. Some of them wielded swords and axes while others had bows.


    My eyes searched for a commander but I couldn''t see him. It looked only to be about ten Goblins moving together. This was probably just a searching party from the regular group. What were they searching for out here? A sound alerted the goblins and they screamed. Something was moving in the far distance and most of the goblins gave chase. I jumped down and killed a straggler in the back.


    I didn''t know what they were chasing but I was going to find out. I had to whittle down the number of Goblins anyway. If they were out here, my journey to the north was going to be troublesome. I followed behind the Goblins as quietly as I could. I stayed behind them for several paces and made sure I wasn''t followed myself.


    The forest we moved in, was wild and eerie, it did seem like I was already in the Wild Forest. The trees here twisted and grew tangled together. Potholes and wild shrubs seem to slow down movement. I could tell that the Goblins were annoyed by the forest but they still kept pursuit. Whatever the Goblins were chasing, it knew the forest well. I continued behind the Goblins as they moved through the treacherous terrain.


    The sounds of metal striking could be heard in the forest and I gripped my sword a little tighter. A Goblin archer stopped in his tracks and readied his bow. Before he could take aim down the forest, I slit his throat. My poison worked almost instantly as the cut boiled and corroded over. There were two other archers left and they tried to move into position.


    I hurried behind one goblin archer and took off his head. The sounds of battle continued and I looked for the final archer. The Goblin archer readied his bow and let his arrows fly down the forest. A girl''s scream resounded and my expression turned grim. I ran towards the Goblin archer and he noticed my presence but I stab him through the neck just the same.


    My sight moved down the forest and I could see what the Goblin''s were after. It was an Elven girl with lilac hair and brown skin. She was fending off the goblins admirably with a sword but it wouldn''t be for long. There was an arrow stuck in her arm and she was bleeding. These monsters weren''t looking for food but something else. She would have a fate worse than death if I didn''t save her.


    I rushed over giving up my advantage of stealth. The Goblins didn''t notice me until I slashed one of their own in the back. The Goblin screamed and alerted his comrades. There were only five of them left now and I could face that much easily. One of the Goblins was making a noise like he was calling for help. They didn''t know that the archers weren''t going to help them any time soon.


    The Elven girl looked startled at my appearance but I gave her a quick glance. She understood that I was there to help. A Goblin covered in full armor roared and tried to attack me. I dodge his movements and give him a quick slash of my sword. The Goblin moved away and patted his armor in arrogance. He didn''t know I had a Mithril blade covered in poison until he saw his blood spurt out black.


    There were only four Goblins left now and they looked hesitant to attack me. The Elven girl stabbed one of the goblins who turned his back to her. He screamed in pain and she plunged her sword deeper into his body. The other three goblins looked back and forth between us. I could see the fear in their eyes and the perspiration on their heads.


    They realized I was the bigger threat and moved to attack me in unison.


    One of the Goblins was wielding an axe and tried to attack me with an overhead blow. Moving low on the ground, I dash over to him and slice open his stomach. I use my momentum to spin around and cut the head off another Goblin. The last Goblin rushed to stab me but I kick his sword up in the air. He fell down on the ground and I made him rest there permanently.


    I began wiping the blood off my sword with a cloth from my pocket. I sheathed my blade and tried searching the Goblins. Some of the Goblins had healing potions and I threw one to the Elven girl. After I was done, I tried moving towards her to fix her wound. The Elf girl still held up her sword as she looked to be cautious of me. I stood my ground and held my hands up.


    "Are you looking at me with lust in your eyes?" She asked.


    "No, I just wanted to help you from these Goblins." I replied.


    My gaze moved from her to the Goblins.


    "It''s strange though, why are these Goblins so far out of the Wild Forest." I said.


    "What are you talking about?"


    The Elf girl looked confused.


    "We are in the Wild Forest."

 Chapter Twenty - Bane:2

    "We''re in the Wild Forest!?" I said.


    The Elf girl nodded her head while looking at me perplexed.


    "This is strange¡­"


    I started to think about how I could go a hundred miles in a blink of an eye. Was I still drunk? Then I realized the mysterious fog that covered the forests had disappeared. That fog must have had something to do with it. But this was still good, it had saved me some time and trouble. I had already reached the Wild Forests, all I had to do was enter the North Mountains.


    I looked at the Elf girl and offered my hands.


    "May I?" I asked and pointed to her wound.


    I grabbed some supplies from my bag which included some bandages and ointment.


    The Elf girl sat down on a tree stump while I pulled out the arrow from her arm. I began to dress the wound as I applied some ointment on it. With some of the healing potions she drank, the wound would disappear in no time. The Elf girl still watched me with vigilance and kept her sword close. I didn''t mind as I continued to help her.


    "What''s your name?" She asked.


    "Demitri." I said.


    I knew that I had caused a ruckus with the Elves in the Wild Forest before. That was a long time ago with the Hero and my companions. I know that the Elven King likes to hold long grudges. I just hoped that this girl never heard of my name before. I wouldn''t want her to tell them that I entered their forest again.


    "My name is Vera." She said.


    I gave her a nod and finished bandaging her arm.


    "I know these Goblins were after you for some vile purposes," I said. "But it''s strange for these Goblins to stray so far away from their homes."


    Vera had an expression of anger on her face.


    "They''re trying to expand their territory." Vera said.


    I gave Vera a bewildered look.


    "Goblins aren''t smart enough to do that," I said. "Even if they did, they would only fight amongst themselves."


    "They have a new leader and he calls himself the Goblin King Grux," Vera said. "He united all the Goblins in the Wild Forest."


    Vera''s hazel eyes met with mine and I could feel the weight of her words.


    "What!?" I said as my body became tense.


    The Goblins that lived in the Wild Forest were thousands upon thousands. They were able to reproduce quickly and often. They could use females of other races to reproduce with and had often captured them as breeding slaves. The only thing stopping Goblins from spreading were their stupidity and independence from others. There has never been a true leader for the Goblins in the Wild Forest ever.


    "That''s insane." I said.


    "It''s true and they''ve already captured half the Elven lands in the Wild Forest."


    "How?" I asked.


    "The Goblin King Grux, not only did he unite the Goblins but he''s powerful himself." Vera replied.


    "A Goblin!?"


    "Yes, I witnessed it firsthand," Vera said. "He''s skilled with not only swordsmanship but with strategy."


    There was a bitter expression that covered Vera''s face.


    "He destroyed my home and killed the Alderan Guards." Vera said.


    "Alderan has fallen!?" I said.


    Vera nodded her head and showed a hint of sadness.


    "I''m the last one left, I ran away as his followers took my friends and family."


    This was beyond ridiculous and utterly insane. Alderan was the home to the Elites of the Elven military, The Alderan Guards. It was a place that created and raised most of their Elite Elven soldiers. If that place had fallen to the Goblins it would be a matter of time before they go into Human territory. This would mean that the Elven race in the Wild Forest were doomed.


    This was too strange of an occurrence. The Goblin King Grux seemed totally abnormal but it doesn''t look like Vera was lying. The pain and anger in her eyes told me she was telling the truth. I couldn''t go into the North Mountains just yet anymore. I had to deal with the situation at hand.


    "You said it was the result of only one Goblin?"


    "Yes."


    "The Goblin King, where is he now?"


    "Why?"


    Vera looked hesitant to tell me.


    "I must stop him before he tries and spread his wings out of the Wild Forests." I said.


    "Are you a fool?" Vera said. "He''ll kill you, you''re only asking to die!"


    "Perhaps I am but I can''t just sit here and wait while he leads a march of death through the Wild Forest and beyond." I said.


    My tone and demeanor was full of confidence as I looked at Vera.


    "What can a single man do against a horde of Goblins?" She said.


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    Vera had a worried face as she couldn''t believe my words.


    "I don''t need to fight a horde," I said. "I just need to kill Grux."


    I held onto the hilt of my sword as I tried to convince Vera.


    "Without a leader, the group falls apart." I said.


    My words seem to bring up the painful memories in my heart.


    "Okay, but if you really plan on doing this, I might as well go with you." Vera said.


    "Why? Didn''t you say it was suicide?" I asked.


    "I''m going to be honest," Vera replied. "I''m going to use you as a distraction while I try to free as many Elves as I can."


    "That''s fine." I said.


    I gave Vera a nod and confirmed that I would help her in that regard at least.


    I understood what Vera was thinking. If there was a maniac who planned to fight against an army of Goblins, she was going to use it to her advantage somehow. I didn''t know if I could kill this Goblin King but I knew that I could cause a distraction. I would try to buy some time for Vera to sneak in and grab as many of her brethren as possible.


    "Okay, so where is he?" I asked.


    Vera crossed her arms and looked down.


    "East of here, near a river, he only has a small following¡­"


    "That''s actually great news." I said.


    "Of a thousand Goblins."


    I gave Vera bitter smile.


    It was unheard of, for even that many Goblins to be together let alone united. Yet, that was only a small following for the Goblin King. I knew that there were many more Goblins in the Wild Forest. This might be the only chance I have to fight against the Goblin King. But my mind and body couldn''t help but feel nervous at the situation.


    I had planned to fight a Demon Lord and here I was, afraid of a horde of Goblins. The Demon Lord could blink and that number of Goblins could be reduced to ashes. This doesn''t even include the rest of the Demons and the followers that belonged to the Demon Lord. The prospects of fighting the new Demon lord was a guaranteed step to death compared to a horde of Goblins.


    Still, I had to fight and make sure all these future problems of humanity won''t come to light. I had killed the Hero and gotten rid of a savior who would''ve taken care of these tasks easily. My companions too, had broken apart and I even ended some of their lives. This cause was my own creation and I had to prevent it. There would be few to pity me in my plight.


    "Lead the way" I said.


    Vera stood up and sheathed her sword. Standing next to her, I could tell how tall and slender she was. The Elven girl went over to a body of a dead goblin and took off his breastplate. She began to wear it under her cloak for protection. Vera understood the seriousness of the situation. After she finished, she started moving east of where we were located.


    I followed behind Vera as we went through the twist and turns of the Wild Forest. She obviously knew her way around the forest pretty well. Soon we had gotten close to a river but she stopped me from going any further. She pointed toward a direction and I kept behind her, not trying to make a sound. It looked like Vera was trying to lead us to a higher vantage point.


    We arrived up the river around a small cliff. We pressed ourselves down to the ground and peeked down the river. I was able to see them, a horde of a thousand Goblins. They all camped near the river and concentrated together like a military force. It was strange, these Goblins could never have that kind of insight before.


    The Goblins even built camps and had makeshift walls up. Goblins were only known to build the most basic of things. They often lived in ruins of other places or caves that they claimed. These Goblins had become so human-like. They had guards, did patrols, and looked to be training in formations. Was this because of the Goblin King and his influence?


    My gaze moved to Vera and she looked angry as she bit her lip. My vision moved back down the river and I saw some Goblins with Elven women. There seemed to be a side of the encampment reserved for prisoners. My hands balled up into fists as I saw what they were doing. The Goblins were using the Elven women to fulfill their lustful desires. There was a flock of Elven women and many Goblins surrounded them waiting for their turn.


    I looked at Vera and grabbed her on the shoulder.


    She looked at me and I could see the feeling of helplessness on her face.


    "We''ll free them," I said. "I''ll kill the Goblin King."

 Chapter Twenty-one - Bane:3

    Vera looked at me with cold eyes as she brushed away my hand.


    "Don''t misunderstand," She said. "I''m not expecting you to kill him."


    "Fair enough," I replied.


    I wouldn''t believe it either in my shoes. If someone claimed he was going to kill a King of a thousand strong, then he was looking for death. But I wasn''t going to die here in the Wild Forest. I still needed to try and atone for what I''ve done. Though that didn''t mean I wasn''t going to try and stop this monster continuing unabated.


    My vision went back down the river bank and to the Goblin encampment. There were too many Goblins gathered here. Even under the cover of night, I don''t think I could sneak past them all. I didn''t know why they were here, but I had to get rid of their leader. I tried to focus on the terrain and see what I could do.


    The river they camped near wasn''t large by any means and you could easily cross it. Then I watched one of the Goblin guards fetch water from the river. This river wasn''t being used for defense but as a resource. I realized that they had camped near the river for the water itself and knew what I could do.


    I looked over to Vera.


    "Is there any Red Valerian here?" I asked.


    Vera looked at me puzzled for a moment but then discerned my thoughts. Red Valerian was a flower that induced sleepiness. It worked almost as quickly as it was consumed but I wouldn''t know its effectiveness being diluted in a river. As long as we can get the river filled with some Red Valerian the Goblins could fall asleep.


    Vera seemed to be thinking where there might be some in the Wild Forest.


    "No, there are some further away but I don''t think it''s enough for a thousand."


    "Damn."


    Then I remembered something and I pulled out a pouch from my belt.


    "I think I can make due, but we''re going to have to dam the river downstream," I said.


    "Why?" Vera asked.


    I showed her the contents of my pouch and she looked worried.


    "Don''t worry, as long as we dam the river no one else will be affected," I said.


    I tried to convince her with my demeanor but Vera looked a little hesitant.


    "This is the best way to cause a distraction and lessen their numbers," I said.


    "Fine, as long as I can save my people." She said.


    Vera gave a worried sigh.


    My pouch contained a variety of mid-level poisons, I usually use them for my blade but that wouldn''t have worked in killing a thousand Goblins. If we poisoned the stream, we can effectively be rid of many obstacles. I wanted to use Red Valerian as it was a safer alternative to the environment. This was a last resort and I knew it. I wasn''t sure that they would all drink the water either.


    First, we needed to dam the river downstream to try and prevent any needless causalities. Then I would slowly introduce the poison upstream from the encampment. Vera was going to message the Elven prisoners to not touch any water after I do. I hope that she doesn''t alert any Goblins when she does.


    I moved away from the cliff and Vera followed. We moved a long way around the Goblin encampment and got downstream. We moved logs, rocks, and any heavy object we could find. I wanted this finished before sunset so I could get into position. The sun was still at its highest point in the sky but time wasn''t in my favor.


    After we finished, I coordinated with Vera at what I was going to do. After I poison the river, I was going to set fire on the opposing side of the encampment. For whoever didn''t die from drinking the water, they would have to deal with the fire. Hopefully, this would cause enough commotion for Vera to make her move. I would use the chaos to find and eliminate the Goblin King.


    I prepped myself and waited until the darkness started to reclaim the skies. Fires started to light up from the Goblin encampment and I made my move. Slowly I introduced the poison from upstream as I watched the encampment. I used up almost all my poison in contaminating the river. Soon a peculiar thing occurred as I looked down the river.


    I saw Goblins going into the river in order to clean themselves. I had never seen that before and it was a strange thing to behold. Goblins always had a terrible smell to them. I never expected them to think about hygiene. Yet this worked in my favor as more and more of them rotated in washing themselves in the river. There were hundreds of them going into the river to clean themselves.


    Contact by skin or digestion, the poison will work all the same. As long as they used this contaminated water uninhibited. The Goblins were going to go into a never ending sleep. I watched as one of the earlier Goblins in the river start to convulse and spasm over. The Goblins tried to react to their fallen comrades until an increasing number of them started to die.


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    I hurried and ran to the opposite side of the encampment. I needed to start a fire in the forest and cause an uproar. I already prepared areas in the forest to be ignited. When I got to the area, I started a fire which roared and alerted the Goblin camp. The state of the encampment was in pure confusion. I could hear the screams of Goblins and the ringing alarm of bells.


    One side of the encampment had a mass of dead bodies from the contaminated water. The other had a raging inferno that devoured into the camp. As long as more Goblins tried to stop the fire, the death toll would increase. Their water source was gone and I doubt these monsters could use magic. Trying to stop the flames by grabbing poisoned water will only kill them. Now they would only choose whether to die by flames or poison.


    I pulled my hood down and moved through the camp in the confusion. The commotion of the fire and poisoned water allowed me to move through easily. I only hoped that Vera was able to do her tasks just the same. These monsters did well in resembling human organization. I could tell that they separated their areas by different functions and compatibility. So that means I would only have to look for an extravagant tent to know where the King was.


    My vision wandered around the camp quickly and I found what I was searching for.


    A giant tent near the center of the encampment. It looked cleaner and bigger compared to the rest. I made it to the side of the tent and looked around. I made sure that no one was watching me and I drew my sword. I cut through the side of the tent and moved through. There in the center of the tent sitting at a long table filled with maps was a Goblin.


    I gripped my blade close and silently approached him.


    The Goblin looked to be studying what was on the table. He seemed unconcerned about the commotion outside. As soon as I raised my sword to strike him, the Goblin moved away. The Goblin moved quick like lightning and faced toward me with a thin sword in hand. The sword he carried wouldn''t do much harm cutting but it was meant for stabbing.


    His appearance looked like any other Goblin except that he wore clothes like a noble human.


    I lunged at him with my blade but he easily deflected it. This Goblin had some skill with his thin sword. I attempted to try and rush him only for him to maneuver around me. A flurry of pokes from the Goblin''s sword began to pierce my body. I felt my blood leak out from the holes he created. The way he fought me was almost like that noble-style I''d seen once before.


    The Goblin seemed to look at something in the air before smiling and pulling his sword up.


    "You''re alone, who are you?" The Goblin spoke.


    My eyes sharpen, I had never heard a Goblin speak coherently before.


    "You speak the common tongue?" I said.


    "Yes." He replied.


    This Goblin was definitely abnormal.


    "Are you the Goblin King?" I asked.


    "Yes, you can call me Grux and your name?" He replied.


    I looked for a way to kill him but I could feel no holes in his defense.


    "Demitri," I said. "How can you speak the common tongue?"


    "I learned," Grux said.


    The Goblin King produced a book from his shirt before tucking it back.


    "And you were able to read it?" I said.


    "Yes, more or less." He replied.


    This Goblin was truly abnormal.


    "What are you doing here?" He asked.


    "To kill you."


    I gesture my blade towards him.


    "Are you with those Elves?" He asked.


    "No, not really," I replied.


    "Then why?"


    "Because you''re a monster," I said.


    The Goblin King gave out a sigh.


    "No matter what world I''m in, people only judge by appearances."


    His words seem to attack my senses and I remembered what Dante told me.


    "You act like you''ve come from another world," I said.


    The Goblin King scratched his head and gave out a snort.


    "Well, this is my second life but you wouldn''t understand even if I told you."


    He only confirmed my suspicions and I knew that this Goblin King was a Reincarnator.

 Chapter Twenty-two - Bane:4

    "You talk a lot for a Goblin," I said.


    The Goblin King gave out a laugh.


    "I don''t use my tongue much with other Goblins." He said. "Most of the Goblin language consists of grunts, shrieks, and gestures."


    I know Dante talked to be weary of people who spoke different languages, but a Goblin? He was not just any regular Goblin either, but a skilled one at that. This Goblin King was abnormal to his core. I wanted to know more from this Goblin, but at the same time, he had to be killed. This was what a special leader felt like. Someone who was able to unite an entire mass of people under their control.


    The camps, their organization, and their military conduct. If he were born a human, he might''ve been a great hero. Maybe it was because he was born a Goblin I could see what kind of monster he truly was. If he was just like the Hero, I had to be on my guard. I couldn''t grasp the feeling of his fighting style at all. I only knew that he was dangerous.


    The Goblin King seemed to look at me a bit but then started to relax his posture.


    "Let me ask you," He said. "Is it because I''m a Goblin that you want to kill me?"


    "No, it''s because of what you are doing," I replied.


    "Such as?"


    "Destroying Elven cities and raping women."


    The Goblin King scratched his head.


    "Those things couldn''t be helped, it''s survival of the fittest."


    "Survival is to pillage and rape?" I said.


    "If I didn''t kill those Elves, they would''ve killed us first."


    The Goblin King shrugged his shoulders with a smile.


    "As for the women, I needed ranks and something to control the rest of the Goblins with." He said.


    "So you''ll sacrifice them for your needs?" I said.


    The Goblin King gave me a perplexed look.


    "You''re one of those dreamer types aren''t you?"


    "Dreamer type?"


    The Goblin King laughed loudly.


    "So there are even human beings here that look into the clouds," Grux continued. "Saying things like hope, love, and justice for all?"


    My face turned serious at his mocking words.


    I know that I''m the type of man that once believed in those things. But for even a monster to mock me for it. I couldn''t help but feel embarrassed and some bitter resentment. I stood there watching the Goblin King for awhile to make a move. Time seem to weigh heavily on my mind but no guards came to check up on their King. Hopefully, the commotion outside will last awhile so I can kill this monster.


    "Am I right?" He said.


    "Funny for a monster to talk ideologies with me."


    The Goblin King smirked at me.


    "You can''t win," Grux said. "Surrender."


    I gave the Goblin King a smirk back.


    "You haven''t listened to what''s happening outside did you?"


    The Goblin King turned his head and the sounds of the panic outside embraced him.


    "What did you do!?"


    "Killing your men," I said calmly.


    The Goblin King''s face twisted and I could see some rage in his eyes.


    This Goblin King seemed to care about his Goblin followers, it was admirable that he did as a leader. I knew plenty of leaders that saw their followers as sacrificial pawns. He must have had some followers that he truly cares about. To be able to create such a large following, a smaller amount of trusted friends were needed first. I realized I could use this to my advantage and provoke him.


    "There were some Goblins I killed outside," I said. "They seemed to be calling for your name as I stabbed them through the heart, were they your friends?"


    The Goblin King snarled and his face grew vicious.


    "You bastard!" He screamed.


    Grux rushed at me in a fury and not with his calm collected demeanor before. Grux was angered and I could feel his sluggish movements. He looked to kill me quickly as his thin sword moved for my head. I deflected his thin sword easily with my Mithril blade. As I defended more of his attacks, the more agitated he became.


    Grux jumped backward and in a flash, stepped forward in front of me.


    I couldn''t see his movements and react in time as he stabbed me in the abdomen. I grimaced in pain but before he could pull out his sword, I held onto it. I used my Mithril blade to rend the thin sword into pieces. I pulled out the thin sword from my stomach and felt my blood pour out. My teeth grind as the pain was excruciating.


    My left hand held onto my stomach as I tried to stop any more blood from rushing out. Grux laughed at me and his face seemed satisfied. I held out my sword as I had the advantage in weapons. But something was wrong, Grux''s thin sword was gone but he didn''t look afraid. Instead, he looked at me like I was prey with a predator''s eyes.


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    The hands of the Goblin King started to glow a faint blue. This Goblin could use magic!? As I steeled myself for an attack the blue light in his hands flashed. The Mithril sword I gripped was no longer in my hands but in his. Grux seemed to mock me as he waved my sword in the air.


    "Magic steal!?" I said.


    This Goblin was skilled with a sword and could use magic!?


    "You monster," I said.


    "No, you''re the monster...human," Grux replied with a laugh.


    Grux pointed my Mithril sword at me.


    "Before I was born a Goblin, I used to be human." He said.


    The Goblin King snickered.


    "The human race is despicable, people use to bully me because I looked ugly."


    The Goblin King felt his face and there was a sort of pain in his eyes.


    "Now that I''m a Goblin, I know that every race seems to pick on us because of our appearance," Grux said. "But humans are the worst."


    The Goblin King waved my sword in the air.


    "Now I have power! No one will bully us any longer!" Grux said. "After I kill you, I''ll destroy the human race that lives here."


    "You''re fighting violence with violence!" I said.


    "Aren''t you doing the same!?" He replied.


    His words scratched my soul as I knew it was true.


    The pain on my stomach was burning and I felt I could pass out at any moment. I knew this Goblin''s skill with a sword and my Mithril blade was extraordinary itself. I didn''t want to use the Demon Lord''s weapon again but I had to. If I died here, there would be many people to suffer the consequences. I couldn''t let that happen.


    Grux flashed again in front of me and tried to cut my head off. I had already pulled out my black ring and a cloud of darkness blocked the attack. The Goblin King tried to press the Mithril sword against the darkness but it was being repelled. The form of a black sword appeared in my hands as I deflected the Mithril sword away.


    "What is that thing?" Grux asked.


    "Darkness incarnate," I answered.


    Grux began swinging the Mithril blade in swift attacks. I block them all while holding the black sword in one hand. The pain in my stomach was getting worse and I felt pale. Grux tried to jump and slash at me with the Mithril blade. I slash back with the black sword and cut the Mithril blade in two.


    Grux jumped back as his face was in shock at the black sword.


    Soon his mouth went to a wide grin as he looked at me. The Goblin King''s hands started to glow blue again as he began to laugh. The blue flash blinded me for an instant and I looked down to see that the black sword was gone. My vision went to Grux who held the black sword. He began to examine the dark clouded sword in his hands and then sneered at me.


    "Now you die with your trump card!" He said.


    Grux flashed in front of me again and tried to stab the black sword to my heart. He didn''t notice until only his hand punched my chest. The black sword had returned to my hand the instant he moved towards me. My left hand was covered in my blood and held the black sword in its grasp.  I use my free hand to grip Grux''s throat and held it tight.


    "Are you some kind of Demon?!" He screamed.


    His eyes finally showed the fear of death.


    "No, I''m Human," I said.


    I stab the black sword into his head and watched as it consumed his life.


    I dropped the dead body of Grux on the ground. I looked at him as the black sword in my hand transformed into a black ring on my finger. I felt sympathy for this Goblin but I couldn''t let him run wild.


    Grux was a reincarnated person from another world. I don''t know how he lived his previous life but he had caused some suffering here. I couldn''t let him go unpunished. I wonder if this world is as cruel to those who come here as it is for everyone who lives here. Hopefully, in his next life, he''ll find peace.


    I knew the feelings and the despair he felt. How being different could ostracize you. I understood the plight of the lower class and what it meant to be different. I know I called this Goblin a monster and in return, he called me the same for being Human. I was a hypocrite and he did well in showing me. I just hope that not more of his kind would rise up and become a bane of human existence.


    Suddenly a voice resounded in my head.


    <Achievement Unlocked.>


    Was this the voice of the Gods!?


    <Killer of three.>


    I couldn''t understand it at all.


    <You have killed three Reincarnators of three different races!>


    The sounds echoed clearly in my mind.


    <A reward will be given to you! Congratulations!>


    A light enveloped me and my body was healed, what was this!?

 Chapter Twenty-three - Bane:5

    My body felt light and the wounds on my stomach were gone. I felt my face and removed my eye-patch. My left eye had finally healed but there was something different. I could see clearer than I ever could before. I tightened my muscles and I felt stronger. I even jumped in the air and knew I could reach higher than before.


    My senses and abilities felt like they''ve been dialed up three times.


    I felt superhuman and this feeling was euphoric in a way. But I felt scared at the same time. I knew not everything was given for free. What in the world just happened? Did killing the Goblin King do something to me? Was I afflicted with another curse? What price am I going to have to pay for this? I couldn''t understand what transpired but I knew I had to leave this place.


    I picked up my broken Mithril blade from the ground and sheathed it. It was half a sword now but it was still sharp. I knew I could still use it in the future. I didn''t want to rely on the Demon Lord''s weapon. I could hear the commotion outside die down. The temperature around the area was rising, probably due to the fire that raged on.


    I wanted to check on Vera and see if she needed my help. I exited the gigantic tent the same way I came in. I could see that the Goblins were still running around not knowing what to do. Their leader was gone now, he wouldn''t be able to tell them anything. I run quickly in the search for the prisoner holdings.


    The Goblins paid me no attention as a thick black smoke whirled through the encampment and the forest. The fire was naturally pushing itself towards the river because of the wind. I hoped that the fire doesn''t spread far away from the encampment. I needed to help free the prisoners before they become trapped here like the Goblins.


    When I came to the prisoner enclosure, I could see Goblin bodies littered on the floor mixed with other Elves. Not everyone was able to make it out alive. I checked inside the enclosure to see that the rest of the prisoners had escaped. A hole was blasted through from outside the walls. Before I could move through I was interrupted.


    A horde of Goblins had come to check on the prisoners. There was something different about them now, they had looked too hideous and monstrous than before. Half the Goblins were missing noses, their faces seem to melt off their bones. Some of them had their skin boiled and bubbled over. These Goblins smelled worse than before.


    They were undead Goblins.


    I drew my broken sword and readied myself as they rushed me. If I didn''t remove their heads, they would keep attacking me. I cut the head off one goblin and his blood splattered on me. Another tried to stab me and I remove his head as well. Were these goblins moving too slow or was I moving faster? The Goblins were snarling and shrieking with sounds. I saw a Goblin with a bow and he had his sights aimed down on me.


    I needed to kill him and wanted to move to him. My legs went a step and in a flash, I was suddenly in front of him. The Goblin was shocked but I was more surprised. Before he could react, I removed his head from his body with my blade.


    More undead Goblins came, they looked like they were going to fill the prison enclosure. I couldn''t fight them all off. Something strange was in the air and around these Goblins. My best bet at survival was to follow the prisoners and leave through the hole. I slowly moved back to the hole and faced them. I had to stop some of them here so they could block the hole and stop the rest from chasing.


    The Goblins attacked me and I swung my sword ruthlessly. Arms, legs, and other body parts seem to fly by me. My Mithril blade was cut in half but it didn''t take away from its sharpness. The dead bodies of Goblins started to pile underneath me. They kept their attack on me, they weren''t thinking at all. I doubt they were feeling anything either from the look in their eyes.


    It was stranger still, I didn''t feel tired at all. I would''ve been exhausted from fighting so many of these Goblins, I was ending them quickly as well. I was covered in blood and filth from fighting the Goblins. A mass of bodies was piling and the Goblins seem to fight me more vigorously. Lightning struck the ground in front of me and took out a group of Goblins.


    My eyes look up to the sky and I saw a mass of clouds piling together. It was unusual for it to be there, it was a clear night sky before I entered the Goblin encampment. Rain started to pour down from the sky like a flood. Thunder and lightning echoed the senses, the Goblins became disoriented and I cut more of them in half. The rain began to wash off the blood that covered my body. The hole in the wall was now covered with the bodies of dead Goblins.


    I turned around and sheathed my sword, my breath was still calm as the rain continued. I couldn''t see anyone in my sight but the mass of prisoners left tracks for me to follow. I wasted no time in following the tracks, the rain was going to wash them out soon. I ran through the Wild Forest and left the Goblin encampment. The light of the fire that once filled the horizon in the night sky was gone.


    My eyes wandered back toward the encampment and I could see lightning still striking down upon it. The rain didn''t seem to leave the area of the Goblin encampment. What was doing that? I didn''t know but I didn''t want to wait to found out, I needed to meet up with Vera. I hope that she was able to make it out alive and that she was safe. I might need her help in reaching the Demon territory.


    I don''t know the Wild Forest too well and I would need some assistance. I just wanted an easier route to the North Mountains. I didn''t want to go the route I went before with the Hero and my companions. Vera didn''t owe me anything but I hoped I could appeal to her senses. Soon I entered a small clearing in the forest and saw a mass of Elves.


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    They looked to be filthy but they were alive.  I don''t know how many Elves those Goblins captured but there seemed to be hundreds of them here. Most of them were women and but there were a few males. They reacted to me but I held up my hands.


    "Where''s Vera?" I said with a loud and clear voice.


    The Elves looked at each other but soon parted away and Vera appeared behind another group of Elves.


    "Demitri! You''re alive!" Vera said as she smiled over at me.


    I moved over to her and noticed the signs of battle on her body.


    "You did well in rescuing the prisoners," I said as I looked toward the crowd.


    "Yes, and we even came in contact with the King''s guard." She said.


    The elite troops under the command of the Elven King?


    "What were they doing here?" I asked.


    Elven knights emerged from the crowd of Elves.


    "They came to fight the Goblin King," Vera replied.


    The Elven Knights seem to look at me suspiciously.


    "Were you able kill the Goblin King?" She asked.


    "Yes," I said and nodded my head.


    "This is the man Sir Thorn."


    It was an Elven knight covered in luxurious armor.


    "Who are you?" The Elven knight stood proudly.


    "Demitri," I said. "I helped free the prisoners by causing a distraction."


    "Oh? You''re the one Vera was talking about."


    Vera introduced me to the Elven knight wearing luxurious armor.


    "Seize him!" Sir Thorn pointed at me.


    "What! Why?" I replied in shock.


    Elven knights rushed over and held me down.


    "Not only are you trespassing in Elven territory, you poisoned our river and set fire to our lands."


    Vera seemed to be in the same state of confusion as I was.


    "But he killed the Goblin King!" Vera said.


    The Elven Knight only looked at me and scoffed.


    "Him? I bet he used some tricks, we can''t even be sure that he even killed that monster."


    Sir Thorn seem to wave his hand at the idea.


    "If it wasn''t for the rain, we would''ve been worst off with the fire he set."


    This army of Elven knights was probably here to obtain glory from killing the Goblin King. Now that I''ve done so and disrupted the Goblins. I doubt they would be able to obtain anything. Most of the Goblins had died because of me. They won''t be able to find the body of the Goblin King either. The Demon Lord''s weapon consumed it.


    They were looking for an excuse and I was probably the scapegoat. Had I known it was going to end up like this I wouldn''t have come. These Elves were arrogant and noble Elves had the worst kind of arrogance. They cared about honor and prestige just the same as humans. Vera tried to plead again with Sir Thorn but he wouldn''t listen.


    "Don''t worry, the truth will come out. Only the Elven King will judge him." Sir Thorn said with a smirk.


    There was some desperation on my face but I didn''t want to fight off these knights and cause trouble for Vera.


    "We''re returning! Lead the survivors away and put the prisoner in a cell."


    Sir Thorn gestured toward a group of knights who followed his command.


    The survivors of the Goblin encampment followed the knights willingly. I was bounded by my hands and feet. I was led to march as a prisoner with two knights accompanying me on the side. Vera looked worried for my safety but I only cared that this was going to waste my time. Do they have no idea what was going on just north of here in Demon territory? Or do they not care?


    I had fixed their problems for them and in the end, I was still treated this way.


    The army of Elven Knights lead us through the Wild Forests and we followed. After a distance, we came upon a glowing and beautiful Elven city. It was the Capital city of the Elven race in the Wild Forests, Avalon. The Elves who survived the ordeal with the Goblins had a look of joy on their faces when we reached the city gates. The survivors were safe and free to move about.


    Vera couldn''t follow me as I was led away from everyone.


    I was led to the Royal Palace of the Elven King. I didn''t enter to greet the King but was put inside the dungeons. They stripped me of my clothes and took my belongings. I was thrown into a cell and given some linen to wear. The Elven Knights locked my doors and looked me over.


    "Look! He''s branded! He''s nothing more than a vagrant!" An Elven Knight said.


    My face turned pale as I backed away from my cell bars. I tried to hide the brand on the side of my neck but it was easily visible without my cloak.


    "You kill the Goblin king? You''re nothing but a thief!"


    The Eleven knights laughed and quickly left me.


    Sometimes I would forget the brand that was marked on my body. It was the consequences of the actions in my youth. My eyes wandered around the prison and I realized I was the only one there. I leaned my back against the walls and slid down to the floor. All prison cells looked the same from behind bars.


    No matter where I was, I would always be judged.


    My mind started to drift back to the memories of when I first became branded.

 Chapter Twenty-four - Brand:1

    The memories of my past felt so long ago but I would never forget them.


    I was in the Royal Capital of Bareth, I was only ten at the time. Maybe older or a little younger, I never knew my exact age. My childhood was spent in an orphanage with others like me. Abandoned children with almost no hope for a future. I was one of the young ones, which meant we would rarely get adopted. People wanted strong and able bodies to work, not weak and fragile ones.


    There was a group of us who stayed together because we were similar in age.


    Richard had deep blue eyes that liked to dream as big as the sky. His blonde hair was naturally short and spiky, he was also a bit tall for his age. Richard was the oldest and always talked about doing something big or going somewhere grand. He was one of my good friends at the orphanage. I liked how he was always talking about things so enthusiastically, he had a lot of schemes.


    Diego was another boy that hung around us. He seemed to be a boy from the eastern side of the continent as he had brown skin and black hair. Diego was shorter than us and a little rounder. He never talked much but he always followed what we did. You could never tell what he was thinking as his eyes were almost half asleep. If Richard was the brains, Diego was the brawn.


    Lastly, there was Ariel with blue hair that waved like an ocean. She was slim and her skin was white as snow. I always thought she was pretty and that she had a wonderful personality to accompany it. She was the moral compass of our little group. I had always thought of her as an older sister maybe something more than that. She was like a mother to us all.


    The four of us were like a family.


    We all lived in an orphanage under the care of a good man. The man who took care of us was a kind and gentle old man, we all called him "Grandfather." He was one of the few adults I could trust back then. He used to be a great adventurer and spent his fortune in trying to take care of the unfortunate. I realized now that I wanted to be just like him.


    Grandfather wasted all his money to keep the orphanage afloat but it was running out.


    The land was a prime property in the Royal Capital. Grandfather was being strong-armed to sell it but he held his ground. Until his age started to get the best of him and he got sick. Grandfather was able to call in a few favors for the older orphans. They all got places to work and stay at. Only the four of us had nowhere else to go.


    Grandfather sold his rights to the land on the condition that we would be taken care of. At the very least until we could grow up and make it on our own. The noble who bought it agreed and signed a contract with Grandfather. I remember being happy that I could stay with the others and Grandfather for just a couple more years.


    Grandfather died on his death bed with a smile on his face and the next day we were thrown off the land.


    We all cried until our tears dried up on that day grandfather passed away. We thought we would be able to stay until we were strong enough but we were wrong. He was the person that brought us together and raised us like we were his own. The noble said that the person who he made an agreement with had already died. He rightfully bought the land already and he was claiming it. We had nowhere to go and wandered the streets for what seemed like an eternity.


    Finally, we had found an abandoned tunnel that used to be an old waterway system. We made it our home and tried our best to survive in the cruel city. Some of the weeds grew and cracked the foundation. Dirt appeared underneath us like it was trying to survive just as we were. Ariel started growing things there and made a tiny flower garden. She thought we could make money by selling flowers. We let her do what she wanted and sometimes helped her.


    Richard, on the other hand, thought we should steal and that''s what we boys did. We did minor things like stealing food for survival at first. Then we had gotten more brazen, stealing items and money. We didn''t let Ariel know of the things we did. We always told her that we sold flowers or were given things.


    We were never caught and Richard was getting more cocky. He planned for us to target more wealthy people. Richard would act first, he dressed more flashy so he could be seen.  Diego would work behind the scenes and set things up. I was faster than them both and quicker with my hands. Richard would act as a diversion while I would snatch and grab, Diego would be an innocent bystander who gets in the way. It went fine for awhile until we had stolen from someone we shouldn''t have.


    I was hiding in a back alley when Richard ran up to me.


    "Did you get it?" Richard said.


    He looked tired from running.


    "Yeah, I got it."


    I held up a coin pouch that had some weight to it.


    "Wow, what a score!" Richard gave me a smile.


    "Where''s Diego at?" I said.


    We both looked around but he was nowhere to be seen.


    "Is this the boy you''re looking for?"


    A man dressed in black with a hood covering his face approached us in the alley. He was holding Diego by his shirt who had something covering his face. When he got closer to us, we were able to see the mess he made of Diego''s face. Diego was bloody and beaten, I didn''t know if he was even alive. I tried to hide the pouch behind me but the man had already seen it.


    The man dropped Diego to the floor.


    "You brats actually thought you could steal from me?" The man said with a snarl.


    "Mister, I don''t know what you''re talking about," Richard said.


    The man approached Richard and kicked him in the face.


    "Shut up," the man said. "I talk and you listen!"


    The man held out his palm to me. My breathing started to become erratic and I looked at his face. His eyes were terrifying and his expression was stern. I produced the pouch and placed it on his hand. He took the pouch away and moved his hand towards me. I flinch and grit my teeth.


    His hand patted me on the shoulder and I relaxed my body.


    "You''re a pretty quick kid, I didn''t even notice you!" The man said.


    Suddenly I felt a pain in my stomach as he had hit me with all his might.


    "Look, kids, I like your guts! Although your skills will need some improvement. You know what? You guys will work for me now." He said.


    Richard looked up to the man and his nose was leaking blood.


    "Okay kid, now you can talk."


    "Why should we?" Richard said defiantly.


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    "Oh? Well, you don''t have to if you don''t want to."


    The man pulled out a dagger from his belt.


    "The choice is yours." He said.


    He made us an offer we couldn''t refuse.


    Months passed by and we found out who he was. His name was Magnus and he was a crime boss of sorts. Information, dirty deeds and particular items that couldn''t be acquired were his forte. We grew into better thieves as we had some protection now. Even if people found out we had stolen from them, they didn''t want to antagonize Magnus. Of course, Magnus received a lion''s share of the profits.


    Our lifestyle had gotten a little better and we moved into a house in the dark side of the city. Ariel was ecstatic as she thought we were turning our lives around. I had known better and couldn''t help but feel guilty in not letting her know. The house we lived in had a beautiful flower garden on the side for which Ariel was taking care of. She embraced her role as a mother who would cook and clean for us.


    Meanwhile, Richard had embraced the underworld we had stepped in.


    Richard had gotten more ruthless and wanted more of everything. He even resorted to mugging people short of killing them. It was far away from what I thought we should be doing. I knew we were thieves but I didn''t want to physically hurt anyone. Many times I thought we should just run away and leave this life behind. Richard had thought otherwise and wanted us to create our own syndicate.


    I remember the argument we had at the house. It was in the afternoon and Ariel had just left.


    "I''m telling you, we should leave," I said.


    "Why!? We don''t know anything other than this city!" Richard yelled.


    "Weren''t you always talking about how you wanted to see the world?" I asked.


    "If we had money we could do whatever we want!" He replied.


    I ran my fingers through my hair.


    "We don''t need money, our lives are more important, we can do better for ourselves!" I said.


    "This is our lives!" Richard said. "We''re making something for ourselves here!"


    I looked at Diego who shook his head.


    "So what are you saying we should do?" I said.


    "Let''s make our own group!" He said.


    "And what? Not tell Magnus!? He''ll kill us."


    Richard was biting his lip at the mention of Magnus.


    "I''m tired of that man who does nothing but take from our profits!"


    Richard resented the fact that we had to give Magnus anything that we worked hard to "earn."


    "What could we do? He''s bigger than us! He has more connections and he has money."


    Magnus was steeped in the underworld and we had only just glimpsed it.


    "Maybe we should¡­"


    "Don''t say anything else! You''ll get us killed." I said.


    "How about we buy our freedom?" Diego said.


    Richard and I both looked at Diego.


    "We could get something big and he''ll reward us enough that we could leave too."


    I rubbed my fingers and shook my head.


    "Where are we going to find a score that big?" I said.


    A knock was heard on the door of our house and we all stopped. We stood still and waited, the knocks continued in a rhythm. It was a coded message from a courier, Magnus wanted us to meet him. I sighed and saw the drop of sweat on Richard''s forehead. It was a good thing he didn''t say anything outright or it would''ve been the end of us.


    We had to wait until midnight before we could move through the streets. The only thing I liked about the Royal Capital was that the night made it so serene. The darkness was the element I was most comfortable in. We moved through the maze of the city like mice. We continued until we found a Manor that was hidden within its walls.


    We didn''t enter the Manor but an underground passage to the side. There was a metal door at the end of the passage with some guards. We flashed the badges that identified us, the hilt of our daggers. They were given to us by Magnus and signified that we worked for him. The guards opened the doors and we entered through.


    The room was plain with almost nothing there but a round table and some chairs. It was just a meeting room with two exits. It was underground and the doors were thick so that the sounds wouldn''t carry. Sitting on a chair at the round table was Magnus who greeted us.


    Magnus was always in dark clothes with a hood that covered his face. He didn''t want anyone to know who he was. Although there were whispers that he was a noble with a great heritage. It only added to his mystique and power.


    "Boys there you are, come and sit down," he said.


    We didn''t hesitate and moved to our seats.


    "I have a job for you boys," Magnus said. "I felt that you deserve it."


    I looked at Richard and then Diego.


    "It''ll be a 50/50 split." He said.


    I was in shock, Magnus had never given us a split ratio like that before.


    "100 gold coins," Magnus said.


    Richard stood up with excitement and my jaw dropped.


    "So 50 gold coins for us?" Diego asked.


    "No, 100 for you and 100 for me," Magnus replied.


    Our eyes almost bulged at his words, that was an amazing amount that we couldn''t dream of spending at our age.


    "We''ll do it!" Richard said.


    I wanted to agree as well but there always had to be a catch.


    "Wait!" I said. "What''s the job?"


    With that kind of money, this job had to be dangerous.


    "Just a little relic you have to steal from some Eleven ambassador,"  Magnus said.


    "Where?"


    "The Royal Castle."


    My body felt weak as I know our prospects of stealing anything were low. We had to sneak into the Royal Castle which was a capital offense. Then we would have to steal from an Elven ambassador which would cause chaos in race relations. If we were caught, we would become more than criminals. We would be labeled traitors by our own kingdom.


    I looked at my friends who seem to ponder about the mission given to us. Richard seemed happy and pleased about the task. Diego looked worried and I felt unsure myself. Soon both of them faced me and nodded their heads. A nagging foreboding was on the back of my mind but greed overpowered it.


    Had I known what was to come, I would''ve never taken the job.


    "Okay, we''ll do it," I said.


    I would become mired in the filth.

 Chapter Twenty-five - Brand:2

    The light outside my cell door was flickering as the candlelight was being played by the wind. But my eyes didn''t waver, they stared straight down at the black ring on my finger. My breathing started to become slow and my anticipation started to build. Every time I had used the Demon Lord''s weapon, my body would become deathly sick. I tread through the pain during Martin''s death by drinking, now I didn''t have the luxury.


    It was probably  good that I was locked away in a cell.


    I didn''t want to be hindered in my progress to the Demon Territory but I had no idea if my body can traverse through the mountains as I am now. The black ring seemed even darker than I had ever seen it. My continuous use of the ring had made it look darker than black. I don''t know how many times I could use the Demon Lord''s weapon, I always limited it to once a day. The light from the candles blew out and I tightened my hands into a fist.


    Something was different, it felt wrong from any regular sickness that afflicted my body.


    Was I branded with a curse?


    A thick dark cloud emanated from the black ring and the darkness seem to seep away from the ring. My free hand moved to the cloud and tried to force it back onto the ring. The cloud struggled to come out and revealed the ring as naturally white in color. A bright light emerged from the ring and my eyes became blinded by its radiance. The light was burning my hand and I collapsed on the floor.


    I became disoriented as both my sense of vision and pain exceeded their limits.


    My hand wearing the ring felt like it could melt away. The pain was excruciating and I began to scream. I could only hear the echo of my own voice as I cried out in agony. My life felt like it was being sucked away into the ring. The light shone through the dark prison I was being held in. I knew that there was no one here to witness the light and hear my screams.


    Slowly the dark cloud tried to cover the entirety of my arm and my face cringed in terror.


    "Fight it!"


    A voice resounded in my head.


    "Fight it, Demitri!"


    The voice sounded so familiar but I couldn''t recognize it.


    "Don''t let it consume you!"


    "I can''t!" I screamed.


    "You must!" The voice replied back.


    My body was shaking, the pain was almost unbearable.


    "It hurts!" I yelled.


    "You''ve been through worse!" The voice said.


    I felt I could pass out at any moment.


    "The ring has been growing stronger and it''s struggling with you because of that!"


    Was the ring getting stronger with how many lives I ended with it?


    "Don''t you have things you must accomplish? You can''t die! Fight on!" The voice said.


    The voice didn''t have to remind me of the things I already knew. I grit my teeth and tighten my muscles to bear through the pain. I took a deep breath and roared as I focused on fighting back the darkness on my arm. I couldn''t feel the burning pain anymore, I just wanted to win this battle with the ring. The darkness seems to waver and with the strength of my willpower, I forced it back into the ring. Now the ring was black again and the light had disappeared, I had won.


    I collapsed with my body covered in sweat.


    "Who are you?" I asked in the dark but I received no reply.


    I didn''t know if this unknown voice was actually friend or foe. The voice sounded so familiar but I couldn''t quite tell who was speaking to me. I was nearly exhausted in my struggle with the ring. My breathing slowed and my eyes felt heavy. I laid on the floor in the darkness, alone again.


    My mind started to wander back again to when I became branded.


    We were back at our house trying to figure out a plan.


    "So how are we going to do this?" I said as I looked at Richard and Diego.


    Richard was sitting on a chair and Diego leaned against the wall.


    "Enter through the front in disguise?" Diego said.


    "Too risky," Richard replied. "Let''s go through the back."


    "The castle is on a peninsula surrounded by water," I said.


    "That''s right." Richard looked at me.


    "So how  are we going to get in?" I asked.


    "Climb," Richard said.


    "What!?" Both Diego and I looked at Richard.


    "The backside of the castle is a cliff, we climb from there," Richard said looking calm.


    Richard talked like it was an easy task but it was far from simple. We borrowed a boat off the port and paddled through the treacherous sea at night. It was dark and tranquil night but it felt like we were moving into our own graves. I was afraid of what might happen to us and Diego could only look worried. Richard was calm through the whole ordeal and tried to give us words of encouragement.


    "We have to succeed," Richard said.


    Richard was more enthusiastic than he usually was. He planned everything out and we decided to follow it. We would travel by sea, climb the cliffs, enter the castle and steal the relic. The part that worried me was escaping and what would happen to Ariel if we were caught.


    "We could stop this right now," I said. "Ariel would want us to stop."


    I was young and scared but I followed what the others went with.


    "I can''t and that''s because of Ariel," Richard said.


    Richard had a serious expression as he looked at us.


    Just a couple days prior, Ariel had told us she was pregnant with Richard''s child. I was surprised at the revelation but happy for the both of them. They have never outright told us before that there were in a relationship and I didn''t know why. Maybe because they were embarrassed? They had thought we would be troubled by the news but it was different. Both Richard and Ariel were like our elder siblings, so of course, we were elated.


    "But if you die or get put in jail what happens to both Ariel and the baby she''s carrying?" I said.


    Ariel had become pregnant with Richard''s child while we were working for Magnus. That was the reason why Richard was in a hurry to make money, to support our group and his future child. We had become thieves for profit instead of survival. I tried often to be the voice of reason as I thought our lives were more important. Richard knew how the world revolved around money and became jaded because of it.


    "We won''t, Demitri," Richard said. "We''ll get through this and live our lives rich."


    Diego grabbed me on the shoulder.


    "Don''t worry, " Diego said. "We just have to follow Richard."


    I muster a weak smile at them and nod my head.


    We moved the boat close to the rocky cliffs and prepared ourselves for a climb upward. Richard had planned things out with Magnus beforehand. Magnus had provided us with climbing gear and some equipment. He also provided a layout for the castle and it seemed perfect to the finest detail. I wondered if Magnus had ever been inside the castle before.


    We just knew that the relic would be in the possession of some Elven ambassadors. Magnus had told us the location of where they might be staying. We had no idea who they were and what exactly was the relic. We never asked many questions and that''s one of the things that went wrong.


    The climb up the cliffs wasn''t as perilous as we believed. We attached ropes around each other and used picks to help ease our climb. When we reached the top of the cliffs, our eyes were greeted with a magnificent stone castle. Under the moonlight, the castle looked more radiant at night. The walls of the castle remained high even from the seaside.


    We pressed ourselves against the walls and moved to the side of the castle we needed to be at. When we arrived, I looked up to see some guards posted on the watchtowers. We all looked at each other and nodded. Each of us had our tasks and we moved quickly to accomplish them.  Richard readied a sleeping dart to knock out the guards. Diego was to throw a grappling hook over the wall. I was to climb the walls quickly and ensure a safe passage.


    I waited for Richard''s signal as he aimed for the guards close by. When Diego tossed the hook over the wall and held it in place, I made my move. As I got up on the castle walls, I could see some guards peacefully sleeping from the darts Richard hit them with. Yet there weren''t too many guards here as if someone let us come in. I signaled to Richard and Diego who proceeded to climb the walls as well.


    After they got up, I pulled my hood a little lower over my face.


    "Don''t fail," Richard said.


    "I won''t," I replied.


    I was to scurry through the castle and find the relic. Richard would act as a decoy if something went wrong. Diego would wait at our escape point and if needed, come help us. We had whistles to call out dangers or in cases of emergency. I didn''t move inside the castle but outside around the courtyard. We already knew the castle layout and inside would have too many variables. Everything seems to move smoothly and I was met with little obstacles from guards.


    I was outside the window to my destination and I could hear voices within.


    "Why are we even still here, they don''t want a fair trade!"


    "Calm down, they need the relic as they say."


    "As if these humans could be trusted by their words!"


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    "I agree that we should''ve stayed home in the Wild Forests."


    "I thought that if I had something to trade with, they would leave our Forests alone."


    "These humans aren''t willing to negotiate with us!"


    "They are greedy and are driven by desire."


    "Why do they even need to activate the summoning circle?"


    "It seems that their summoning circle hasn''t been working for centuries."


    "I''ve heard that they''ve been constantly trying to summon a Hero and failing."


    "No wonder the Soul Stream seems rife with new voices."


    "They try to summon a Hero with no obvious threat? These humans are just looking for a weapon!"


    "We don''t know that the Demons have been quiet for some time."


    "The Demons are no threat to us, only humans!"


    "You speak in quite a rough tone."


    "I apologize, Sire, these humans are just troubling."


    Their conversation had piqued my interest. The Kingdom of Bareth was looking for a way to fix their summoning circle. I heard stories of how long ago a Hero was summoned to save the Kingdom of Bareth. It was often told to children as a story of justice and bravery. I never knew that the legend was true and that we still had the ability to do so. I heard that the Religion of the Veil were the keepers of the summoning circle. Why was the Kingdom of Bareth helping the Religion of the Veil?


    I move my head closer to the windows and peered inside. There was a group of Elves talking to each other and one seemed more important than the rest. On a table next to the Elves, there was a wooden box. I didn''t know what the relic actually looked like but was told it would be in the shape of a cross. Suddenly, the important Elf went to the box and opened it.


    Inside the box was a red cross decorated with some gems. The Elves seem to revere the item and I knew that it was what I was after. After a while, the Elf closed the box and continued their discussion. I let out a whistle to signal Richard and Diego that I found it. Soon, Richard appeared and I gestured him to the window. He looked inside and then back to me with a smile.


    "It''s the wooden box," I said.


    "Good," Richard replied. "Let''s break in and run."


    "Are you crazy!?" I said.


    I gave Richard a stunned look.


    "We''re close Demitri," he said. "So close."


    "That''s why we should wait and break in," I said.


    Richard looked worried and grit his teeth in frustration.


    "I don''t think we can get the chance," Richard said. "Look!"


    My gaze followed his back inside the room and saw that armed guards had opened the doors.


    "I''m sorry my Lord, it seems intruders had broken into the castle." A guard said.


    Richard and I both looked at each other.


    "Were you caught?" I whispered.


    "No," Richard whispered back.


    It seemed like something was already wrong.


    "Intruders!? What are you foolish guards doing! Our Elven Lord here is a royal guest!" One of the Elves said.


    The guards looked to be distraught after his words.


    "Enough! I understand," The important Elf raised his hand. "What are you guards suggesting we do?"


    "Come with us and we''ll escort you to the main hall." The guard said.


    The Elves moved to follow the guards and one of the Elves moved for the box.


    "Damn it!" Richard said.


    I looked at Richard who seemed nervous and then his hands moved to break the glass window. The shattered glass alerted the occupants inside and Richard threw in smoke bombs. The people inside became surprised and disorientated after the smoke filled the room.


    "Go!" Richard said.


    I was shocked for a second but quickly jumped inside and went for the box.


    As I grabbed the box, another pair of hands wrestled with me. An  Elf through the smoke was fighting me for the box. I finally wrested the box open but not before he pulled my hood and looked at me. I returned his look and noticed he was the important Elf that everyone was respectful towards. The Elf seemed shocked to see me and I used it to my advantage. As he hesitated for a second, I pulled out the relic from inside the box.


    Quickly I jumped out the window and saw that Richard was ready to move.


    "Did you get it!?" Richard said.


    I raised up the relic in my hand and Richard nodded.


    The alarm was ringing throughout the castle. We moved like rats being found in a house. Fires were lit around the castle and it seemed to come alive. I followed Richard in a hurry to get to Diego and our escape point. I could hear guards shuffling out of the castle and looking for us.


    "Intruders!"


    "Where?"


    "Search for them!"


    "How many?"


    "One, maybe two!"


    I could tell that they didn''t know  where and who we were. I wasn''t sure if we could escape unscathed. I placed the relic inside my pocket as I followed Richard to the outer walls. As we finally neared our destination, archers had spotted us and fired a rain of arrows.


    I ducked low underneath the hail of arrows but Richard caught an arrow to the leg.


    Richard stumbled in pain and I tried to carry him up. We moved again and reached our escape point. Diego ran over to us and helped me carry Richard. The sounds of guards seem to echo close by. Diego broke the arrow and pulled it out of Richard''s leg. I tore off a cloth and wrapped his leg tight.


    "I''m sorry," Richard said. "This is my fault."


    "No, you are going to be fine," I said.


    "I was stupid, we should have waited!" Richard said in pain.


    Diego looked to be worried and the sounds of guards came closer.


    "I was frustrated," Richard said. "We need the money."


    Richard had a future child that he had to consider.


    "Not at the cost of our lives," I said.


    Richard looked at me with a pained expression and Diego grabbed my shoulder.


    "I know," I said as I looked at Diego and then to Richard.


    The sounds of metal and footsteps came closer.


    "It''s going to be okay," I said. "I don''t think they know how many of us are there."


    I pulled the relic from my pocket and handed it to Diego.


    "Get him out of here," I said. "I''ll buy you time."


    "What the hell are you talking about!" Richard said.


    "If they were chasing after someone they wouldn''t be looking for anyone else," I said.


    I pulled my hood down over my face.


    "Are you stupid!?" Richard said. "We should leave together!"


    "I''ll flee the opposite way," I said. "You just get him out of here."


    "Stop! No! You listen to me! We leave together!" Richard said.


    "Don''t worry, they won''t catch me," I said.


    I was lying to him but I knew that they would easily find us with Richard being injured.


    I didn''t want to take the chance and get all of us caught. Richard had always acted the decoy, this time, it was my turn. I grab Diego by the shoulder and gave him a nod. Diego was silent but then put Richard over his shoulder. Richard looked horrified at what was happening as Diego disappeared with him over the wall. I threw off the grappling hook when they made it down and ran through the castle.


    The guards noticed my movements and quickly followed after me. I didn''t know how long they would need but I was going to buy them enough time. I just hope that they didn''t wait for me. I wanted them to leave me behind to get away safely. I didn''t know what was going to happen but I couldn''t let anything happen to them. Richard, Diego and Ariel, they were my family.


    I didn''t know why I didn''t go with them. I just wanted to protect them. I wanted to protect their future. Maybe with the money and not having to look over their shoulders they could leave this life behind.


    I distracted the guards throughout the night but was finally caught in a corner. I didn''t have any weapons on me and I couldn''t exactly fight for my size. They dragged me away to a dungeon, not before giving me a beating for leading them around. I was asked many times for the relic''s location. I said that I had dropped it over the wall and that it was gone. Of course, they didn''t believe me and tortured me because of it.


    When they had enough of seeing me bleed, they tried other devious ways to break me.


    "This boy isn''t going to talk."


    "Well, he''s a thief, right? We should treat him like one."


    "So then let''s do that."


    The guards went with a red hot brand to the side of my neck, it was the mark of a thief.


    I screamed and wailed in pain as they held me down. The mark of a thief was burned into my skin. The guards seemed more sadistic when high-ranking officials came to see me. It was the same cycle over again, they asked questions, I replied, and then I was tortured. They never went so far as to kill me and I believed it was because they needed the relic.


    I became branded and it stuck with me like a curse.


    Yet because of that brand, I knew who I was and what type of man I wanted to be.


    All that pain, all that anguish, it all didn''t seem to matter as long as my family was safe.


    But it was for nothing.

 Chapter Twenty-six - Brand:3

    I was awakened by the sound of steps, and I could see that the dungeon was lightened. I look at the black ring on my finger and realize that I''m still alive. I stood up and heard the opening of my cell door. I was greeted by an Elf that looked younger than his age and he wore a fine robe with rich garments. He had a company of knights next to him but they didn''t dare stand too close.


    "Why do we keep meeting in dungeons Demitri?" He asked.


    I bow my head to the Elf.


    "My apologies Sire," I replied with a smile.


    The Elf looked around my cell before returning his gaze to me.


    "There''s no one else with you?"


    "No Sire," I said.


    The Elf gave me a smile but I could see some disdain in his eyes.


    "Where is my daughter?" He asked.


    I gave him a puzzled look.


    "I thought she came back here already," I replied.


    "She never returned." He said.


    "Then I wouldn''t know," I said.


    "You took her from me and now you don''t know where she is?" The Elf glared at me.


    "I apologize, Sire," I said.


    "Then you''ll wait here for awhile Demitri."


    "Sire! Wait! Please! I need to leave! I need to get into Demon territory."


    The Elf looked at me for a bit before signaling the guards to close my cell door.


    "What''s a couple days in staying alive matter to you Demitri?" The Elf said.


    I rushed over to the door but saw that he had already left and the company of knights followed.


    I knew his intentions and I could say that he guessed mine. The Elf was the Elven King Ren of the Wild Forests. I didn''t know where his daughter was and I couldn''t face her right now even if I wanted to. I felt ashamed to even see her and I don''t know how she would feel to see me again. She was an important person to the Elves here. Where did she go? And why hasn''t she returned?


    The Elven King was right that we did meet often in dungeons. He was a true benefactor for me and I would feel eternally grateful for the things he''s done. When I first met him he set me on the course I am on now. It was the time after I was marked as a thief.


    My mind wandered back to my time in the dungeon of the Royal Capital of Bareth.


    I didn''t know how long I was held in the dungeons. Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Time passed by as slowly and painfully as the wounds on my body. Chains kept me hanging and isolated in the middle of my prison cell. I was still tortured every day but kept alive, they still asked for the Elven relic. Since they still questioned me, I believed that Richard and Diego were able to get away. That fact alone was one of the things that kept me alive.


    My eyes had gotten used to the darkness and my body was in a state of perpetual weakness. I was fed just enough and I was tortured just enough. I was never close to dying but I was far from being truly alive. Only the memories of my family and grandfather reassured me from going insane. Being with them were the happiness moments I''ve known as a child.


    A light slowly ventured near my dungeon door and a face peered behind the bars.


    I didn''t know who it was but I didn''t think it was time for more punishment. The doors opened and a few men cloaked in dark robes entered my cell. Something was different about them but I could sense the seriousness in the air. Did they grow tired of me and wanted me dead already? I move my gaze down to the floor resigned in my fate to die.


    "So it is you."


    A light came towards my face and I close my eyes due to its brightness.


    "Who are you?" I ask weakly.


    "You don''t remember me?"


    I look up at the man speaking and he unveiled the hood of his robe. I recognized him as the important Elf who I stole the relic from. The other men unveiled their hoods to reveal themselves as Elves too. Anxiety attacked me as I knew what they came for.


    "I-I don''t have it," I said.


    I turn my face feeling guilty of stealing from the Elves.


    "Who do you think you''re talking to boy?"


    Another Elf spoke to me from the side.


    "This is his royal highness of the Elven Wild Forests, King Ren, you will speak to him in proper form!"


    This important Elf was a king?


    "Do you want to die!?" The Elf said.


    I look at the Elf and spit on the floor.


    "Human waste!"


    "Enough," King Ren said with a wave of his arm. "Let me talk to this boy privately."


    "But your majesty! Why don''t we just threaten this boy to tell us where the relic is!"


    "You would threaten death to someone who is on the brink of it?"


    King Ren gave the man a glare and the men quickly moved outside the cell doors.


    "You know, the Kingdom of Bareth said you were dead." King Ren said.


    "¡­"


    "They said they killed you but here you are."


    I didn''t know what the Elf King was implying during the time.


    "Well, I found you and you need to help me."


    I shook my hands that were chained.


    "Oh, don''t worry about that." King Ren said with a smile. "As long as you agree, I will set you free."


    "What is it?" I reply meekly.


    King Ren gave me a smirk.


    "I thought that my enemies had stolen the relic from me and I kept my eyes on them but no one has made a move."


    King Ren was walking around my dark cell.


    "That means that they don''t have it yet." He said. "Get it back for me."


    "I don''t have it," I said.


    "Yes, you don''t have it but you know who does." King Ren said.


    "Why should I help you?" I said.


    The Elf seemed to smirk at my demeanor.


    "No one even knows that you''re alive!" King Ren said. "The few that knew have already been taken care of."


    What did he mean?


    "Your name is Demitri right?"


    I stare at the Elven King before nodding my head.


    "I''ve lived a long life, experienced many pleasures and had many children," King Ren said. "I know you are young, you want to live your life and fulfill the nature of human desires."


    I lift my head up to see the eyes of King Ren clearly.


    "I''ll be able to pay you twice the amount that was told to you and give you your freedom."


    "¡­"


    I was very interested in his proposal.


    "100 gold coins," I said.


    "100?"


    The Elven King had a puzzled face.


    "That was how much they were going to give me, take it or leave it," I said.


    The Elven King went into a mad laughter.


    "You stole a sacred Elven treasure for only 100 gold coins? You should''ve been able to get at least a million gold coins for it!"


    King Ren gave me a smile.


    "Either you were swindled or the people who hired you didn''t think you would accomplish it at all."


    I was surprised at his words and suddenly felt bitter.


    "Who hired you anyway?" He asked.


    I looked at him and held my tongue from saying a word.


    "No matter, I could guess it most likely started from Religion of the Veil."


    Did the Religion of the Veil ask Magnus to steal the relic?


    "1000 gold coins and your freedom," Ren said. "Is that a deal?"


    My vision rested on the floor and then moved back to the Elven King.


    "Is that all you really want?" I asked.


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    "Yes." The King replied as he stood proudly.


    "Why can''t you find it yourselves?" I asked.


    "If I could find it, I wouldn''t be here would I?"


    "¡­"


    "If that is all, we must hurry," King Ren said. "Don''t worry, an Elf keeps his word."


    I didn''t want to die here in the dungeons. I would rather be with my family and live. I don''t think I can really trust this Elf but what choices do I have?  I would help this Elf and he would free me. That was the most I could ask for. I wouldn''t be sane if I didn''t jump at this opportunity.


    I nod my head to the Elven King and agreed.


    King Ren signaled his men who came and freed me from my chains. They gave me a cloak and some clothes to wear. I quickly followed Ren and his men outside my cell. When I stepped outside the cell, I saw a massacre of human bodies. The guards who tortured me were killed viciously inside the prison. Their blood splattered across the dungeon and I couldn''t help but feel the pleasure that they had died.


    I just didn''t feel any remorse for the men who treated me so mercilessly.


    It seems like the Elves had planned this out and were prepared to not leave anyone alive. The Elves notice my face and give me a grin.  If they wanted to kill me, they could have. We moved through the dark dungeons quickly and I could feel the intense fatigue on my body. I wasn''t healthy by any means but I followed them as my life depended on it.


    It didn''t take long before we made it to the exit and I could see the light that crept through.


    "Don''t stare at the light, it will blind you." King Ren told me.


    Those words stayed true to me throughout my life.


    "You can meet us at the grove north of the city when you have the relic."


    The Elves quickly disappeared out of the dungeons.


    Slowly, I stepped out of the prison with my hands over my face. My anticipation was mounting with every step I took. I could feel the slight warm touch of the sun and cool breeze of the air. I could hear the chirping of birds and the sound of the ocean waves. Gradually I released my hands and my eyes adjusted to the light. My face distorted into joy and a feeling of happiness overcame me.


    Some tears stream down my face as I was free from the dark hole I was in.


    The feeling of weakness in my body disappeared and I moved with a sense of urgency. I was going back into the Royal Capital and I was going to see my family. I didn''t remember how long it took as time seemed to pass by me and day became night. I made it to the house we lived in and a dilapidated shell of a home greeted me. Light emanated from the house and I ran to knock on the door.


    I held my breath and waited to see who would come.


    The door opened and I saw a woman holding a baby. She had makeup on and wore clothes that looked to enhance her feminine qualities. I was surprised at seeing her inside the house that I once lived in. The baby in her arms was quiet and I could see the hint of blue hair on her head.


    "Who are you?" She asked.


    "¡­"


    "Sorry but I''m not working right now." She said.


    The woman held up the baby who looked at me strangely.


    "Where¡­where is Ariel?" I asked.


    The woman looked confused for a second.


    "You know Ariel?" She said.


    I nod my head at the woman and try to look inside the house.


    "Well, she''s not here."


    "Where is she?"


    "She died."


    The weight of my body felt heavy and I fell to my knees.


    "Are you one of her customers?"


    The woman''s eyes sharpen on me.


    "No¡­no¡­I am her¡­her brother." I said.


    The woman became surprised.


    "Are you¡­Demitri?" She said.


    I look up to the woman and nod my head.


    "She talked a lot about you."


    "Where''s Diego and Richard?" I asked.


    "You''re the only one who has come here looking for Ariel." She replied.


    "What happened?"


    "I wouldn''t know but I''m glad you are here, now you can take care of her."


    The woman handed me the baby.


    "What?" I said.


    "This is Ariel''s baby, I had promised to take care of her until one of you showed up."


    The woman seemed to be relieved of her burden.


    "I had thought that I would take care of this child forever but to my luck you appeared!" She said.


    This was Ariel and Richard''s child?


    "What''s her name?" I asked.


    The woman shrugged her shoulders.


    "She died after child birth and never named her, she said the father of her baby wanted to name their child but he never came."


    I had more questions but the woman soon disappeared from my sight.


    I was left alone holding the baby in the house of our broken dreams. Where did Diego and Richard go? Did they take the Relic and run off? I felt some resentment and sadness in my heart. Holding the baby in my arms, I looked at her and she quietly stared back at me. Ariel did well in surviving alone by herself for the sake of this baby. I could only imagine what she did to survive without us and I cried.


    Ariel was like a real sister to me and I had failed her.


    All she wanted to do was sell flowers and create a home with us. We never told her of the things we did to survive. I felt guilt in my heart for lying to her. Now she was gone, left waiting for her family to come back and no one came. This child was the last thing left of Ariel and I held the baby close.


    This baby was sort of peculiar as she never cried but stared at me intently. I look at the baby and try to muster a smile. Gradually the baby returned a smile to me. What was I going to do now? I couldn''t take care of a baby and I didn''t want this child to take after me. She was Richard and Ariel''s child, she should be given a life different from the one that taken her parents away from her.


    I walked around to the flower garden that Ariel once took care of. The flowers looked to be in bloom and softened my heart a little. This flower garden that Ariel created was still here, living without any help. I sit down on the ground to look at the garden to see Ariel''s favorite, the "Arica" flower. Ariel had loved this flower because it was a flower that could heal people.


    I wished that I could have saved Ariel and more tears streamed from my face.


    Looking at the flowers I notice a new patch of dirt on the ground. I had seen the garden many times and knew that it was never there before. I move towards the area and use my hands to claw out the dirt. I felt something hard covered in a cloth. I remove the patch of land and grab the item.


    Unveiling the cloth, I see the cross-shaped object.


    I had found the Elven relic hidden in the flower garden. The relic was stained with old blood and buried in the dirt. Why was this here? Just what happened? What happened to Diego and Richard? Did Magnus betray us?


    The thought of revenge soon came to swirl in my mind but the sounds of a baby brought me back.


    The baby tried to say something while moving her hands toward my face. I have the relic now but I couldn''t put this baby in any danger. I began to think and an Idea came to me. I hid the relic inside my pocket and left to go outside the city.


    I was heading towards the grove to meet with the Elven King.

 Chapter Twenty-seven - Brand:4

    I appeared in a grove of trees under the dawn''s sky. Sunlight was piercing the sky and I headed toward the north grove. I didn''t rest all night, I just kept moving until I reached my destination. The trees seemed calm and there was no one else in sight. I held Ariel and Richard''s baby close in my arms. I didn''t know if I made it to the right location but I waited.


    "I thought I said not to appear until you have the relic." A voice called out.


    I looked around me to see that I had been surrounded.


    "You were very quick, do you have it or not?"


    There were Elves in the trees all pointing arrows at me.


    "I do," I said.


    Soon a gust of wind breezed through the grove and King Ren greeted me.


    "I didn''t think you would be able to get it back to me in one day."


    "There has been a change of plans," I said.


    King Ren looked at me and sharpened his eyes.


    "Greed is it? Humans are all the same." King Ren snorted at me.


    "No, not that," I said. "What I care about is life."


    I show the baby wrapped in a cloth to the Elven King.


    "Her life," I said.


    "What do you want?" King Ren asked.


    "Take her, take care of her until she''s able to do so on her own," I replied. "I don''t need the gold."


    "Why can''t you?"


    I felt the brand on my neck and shook my head.


    "I''m marked, I don''t think I can take care of her or give her a life away from the dirt I''m covered in," I said.


    The baby looked like she wanted to touch my face with her tiny hands.


    "Promise me," I asked. "Promise me that you will take care of her."


    The Elf King looked at me and stared into my eyes.


    "Alright, I''ll take care of her, " he said. "What''s her name?"


    King Ren took the baby and held her in his arms.


    "I don''t know," I replied.


    The baby seems to look at him puzzled but she often moved her eyes to me.


    "Then would it be alright for me to name her?" The Elven King said.


    "Do what you think is best," I said.


    King Ren looked down at her.


    "I had many children before and they all left me now," King Ren said. "It would be interesting to raise a human."


    I bow my head to the Elven King.


    "You look like my old friend, the Witch of the Woods," He said while looking at the baby. "Her name was Eliza."


    I felt a mix of emotions while watching the baby in his arms.


    "I think I''ll name her Lizzie, after one of my old friends." The Elf said.


    I nodded my head and produced the relic over to the Elf.


    "What will you do now?" He asked.


    "Something else and once I''m done, something away from the Royal Capital," I said.


    The Elven King threw a sword at my feet.


    "Use it," He said. "You look like you might need it."


    I picked up the sword and looked over the blade to see my dirty reflection.


    The Elf King put his hood over his head and left with the baby in his arms. Soon the movement of wind came and the people that surrounded me disappeared. I stood there and watched for awhile before quietly disappearing myself. I needed to return to the Royal Capital and find answers before I left it behind me.


    I moved with purpose as I quickly returned to the city. The Royal Capital looked so much darker now. I hid the sword from the Elven King under my cloak as I scurried around the city. I was going to find Magnus and I was going to make him pay. The lives and the future of my friends were stolen by this man.


    I felt a burning hatred for him in my heart.


    The maze of the city was the same, it was a place that my body couldn''t forget. I didn''t know how long I''d been gone but I moved through the city just the same. A nagging ache of frustration and hatred raged throughout my body. I made it to the mansion hidden inside the slums of the royal capital.


    Walking towards the underground tunnel, I held my sword out to declare my intentions. I covered my face with my hood securely. As soon as I made it to the door a scene of carnage came to my eyes. The guards who protected the underground tunnel had been murdered. Their blood painted the ground and the walls of the tunnel. I slowed my steps and walked through with caution.


    Something terrible happened here and the smell of death wavered in the air.


    I passed through the door where Magnus meets everyone and see that it was destroyed. More bodies were within and the shade of black burnt the ground. Claw marks seemed to be everywhere in the room. What happened? The events in the underground tunnel looked rather recent. I could see another door from the meeting room and I assumed that it led up to the mansion above.


    I opened the door and a walkway of stairs appeared. I followed the stairs and its path led me upward. A door greeted me at the end but it was broken in half. Now the bodies of servants in a hallway came before my eyes. The hallway was filled with fine furnishings and decorative items. I knew I was inside the mansion that I always saw but never entered. Someone had already done my work for me in killing everyone.


    Deep gashes of claws were on the bodies of the dead.


    Fine oak walls, pine floors, and other things went past my vision. Magnus did very well for himself as the mansion looked more luxurious than the area it was situated in. Where was Magnus? I could only see bodies and the color of blood soaking in the rich environment. Suddenly I heard some movement up above me and ran into the main hall of the mansion.


    The sound of snarling and growling echoed the mansion.


    A scream was sounded upstairs and I moved quickly into the main foyer. The sound was from the second floor above the grand staircase. Some double doors were broken through by claw marks. As I came close to the broken doors my eyes witnessed the black fur of a huge beast. It stood almost eight feet tall and dark black fur covered its body. The bulge of its muscles showed that it shouldn''t be trifled with. Its head looked like a wolf and it stood on its hind legs.


    The beast had its claws sunken into the body of Magnus.


    "THE RELIGION OF THE VEIL PLANNED IT!?" The beast roared.


    "Yes! They asked me to steal it!" Magnus said.


    "Why didn''t you try and steal it yourself!?"


    "It was suicide! It was the Royal Castle! Even if I did steal it, I wouldn''t be allowed to be in the city anymore!"


    "So, you told a group of young boys to steal it instead?" The beast growled.


    "They were expendable! If they did, it would have worked out for us all!" Magnus replied.


    "But you were only going to pay them 100 gold coins?"


    "They didn''t know how much it was worth! It was their own fault!" Magnus said.


    The beast clawed into Magnus who screamed out in pain. I lowered my sword in watching the scene. I didn''t know what this


    monster was but I wasn''t going to stop him from killing Magnus. The monster seemed to hate Magnus and terrorized him. Fear filled Magnus and then his eyes happen to me.


    "Save me!" Magnus yelled.


    The beast turned around and saw me with a roar.


    "I''m not your enemy!" I said.


    The beast didn''t seem satisfied with my answer.


    "You''re in the house of a thief and a murderer," The beast said. "But you''re not my enemy?"


    Magnus tried to crawl away in the confusion and the beast crushed his leg.


    "Anyone who is friends with this vile scum is my enemy!"


    The beast tried to claw me and I evaded down below him. I use my sword to cut at his arm and blood was spilled. It felt good to know that at least this monster bled. The monster howled and clawed at me. I twirled around the attack and he ripped parts of my cloak. I kept my hood down so that my identity wouldn''t be known.


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    I was quicker than this beast but ultimately too weak. Trying to block one of his attacks with my sword felt like my bones would shatter on impact. I kept running around the room to escape his attacks. The monster''s stamina seemed endless and his red eyes looked to thirst for my blood. The sound of Magnus trying to escape caught my attention and I took my eyes off the beast.


    The beast charged at me and I couldn''t dodge in time. He grappled me and threw me down from the second floor. I landed hard on the wood surface in the foyer and dropped my sword. The wind in my lungs escaped and I tried gasping for air. This beast tossed me around like I was nothing. How was I going to fight this monster?


    The beast showed up holding Magnus from the second floor and dropped him with a thud. Magnus screamed as both his legs were now mangled. He looked to be a mess of broken bones and blood. The monster dropped down from the second floor on top of Magnus. An explosion of guts and body parts occurred as Magnus was crushed.


    "Now your master is dead and soon you''ll be!" The beast said.


    "He''s not my master!" I said.


    "A thief that wouldn''t follow the orders of Magnus?" The beast said. "Don''t make me laugh."


    The monster seemed to snicker at me and I got up to stand my ground.


    "Come then, I lost everything to Magnus," I said. "What does it matter anymore?"


    I unfurled my cloak and picked up my sword from the ground.


    "Demitri?"


    The beast stopped as he saw me almost like he knew me. His claws moved toward me like he wanted to touch my face but didn''t. The monster stood still looking at me and then began to change. It screamed and the black fur that covered its body started to disappear. Its muscles and body distorted as it held its arms across its chest. Soon the black hair on its head transformed blonde and the monster became a man.


    I held my breath and saw that it was Richard.


    Richard stood up with blood and sweat covering his body. His eyes were bloodshot and his face looked like he hasn''t slept. The blonde hair that once stood on his head, draped down to his waist. Scars covered his body and he looked so much older than I remember him. Gone was his cheerful demeanor replaced with a stoic expression.


    "Richard," I said. "You''re alive!"


    I dropped my sword and ran up to Richard to hug him.


    "You look like you''ve been through hell," Richard said.


    I started laughing as I held him tight before releasing my hold.


    "What happened to you? Where''s Diego?" I said.


    Richard''s expression became grim.


    "He died," Richard replied. "We waited for you for too long."


    "What?"


    "I told him to, even though he said we should leave."


    I crumpled to the floor.


    "They found us and attacked us on the boat," Richard continued with tears. "Diego covered me with his body and I couldn''t even tell who he was anymore with all the arrows."


    My body felt weak and I went limp.


    "What happened to you Demitri?" Richard asked.


    "I was caught and imprisoned for I don''t know how long," I replied.


    Richard looked at me and soon dropped his gaze.


    "I was injured and floated out to sea," Richard said.


    There was a crack in Richard''s voice.


    "I don''t know how long I floated out in the sea but I was found in Demon Territory," Richard said.


    "Demon Territory!?" I said.


    "Yes," Richard said. "I made a pact with the devil."


    "Is that why you were in that monstrous form?"


    Richard nodded his head.


    "Take the Relic and sell it, I buried it in the flower garden, take care of Ariel," Richard said.


    My eyes moved away from Richard.


    "Ariel, she''s dead," I said.


    "What!? Who was that living in our house!" Richard said.


    "That was someone else," I replied.


    Richard fell down to his knees and slammed his fist on the ground.


    "It''s been so long and I didn''t go to see her! I was ashamed!" Richard cried. "I-I didn''t¡­oh, gods."


    "But you''re alive!" I said. "We can make it through together!"


    Richard looked up at me and shook his head.


    "Kill me," Richard said.


    "No! What are you saying?" I said.


    "The power of a Lycan will soon consume me," Richard said. "The beast wants to take over."


    "What!?"


    "It was the price I paid to get my revenge."


    Richard looked at me with a weak smile.


    "I have no reason to fight it anymore."


    "What about your daughter!" I yelled.


    "My child? She''s alive!?" Richard said.


    Richard seemed to think for a moment but looked at his blood stained hands.


    "No, there''s nothing I can give her."


    "You just have to be alive! You can be her father!" I said.


    "I''m a monster, Demitri."


    "No, you''re my family!"


    Richard smiled at me.


    "The way you look at life is why everyone loves you Demitri."


    Richard began to shake and a darkness started to cover his body.


    "What''s happening!?" I said.


    "This power! The beast it''s trying to take over!" Richard screamed.


    I stood there watching as Richard was convulsing on the floor.


    "Kill me!"


    "No! I can''t!"


    "Before anything else happens! Before I let more of my family die! Before I kill you! You must kill me Demitri! I''m a monster!" Richard yelled.


    My eyes started tearing and I grabbed the sword on the floor.


    "Do it! Demitri!" Richard said.


    The black fur slowly covered Richard and his muscles distorted.


    "I won''t be able to fight it! Let me die as a man! Let me go see Ariel and Diego!" Richard said.


    Tears streamed down my face as I contemplated.


    "I can''t...I CAN''T!" I said.


    Richard stood up in a half-Lycan form and roared.


    "Do it!...Before I kill you!" Richard growled.


    Richard moved his claws at me but before he could I stabbed him in his heart with my sword.


    "I''m sorry," I said.


    "No, thank you," Richard muttered. "Live on Demitri, for the rest of us."


    Richard smiled and fell over dead. The darkness that covered his body evaporated like a mist. He was human again and had a peaceful look on his face. He was fighting his demons just like I was. He became covered in darkness and he couldn''t fight it anymore. I just hoped that he could see Ariel and Diego to where he was going.


    I lost my family again and I wept.


    Richard had told me to live on for the rest of them that couldn''t. That was what I knew I had to do, to live on for those who died. I hated living and I was scared of dying but I lived on because of the dead. It was for my family and friends. All those who had gone before me into the void.


    I had thought I would leave stealing behind me but that never happened. I didn''t believe I would get new friends or even someone I could follow again but even that changed. I was happy again when I met with the Hero and my companions but even that changed.


    I didn''t know what the future would bring me now.


    But I did know that my future was covered in darkness.

 Chapter Twenty-eight - Dharma:1

    The memories of my past have kept me alive. Sometimes I had given up on living but I always struggled forward. I had killed many of my friends and let plenty others die. I endured the pain and had always strived to make things right. I live on for those who can''t anymore in honor of their memory. I know the things I''ve done can''t easily be forgiven and I''ll accept my judgment when the time comes.


    Now I only have one thing on my mind and that was to get into Demon Territory.


    The light seem to flicker in my jail cell as a guard approached. The Elven guard used his keys to open my cell door and drop a plate of food. I look at him and he didn''t seem to be in a mood for conversation. My eyes move to the keys in his hands. I wanted to be set free but I didn''t want to antagonize the King by injuring his guards.


    I look at the black ring on my finger and then moved my vision away. I didn''t want to use the Demon Lord''s weapon unless I absolutely needed to. I fought off the darkness inside the ring for now. I knew it would come back stronger if I used it again so soon. I exhaled a breath of air as I watched the guard.


    "Take the keys from him when he leaves." A voice sounded in my head.


    "How?" I said.


    "What did you say?" The Elven guard said.


    I held up my hands and looked away.


    "Crazy human," The Elven guard said and shook his head.


    "You have the power now," The voice resounded in my mind. "Just focus and take it."


    "What?" I mumbled.


    The doors to my cell closed with a metal clang.


    I walk up to the cell door and look at the Elven guard who turned away from me. I see a chain ring of keys hanging from his belt. The Elven guard began to walk away and my eyes focused on the keys. I could feel a power circulating around my hands for a moment. I became startled for a second and then tried again. I held up my hand and focused on the keys with my gaze.


    A faint blue aura surrounded my hand and soon the ring of keys appeared in my grasp.


    "Impossible," I whispered.


    I stagger backward with the keys in my hands.


    "This was the power of the Goblin King!" I said. "Why do I have it?"


    A sudden realization came over me.


    "Is this power from you?!" I asked the voice.


    There was a stillness in the air and I could feel I was being watched.


    "I don''t want to make any pacts with devils," I said.


    There was a long silence before the voice spoke to me again.


    "No," The voice said. "You have only recently gained this power."


    "What?"


    "You should have received a message."


    Was it from that other voice that I couldn''t understand before?


    "There''s a system in place in this world but only souls attuned to the system may use it," The voice said.


    "Then am I¡­but why?" I asked.


    "No, you were given a gift," The voice replied. "You can only receive a glimpse of the system."


    "I don''t understand," I said.


    "This was a power only given to those who had come from another world," The voice said.


    I was surprised at the voice''s revelation.


    "Reincarnators?" I whispered.


    "For those souls you reaped, you have taken their power and made it your own."


    The words seem to resonate within me and I felt a chill down my spine.


    "What have I become?" I said.


    I looked at my hands and felt myself shaking.


    "A reaper for those who don''t belong in this world," The voice said. "A Soul Taker."


    A sudden thought flashed through my mind.


    "Are you saying I have all the powers of those I''ve slain?"


    "No, you only have the Goblin King''s power and any of who will come after him."


    "Why do you know all of this?" I asked. "Who are you?"


    "You will know when you come to the land of Demons," The voice replied.


    What was this system? Who was the owner of this voice? How did it know I was going towards Demon Territory? Would I come to know more when I get to Demon Territory? Or was this all a trick by a Devil? This voice had saved me before but I couldn''t quite trust it. I had many questions swirling in my thoughts.


    Silence converged over me and I could hear my own breathing. I couldn''t wait here in the Elven prison any longer. I held up the keys in my hand and moved over to the door. Passing my arm through the cell bars I unlock the door from the other side. Gently, I pushed open the door and peek down the dim prison hall.


    I looked at the linen garment I was wearing and knew my next course of action. I needed to find my weapons and clothes before I left the prison. My eyes stared down the dim hallway as I quietly walked through. I was the only one being held in this prison but I kept alert from making too much noise. At the end of the hallway under the dim torch lights, I saw a pair of guards.


    The guards were standing at the entrance to the prison at about thirty feet away from me.


    I stayed hidden in the shadows that didn''t brighten by the torches. In the corner of my eye, I see my belongings stacked on a table. I began using the magic steal I acquired from the Goblin King. My hand glowed a faint blue aura but the items weren''t returning to me.


    Was I too far away?


    I hadn''t grasped the full range and use of this power yet. I needed to get closer but I didn''t want to walk into the light of the torches. The torches were spaced out in the dark hall of the prison. At about ten feet apart from each other. The dim light of the torches couldn''t fully engulf the prison hallway. There were many areas that remained untouched by the light.


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    I remembered about that move the Goblin King showed me and wondered if I could do the same.


    The Goblin King was able to flash towards a direction with a single step. I took a deep breath of air and started to imagine if I could do the same. I wanted to move to each shadow spaced by the light with a single step. I held my breath and focused to the shadow behind the torch in front of me. My muscles tightened and I felt a pulse of power.


    In an instant, I had flashed towards the dark shadow and I couldn''t help but smirk. What other powers did the Goblin King have? These abilities were fantastical in nature and I never believed that I would acquire them. What exactly were these abilities and this system that the voice talked about? I couldn''t believe that this was magic or any actual skill in the world.


    I flashed forward again and was about ten feet away from the guards. I felt the hint of fear and anxiety that I would be caught. I use the power of magic steal to gather my belongings. I looked at the guards and saw that they weren''t paying attention. As quietly as I could, I slipped on my clothes and other items. The Guards hadn''t noticed me as they were conversing with each other in the dark hall.


    "I think that thief is going crazy."


    "Really?"


    "Yes, I could hear him talking to himself."


    "I don''t know why the King has kept him here."


    "It seems he''s one of the companions to the Oracle."


    "He''s the one who took the King''s daughter?"


    "Yes, the King is worried that she hasn''t returned yet."


    "I understand the King''s worry, the lifespan of a human is too short."


    "But that''s why she is such a dazzling light."


    "I know, everyone has told me that she''s a prodigy in the world of magic."


    I knew how much Liz meant to the Elves in the Wild Forests. Just like the King, I was worried where Liz had gone. I didn''t think that the Elven race would embrace her and even for King Ren to name her his daughter. She wasn''t a princess because she wasn''t the true daughter of the King. Nevertheless, King Ren had raised her and loved her like she were truly his own flesh and blood. I just hoped that where ever she is, she''s safe.


    I finished wearing my belongings and hanging my broken sword on my belt. I looked at the doorway between the two guards and pondered my next move. That doorway was the only entrance and exit to the prison. One of the guards suddenly was startled by something and checked his belt. Both the guards moved toward my direction and I became flustered. I didn''t want to be seen by the guards and I didn''t want to fight my way out.


    "I''m missing my keys."


    "Are you sure?"


    "I hope that thief hasn''t stolen them."


    "I''ll help you look for them."


    Then I remembered the chain of keys I had and knew I now have my window of opportunity.


    It seems that one of the Elven guards finally realized he had been missing the keys on his belt. I quickly moved back to the previous two spots of darkness separated by the torch lights. I pressed myself against the wall and placed the keys down. I kick the chain of keys on the ground to the full view of the torch light. I slowed my breathing and waited for the Elven guards. My vision moved down to the guards and they seemed to have noticed something.


    The guards peered down the middle of the hallway to the keys reflected by the light.


    "There it is, you dropped them."


    "I could''ve sworn it was on my belt."


    I waited for the guards to come close in the light and I would flash through them using the shadows.


    "Did you feel something?"


    "Just a breeze."


    "Down here?"


    "It happens."


    I pulled my hood over my head and moved for the exit.


    I look back at the guards and see them walking down the dim hallway to the keys on the ground. I was relieved that the guards still haven''t caught me. If I had to say why I would say it was because of the skills I acquired from the Goblin King. Now I could understand why these Reincarnators were as powerful as they are. At the very least I could use these abilities in dealing with the Demon Lord.


    Swiftly, I exited the prison and out of the Elven Castle with no obstacles.


    Now I had to find Vera in the Elven city and hoped that she could lead me to the North Mountains. I could feel the goosebumps on my skin as I thought about the North Mountains and the dark things that reside there. I would have to face those things eventually and I just hope that I wouldn''t be weak enough to succumb to them. Time was not on my side for the things I need to do.


    I could only move as fate directed me as I searched the Elven city of Avalon.


    There seemed to be a commotion in the city and I looked around to see a gathering of people. Some of them looked haggard and bloody. They were crying and a solemn silence filled the air. They looked like merchants and had carriages which looked badly damaged. An Elf man was screaming to people for help.


    "Please! Anyone! I beg of you! Help me find my children!"


    More people started to gather in the crowd.


    "Please! Save them! They are stuck in the North Mountains! We were chased by beasts!"


    The crowd of people seemed to look away.


    "Anyone! I beg of you!" The Elf was on his knees.


    Before I could step forward and offer my help, an Elf woman with Lilac hair appeared.


    "I can help you," she said. "But I don''t know if I can do it alone."


    I looked at her and saw that it was Vera.


    It seems that fate would guide me to the direction I needed.

 Chapter Twenty-nine - Dharma:2

    ~Excuse the late delay between chapters, dealing with some RL problems~ nEoQuIcKsiLvEr


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


    I never put much faith into destiny and fate, even the Hero would say the same things I would. Only my other companions would talk some semblance of it. But, for some reason, my life seems to be out of my hands at times. The things I did, the things I would do. It just seems like I''m walking a road that I can''t leave. Like any man who moved in the darkness, I went slowly as to not stumble in despair.


    Right now, I was in front of an Elf that looked sympathetic and I felt for his plight.


    "Please! Help me!" The Elf said.


    I walked up to Vera and tapped her on the shoulder.


    "Demitri! You''re here! What happened?" She asked.


    I gave Vera a smirk.


    "Don''t worry about that," I replied. "It looks like you might need my help."


    Vera looks at the distraught Elf pleading to her.


    "Yes, it seems his children are missing."


    "I heard," I said.


    The Elf looked to me.


    "Are you willing to help me, sir!?" The Elf said.


    I nodded my head to the Elf.


    "What''s your name?" I asked.


    "It''s Darius sir!" He replied.


    "So tell me the details," I said.


    The Elf nodded at my suggestion.


    "I''m a merchant who sells a variety of minerals and ores."


    It wasn''t uncommon for an Elf to become a merchant selling nature''s goods.


    "I travel with a group of other merchants who deal in the same business as I do," Darius said.


    "Why were you near the North Mountains?" I said.


    "My family and I were close to the North Mountains at an ore deposit with our troupe."


    The Elf looked at the other merchants who were injured.


    "And?" Vera said.


    "A group of deranged beasts attacked us! They were dark and black, I have never seen such monstrosities before."


    My expression turned serious when Darius mentioned the dark and black monsters.


    "They are the dark things from the North Mountain," I said.


    Vera looked surprised.


    "Dark things?" Vera said.


    "Shadow monsters," I said. "One of the dark things that live in the North Mountains."


    "One of?"


    I looked at Vera with a terrible expression of worry.


    "Yes, there''s more of them that live in the North Mountains, vile and grotesque creatures," I replied.


    Vera seemed skeptical at my comment.


    "Have you ever been through the North Mountains?" I said.


    Vera shook her head.


    "No," she said. "It''s forbidden."


    "With good reason," I said.


    My mind started to imagine some of the variety of creatures that lived in the North Mountains and I began to shudder.


    "My children and I got separated in the mayhem and confusion," Darius said. "Someone said they saw them running into a cave inside the North Mountains."


    The Elf fell on his knees to beg us.


    "We''ll help you," I said.


    The Elf looked shocked before he cried with tears of joy.


    "Thank you! Please save my children!"


    "Does your carriage still work?" I said.


    I looked at the mess of half broken carriages and the horses that were flustered by exhaustion.


    "No, but I think I can ask someone for help."


    Darius ran off towards one of the other merchants.


    "Time is not on our side," Vera said.


    Vera looked at Darius who was desperately pleading to other merchants for a wagon.


    "Yes, but we might need someone else to come help us."


    I looked at Vera who started to ponder.


    "I have a friend but I don''t know if I can find him."


    Suddenly a tall Elf dressed in a variety of colors from head to toe came close to Vera. His appearance would be like that of an Elven Hunter if not for the weird color scheme.  He had long blonde hair on one side of his head and the other seemed to be shaved. A bow and a set of quivers filled with arrows were on his back. I looked at the eccentric Elf who didn''t seem to notice my presence.


    Vera herself had a look of disgust and was appalled by the Elf.


    "Vera, darling! Why didn''t you tell me you were in Avalon?"


    Vera tried to distance herself from the Elf.


    "Lenard, how did you know I was here?" Vera said.


    Lenard gently grabbed some of Vera''s hair to smell it.


    "I have my ways, sweetheart."


    I looked at the Elf named Lenard in a state of confusion.


    "Demitri, this is uh¡­my friend Lenard," Vera said.


    Lenard noticed my presence as soon as Vera introduced me.


    "Her lover," Lenard said.


    Vera became flustered.


    "No! Definitely not! Don''t listen to him! He''s just always pursuing me!" Vera said.


    Lenard seemed to sharpen his eyes on me because of Vera''s denial.


    "Who are you?" Lenard stood tall over me.


    "This is Demitri, he''s saved me from the Goblins that invaded the Wild Forests," Vera said.


    I nod my head to Lenard who seemed to dislike me.


    "He looks like a ruffian Vera, you shouldn''t hang around with strays," Lenard said.


    I snicker at his comments and cross my arms.


    "An Elf dressed like a clown is telling me what I look like?" I said.


    Lenard raised his chin at me and before I could say something Vera stepped in.


    "Demitri stop it!! Lenard may look a little eccentric but he''s actually one of the best rangers in the forest," Vera said. "Lenard is a good person at heart."


    I look at Vera in disbelief.


    "It''s true and he could help us in finding the children!" Vera said.


    Vera looked at me with pleading eyes and so I waved off the negative comments made by Lenard.


    "Vera, what are you doing with this plebian," Lenard said.


    "Actually Lenard, Demitri was going to help me and I needed your help as well."


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    "Of course! Anything for you darling! But you don''t need the help from the likes of him! You only need me!"


    Vera looked at me again and I exhaled a breath of air before looking away. I began to ignore Lenard much to my own chagrin as Lenard continued his insults. After a while, Lenard stopped trying to provoke me as he tried flirting with Vera. Lenard and Vera made small talk while I waited for Darius to find transportation. Darius finally came back with a wagon and horses that looked worn down but seemed reliable enough.


    "Let''s hurry," I said.


    We all gathered into the wagon and set off to the North Mountains. I wanted Darius to wait here but he couldn''t bear waiting while his children were lost and alone. I reluctantly agreed that he could come as long as he stayed out of our way. I didn''t want Darius to die under our care while we searched for his children.


    The hours passed by and the sky reflected the change. Lenard was laying on the back of the wagon, resting with a cap over his face. Darius was driving the wagon and looked worried. Vera guided our way through the forests from the driver seat of the wagon. I looked up at the sky from the back of the wagon and noticed that soon the sun would set.


    "Damn," I said. "I didn''t think it was going to take this long to get to the North Mountains by wagon."


    Vera looked back to me.


    "The regular roads were blocked off due to the Goblin invasion," Vera said.


    I went close to the driver seat.


    "We have to hurry and find the children before it gets to nightfall," I said.


    Vera and Darius looked at me with apprehension.


    "Why?" Vera said.


    "Most of the creatures in the North Mountains are nocturnal," I said.


    I didn''t know if I could protect this group and save myself from what laid inside.


    "I think we can handle it," Vera said.


    "There''s also another problem," I said. "The inner walls of the North Mountains are made out of condensed moon rock."


    Vera tilted her head at my statement.


    "So?" She said.


    I started tapping my fingers on my arm.


    "They reflect when shined by moonlight and it will brighten the caves inside the North Mountains," Darius said.


    I looked up at the changing sky and saw some clouds forming ahead.


    "Wouldn''t that make it easier to navigate inside the mountains?"


    "No, because you will see those dark things and they will see you too," I said.


    I grimaced an expression to Vera who looked fearful.


    I didn''t want to make her scared but I had no choice. We couldn''t be reckless inside the North Mountains. The things that laid inside would only make men wish they dreamed of nightmares. I had my companions to get me through the journey before. Now, it was only myself and two Elves not counting Darius.


    Finally, we had reached the North Mountains from the roads of the Wild Forests. The tall jagged terrain and protruding landscape told everyone to be fearful of the mountain. But what was truly dangerous was what lurked inside. It was too steep to climb and most people would just go around the North Mountains though it would take a week''s journey. Even the Kingdom of Bareth and the Demons that lived further north of the mountains would go around it.


    We had to find the children inside the mountain and hoped that they were still alive.


    Darius stopped the wagon near the base of the mountain and we all exited.


    "It''s here," Darius said.


    There seemed to be a cave entrance at the base of the mountain. I looked up to the sky and see that the sun finally began to set. From the outside, the cave was pitch black and the sound of nature was silent. Trepidation filled me as I lead the way to the mountain entrance. Light from the outside reached inside the cave like piercing arrows. Parts of the cavern were lit while others stayed hidden in the darkness.


    A sound like the shuffling of feet could be heard and I pull out my broken Mithril blade.


    "Careful," I said.


    Soon two small Elven children appeared in the light and Darius had seemed to glow with joy.


    "My children!" Darius said.


    But before he could go to them, I dash over and cut the head off one of the children. Spinning around, I stab the other child through the heart. Their blood spurts on me and I stood over their dead bodies. I looked over to the group of Elves who looked at me with grief and anger.


    "Demitri!" Vera yelled.


    "What have you done!?" Darius screamed.


    "Stay back Vera!" Lenard said.


    Lenard took aim at me with his bow.


    "What are you doing?" I said.


    I cleaned my Mithril blade while gazing at them.


    "YOU KILLED THESE CHILDREN IN COLD BLOOD!" Lenard shouted.


    "Look again," I said.


    The group of Elves looked at the bodies of the children and soon shadows dissipated from them. With the shadows gone they saw the grotesque monsters in their place. Their skin was smooth but wrinkly folded at their limbs. These monsters had no eyes but only noses and mouths filled with jagged teeth. The monsters had lanky bodies with sharp claws and contorted arms and legs.


    "What¡­are..they?" Vera said covering her mouth.


    Lenard vomited and Darius was shaking all over.


    "Ghasts," I said. "They aren''t quite the same as the Shadow Monsters you saw but they use shadow magic just the same."


    "Shadow magic?"


    Vera walked closer to me as anxiety seem to cover her face.


    "They can look like whatever they want to get their prey," I said.


    Darius was still shaking and looked to have sweat covering his face.


    "Why do they look like Elven children?" Vera asked.


    "They might have seen them inside the caves," I said.


    "H-how could you tell what they are?"Darius stammered.


    I look at Vera and then the others.


    "Because they smell like Death," I said.

 Chapter Thirty - Dharma:3

    "Do they all smell?" Vera asked.


    "No, not all of them," I replied. "Some of them could even talk."


    "What?"


    "A few have lived for a very long time."


    "How?"


    "These monsters survive and live by tricking others."


    Light began to recede from the cave as if retreating from the darkness within. If we did not find the children within the night, we knew that they were most likely gone from this world. The air around us became more foreboding as gloom set on the Elves. I could feel the stare from Vera as she looked to me for guidance. I steadied myself and pulled out some rope from my bag.


    "Tie yourselves around the waist with this rope," I said to the others. "So we won''t get lost in the darkness."


    They all looked to me and nodded.


    We quickly made a line and secured each other with the rope. I led the charge with Vera behind me, Darius was after Vera and Lenard after Darius. I planned to use the rope to help climb the North Mountains, so there was a considerable length of it. While we were all bound together by the rope, we still had some distance and free range of motion from each other. Vera had a sword in her hand and Lenard prepared his bow.


    I readied my broken Mithril sword for what we might face next.


    The moonlight would not come out so soon as the sun was still disappearing from the horizon outside. We had to flail around in the darkness until the moon touched the night sky. I walked further into the inner workings of the cave as the others followed me. Time seem to stagnate as we walked through the caves. All the light that once pierced into the caves soon disappeared. Vera seemed nervous as I heard her erratic breathing behind me.


    "It''s dark," Vera whispered. "I can''t see."


    "Close your eyes for a bit and let them settle to the dark," I whispered.


    Our progress slowed as we waited for our vision to adjust.


    "How are we going to find the children?" Vera whispered to me.


    "We need to make some distance inside first and if Lenard is a ranger worth his salt, he should be able to find them," I whispered back.


    I could hear Lenard give a snort in the darkness.


    After some time, my eyes adjusted to the pitch black darkness and the contour of the caves started to form in my vision. The caves of the North Mountains were lined with a thick grime. There were areas inside the cave perforated with seemingly bottomless holes. Jagged rocks and narrow passageways were in abundance as well inside the mountain. The mountains themselves were made out of minerals like a moon rock and other exceptionally rare materials.


    Those rare materials were the only reason why I came through here before with the Hero and my former companions.


    Pathways inside the mountains led around the caves like a maze. Some paths might lead you underground while others to the top of the North Mountains. Traversing the caves of the North Mountain by itself was already treacherous. The topography of the North Mountains was horrendous in nature too. This was one of the very reasons why people stayed away from the North Mountains. It was a natural border divider between us and the Demons to further north.


    Yet the dangers of the Mountain terrain and its inner workings wasn''t what frightened everyone.


    The inner landscape of the caves reflected the cruel ways of the monsters living here. Old blood seems to stain parts of the cave while bones littered other areas. Any living being caught here or outside the North Mountains would be quickly devoured. The creatures in here often fought with one another for territory or food. They were horrors not meant to be seen by the outside world.


    If it wasn''t to find these children, I wouldn''t have dared enter the caves at night.


    I hoped from having seen the Ghasts that the children had passed through this way. With them so close to the entrance, the children should not be too far off. I only guessed that the Ghasts had seen the children. Ghasts would only take the forms of beings that they had seen before using their shadow magic. Ghasts did not have eyes but used magic to see their surroundings.


    We were in their territory and a prime delicacy for these monsters.


    A cold breeze whizzed through the caves and became a needed relief from the feeling of dread. We continued our way and the sound of our steps reverberated clearly throughout the cave. I could only assume that the other Ghasts were not yet awakened by our presence. The pressure was mounting over me and I felt some goosebumps as sweat dripped from my forehead. After a couple of steps, I tripped over a rock and stumbled to the ground.


    The rope tightened around my waist and the others behind me became startled.


    "What happened!?" Vera whispered.


    "What is it!?" Lenard whispered.


    "I tripped," I whispered back as I picked myself off the ground.


    I was embarrassed by my momentary clumsiness until I saw what was in front of me. A steep cliff was only a few feet in front of where I had fallen. Had I not fallen beforehand, I would not have seen it until it was too late. I didn''t want to know what laid below the steep cliff and I didn''t intend to find out. But then I noticed something else as well from my little stumble.


    A set of small footprints were beneath me, they seem to go away from the cliff to a passageway through the wall.


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    "Footprints!" I said.


    "Lenard, come check," Vera whispered.


    I moved out of the way for Lenard who knelt on the ground to inspect it.


    "The size and length are indeed a child''s but¡­" Lenard continued. "These tracks are¡­days old."


    "What?" I said.


    "These tracks aren''t going to the cliff but coming from them," Lenard said.


    "So close," Darius said.


    I gazed over to Darius who was eerily quiet in our march inside the North Mountains.


    "We''ll definitely find your children," Vera whispered to Darius.


    "No, you won''t," Darius replied. "Because I don''t have any children."


    Darius suddenly cut the rope connecting him to Vera and pushed her off the cliff. I dropped down to the floor as I felt some resistance from the rope and held on. I was sliding off until I used my sword to stab into the ground and stop any momentum. Vera fell off the cliff and dangled on the rope before the black hole. I looked over to Darius in anger who smirked at me.


    "Vera!" Lenard shouted.


    The sound of his shout echoed throughout the caves and a rumbling could be felt.


    Lenard readies his bow and fired an arrow at Darius. The arrow pierced Darius and dispersed his body apart like it was a shadow. A black mist oozed off of Darius and revealed his true form, a Ghast. The arrow was stuck on his body but it didn''t threaten his life. Darius tried to move away but a rope still bound Lenard and Darius together.


    While they fought, I struggled to pull up Vera with the rope.


    Lenard shot at Darius again and used the rope as resistance to prevent his movement. Darius pulled on the rope and flung Lenard towards him. Lenard could not fight the strength of the monster as he flew towards Darius defenseless. Darius slashed at Lenard and cut the rope off that bound them with his claws. Lenard clutched his wounds as they bled while he knelt on the ground.


    Soon the cavern started to light up in a faint white glow. Moonlight had begun trickling inside the North Mountains and the cavern reflected it. I would see the grotesque form of Darius and his true face. The Ghasts from earlier might have been his partners. The Elves whose forms they took were most likely dead already. We had been tricked and lured here by this Ghast.


    "Monster!" I said.


    Darius looked at me and smiled with his jagged teeth.


    "Die obediently and feed my master," Darius said.


    Vera finally climbed up the rope and safely came back to the cliff.


    "Vera look after Lenard!" I said.


    I use my sword to cut the rope which connected me to Vera.


    Dashing towards the Ghast I fought him with my broken blade. The monster''s claws were as tough as the Mithril sword and countered my blows easily. Darius was moving erratically and I couldn''t grasp a sense of his movements. I stabbed at the monster who leaped in the air and landed on my back. He plunged his sharp teeth into my shoulder and ripped out a chunk of meat.


    I howled in pain as my blood seeped through my cloak.


    I threw the Ghast off and immediately held my shoulder. Darius spun around the air and landed on his feet. I held up my blade and hesitated a bit as I sized up the distance to him. Darius seemed to be mocking me with a snicker. I was going to give this monster a big shock and clutched my sword tight.


    I flashed forward over to the Ghast who was surprised at my sudden movement. Darius raised up his hand in defense and I obliged by cutting it from his arm. I spit at the monster and give him a kick away from me. The Ghast screamed in pain as his blood poured out from his hand. Darius flailed his arm and some of the blood spurted on my face.


    I became temporarily blinded by the blood that hit my eyes.


    "Demitri! Watch out!" Vera yelled.


    I felt a sharp pain in my stomach as it cut across my gut.


    "Demitri!"


    I swung my sword around in defense and tried to rub the blood from my eyes.


    "Vera!" Lenard said.


    I could hear Vera shriek and a rush of emotions came to me.


    Wiping the blood off my face I saw the Ghast holding Vera around her neck. Darius had his back to the steep cliff while he held onto Vera. He was goading me to come forward as he kept Vera hostage. I wasn''t going to let Vera die by this monster. I calmed my breathing but my anger didn''t subside.


    I made my move quickly before the monster could react.


    In an instant again, I flashed to Darius and stabbed him in the side. He released his hold on Vera and I pull her away from the cliff with my free hand. In that moment the Ghast held onto me as he fell backward into the cliff behind him. I couldn''t use my skill to flash away and despair came to me. I tried to free myself but the Ghast gripped my arm and pulled me down with him.


    I could see Vera and Lenard''s shock as I went with the monster off the cliff.


    "Demitri!!"


    The cave was glowing brighter with the moonlight being reflected inside but I was falling back into darkness.


    After they screamed my name, I couldn''t hear anything nor could I see anything.


    The silence of the cave was almost deafening and I tumbled down into a dark abyss below.

 Chapter Thirty-one - Dharma:4

    The Ghast who called himself Darius held onto me closely. We tumbled down off the cliff together and the fear of my demise swelled in the pit of my stomach. Darius probably sensed my anxiety and gave out a laugh of madness. I use my blade to stab him in the head and end his miserable life. His laughter stops and I free myself from his grasp.


    I was falling too fast but I couldn''t see anything in the black abyss.


    I didn''t want to die this way, not here in this wretched placed. The anticipation of seeing my doom was forefront in my mind. Something finally came into my vision and I held my breath to brace for the impact. It looked like a green ooze of some sort and my body crashed into it. I felt the texture as smooth and slippery, almost gelatinous.


    My body was being forced through but the ooze fought back. My momentum from the fall was being slowed by the ooze. The green ooze stretched across the cavern of the hole and acted like a spider''s web. I didn''t want to know what kind of monster made this and what for. The ooze couldn''t support my weight and I break through. Once my body had passed, I see that another one laid below it. The same thing occurred again and again until almost all my momentum was stopped.


    When I broke through the third one, I could finally see the ground and I was still a considerable distance from it. My breathing returned to normal and I knew I had to break my fall again somehow. I sheathed my sword and built some resolve. I tried to flash closer to the ground and roll. I couldn''t really gauge the distance in midair but I had to try something. I landed feet first and my left ankle buckled causing me to roll over the ground.


    I clutched my ankle and cried out in pain but I was still alive.


    After a fall from such a cliff, I had survived with only a minor injury. I most likely sprained my ankle from the fall. I tried standing up and I could feel that I couldn''t put much pressure on my foot. I pulled up my left boot and tied my laces around the boot as tightly as I could. My eyes wandered around my surroundings and the cave was glowing a faint white.


    The bottom of the cliff was just like any other area in the cave. A mess of rocks and bones were littered here but I could see the bodies of some Elves. I walk closer to examine them and saw that one had the same image as Darius. Other bodies were down here, some were eaten while the rest were left to rot. There were some wounds on the heads of all the Elves but I couldn''t tell what made it.


    The Ghasts were throwing bodies down here for some reason but for what?


    I look up back to the cliff and my vision was blocked by the green ooze. I hoped that Vera and Lenard had left the cave. I wanted them to get out safely as these North Mountains were filled with dangerous things. They had no indication that I could still be alive and it could be all for the better. I was going to find a way out of these caves and go north.


    A rumbling was felt underneath me and I toppled over to the ground. That was the second time I heard and felt such a noise inside these caves. Whatever it was, I wished that it wouldn''t find me. I grimaced as I felt my ankle and I stood up again. Sweat covered my body as a heat was permeating around the bottom of the cave. I began walking again and looked for an exit out of this hole.


    The glowing of the cave was getting brighter and then suddenly darkness covered the area. Like a candlelight being blown out, I couldn''t see anything. Then again the cave glowed in a white light and began to flicker. Was there clouds outside in the North Mountains? That could be the explanation for why the light inside the cave would react in such a way. I started to become dizzy by how the light would appear and disappear again. I closed my eyes for a bit and then opened them to a shock.


    Helem was standing in front of me bleeding from the wounds I gave him.


    "Helem," I gasped.


    "Can you see now Demitri?"


    "No," I said. "You''re dead!"


    "Yes and you killed me."


    The light flickered again and Helem disappeared.


    My mind was racing and my heart was beating fast. The light glowed again like a switch being turned off and on. Ghasts started appearing in the light and I drew my sword. They rushed at me and I sliced them apart. I could feel my blade going into their bodies and the blood covering me. I couldn''t move well enough to fight these Ghasts but I fended them off.


    As I killed them, more Ghasts seem to come and replace them. I gripped my sword tightly and felt my muscles surge with energy. The Ghasts were mindless as they kept coming toward me. The light flickered on and off as I fought them. There didn''t seem to be any end to the madness. Then with another flicker of the light, those Ghasts disappeared.


    I looked around confused and sweat continued to drop from my forehead. The light in the caves still glowed white like it always did. I could hear the sound of my own breathing. There didn''t seem to be any monsters around me. Another flicker of the light and the bodies of the Ghasts reappeared on the floor.


    What is happening?


    Off the light went and then on again. My face was frozen and I started to shake. The bodies that laid on the floor had been replaced with that of children. They were all bleeding and had their eyes opened as they stared at me. My hands and my blade were covered in their blood. I screamed out in horror and my voice echoed through the cave.


    Was I going insane?


    A little girl was close to me and I tried to reach out to her. I felt the warmth of her body and the blood that covered her. I looked at her closely and saw that she was the orphan girl who was with Helem. The light flickered again and her body was gone. I looked around again and there was nothing. Then suddenly another child stood in front of me. It was a little girl and parts of her neck were bitten off. She was part of the family who I let Martin kill.


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    "Why did you tell him?" she said.


    I tried blinking my eyes but then she appeared closer to me.


    "Why did you let him eat us?"


    "No!" I said. "I di-didn''t know."


    The light flickered and Martin appeared next to her.


    "Aren''t you better than the Hero?" Martin said. "Don''t you know everything?"


    "No! I didn''t know! I would''ve stopped it!" I screamed.


    The light flickered again and they disappeared.


    "But you didn''t stop us." A voice called out behind me.


    I looked behind me and saw the faces of Diego, Richard, and Ariel. They were young just like when we were at the orphanage. The light flickered again and now they became older. Diego was covered in arrows and bleeding all over. Richard was in a Lycan-form bleeding from a wound to his heart. Ariel was in a nightgown bleeding from between her legs.


    "You let us steal!"


    "You let us die!"


    "Why are you still alive!"


    "I didn''t! I didn''t mean to!" I said.


    "You took us away from our daughter!" Ariel said.


    "You''re right!" I screamed. "I failed you!"


    I closed my eyes and I covered my ears with my hands.


    Silence filled the air and I opened my eyes again. The light continued to flicker on and off. My breathing became erratic as I tried holding myself together. Then she appeared before me like the last time I saw her. She was always on my mind and I didn''t know where she was. She was my companion and the daughter of my friends. It was the little wizard Lizzie and she looked at me with her sweet face.


    "Why didn''t you tell me about my parents Demitri?" Liz said. "Why couldn''t you save them?"


    "I-I¡­"


    I shuddered and fell down to my knees as I couldn''t make a reply.


    "I will never forgive you Demitri!" Liz said. " I will always hate you!"


    My words wouldn''t come out and I felt weak as the lights flickered again. Now I could see the bodies of the dead wandering around the cave. Suddenly, they all stopped and looked at me. It was as if I had finally appeared to them. Their bodies were like ghosts and they all staggered towards me. They all grabbed me and tried to tear me apart. A bright flash occurred and it blinded me.


    "You talk about righteousness?"


    I open my eyes to look and see Princess Helen.


    "You think I''m a monster?" Princess Helen said. "Then what about you?"


    "You had the knowledge!" I said. "You had the power!"


    "Don''t you have the power? Aren''t you just running around like a wild dog?"


    The light flickered again and Cassandra appeared in her place.


    "Why did you kill him Demitri?" Cassandra said. " You knew how much I loved him."


    Cassandra was walking towards me and then held her hands to my face.


    "I''ve seen your eyes, did you lust over me?"


    "No¡­" I said.


    "Did you want my body?"


    "No!" I shouted.


    "Were you not always jealous of the Hero?"


    "..."


    Cassandra started to take off her armor and revealed her naked body to me.


    "You want me¡­do you not?"


    I pushed away Cassandra and she disappeared as the lights flickered again.


    I felt like I was insane with some sort of madness. I couldn''t tell what was real or fake anymore. Tears were welling up in my eyes. My heart felt like it was being dragged through the mud. My mind couldn''t comprehend anything. Everyone seemed to know my inner thoughts and I was frightened by it. The flicker of darkness and light scared me.


    I was shaking in despair.


    The light came on again and now I saw everyone. Everyone surrounded me and looked at me with deathly stares. They were all covered in blood and there was a trail that led to me. I looked at my hands and they were replaced by a black darkness. The ring on my finger was white and I screamed out as the darkness started to consume me.


    They all looked at me and pointed.


    "Why?" They said in unison.


    "I don''t know!" I replied.


    "Why!?"


    "I''m just a man!" I said.


    "WHY!"


    "I''m not perfect!" I said.


    I slammed my fist on the ground.


    "WHAT ARE YOU!?"


    "I''m not a hero!" I screamed.


    "YOU ARE A MONSTER!" They shouted.


    "YES!" I shouted back.


    "YOU ARE A DEMON!" They shouted again.


    "Yes," I said. "¡­I am."


    I balled up onto the floor and cried. I knew that I let everyone down. I knew that I should''ve done things better. I knew that I was alive while people around me died. I knew that I was the source of misery to the people I cared about. Everyone stared at me and I felt the air from my lungs leave me. Suddenly they all parted away and looked towards a dark entrance.


    I looked at the direction of their gaze and I saw him.


    His hair like the sky, his emerald eyes, his majestic white armor and the beautiful smile he always had.


    He walked over to me calmly and the light seem to shine brighter.


    He was the source of my gravest sins.


    He was the Hero.

 Chapter Thirty-two - Dharma:5

    In this world, there was only one man whom I admired and that was the Hero. Maybe it wasn''t the Hero himself but the idea that he represented. Someone that could save the  people and elevate the world around them. Watching the Hero was like seeing the best in people and the goodness that was still there. Now I know that there were no heroes.


    I couldn''t stand up as my body just wouldn''t move.


    He looked at me like he always had and I never felt more frightened. My mind was a mess and I was shaking uncontrollably. I felt the guilt in my heart boil up and over me. I didn''t know what was going on anymore. I knew that the Hero had died and he was murdered by my own hands. My eyes looked at him as if he had never left this world.


    The Hero of the Veil, Gabriel, was standing in front of me.


    "Why¡­" I said almost petrified. "Are you here?"


    Gabriel looked at me as carefree as ever and pointed at me.


    My soul screamed out in anguish. Emotions poured over me just like my blood, sweat, and tears. Has my time finally come for me? Have all the sins I''ve acquired accumulated to this? He was the true Hero and I was not.


    "Y-you came for me?"


    Gabriel nodded his head and there was joy on his face.


    The light shined in a bright white and stopped flickering. Did I finally die? Was all this madness because of the guilt I felt in my soul? Did Gabriel come to bring me to the afterlife? Was this why my sins had come to haunt me? There were only questions in my thoughts as I looked at him.


    I knew that someday I would face the consequences of my actions but I didn''t think it was this soon. I prayed that whenever that time came for me I would regret nothing. No, I stopped praying, I only hoped now. Then a thought came to my mind and some resolve built up. There were still lasting regrets that would not let me go.


    "I can''t die yet," I said. "I have to finish things."


    I shook my head and stood up on my feet.


    The pain in my ankle had subsided as a surge of new emotions came to me. I had to finish what I set out to accomplish. I had to save the kingdoms and its people. I couldn''t go away just yet and leave things half done. I had killed the hero and I had caused great turmoil. I wasn''t a man who didn''t face my consequences. I had to go north and I had to kill the Demon Lord before I could rest in the dirt.


    Gabriel''s demeanor changed and he drew his sword.


    The Holy Sword in his hand looked the same as the last time I saw it. But, that was when I saw it on top of his casket. Is this truly the Hero come back alive again? No, this was a trick. This was a monster that was preying on my weakness. I will not go quietly as this monster tried to devour my soul.


    "You dare Demitri?" Gabriel said. "I am the Hero!"


    Gabriel stood tall and lifted his chin at me.


    "No, you''re not," I said. "I killed the Hero."


    I drew my blade and pointed at the Hero imposter. Gabriel''s face twisted into something I had never seen before. I had never seen the Hero face anything with hate and anger. The Hero had always kept a smile with a calm demeanor. He would not let anyone see his real emotions and nobody could decipher his real thoughts. This confirmed my feelings and I truly knew that this monster was not the Hero.


    The monster slashed at me and I blocked it easily. I punched the imposter in the face and felt the shattering of his teeth on my knuckles. This was not the Hero, he would not let me have the first strike. I tightened my fists as I gripped my sword. The fake Hero went into a fury and started to attack me. This fake was too slow and too awkward at fighting to be the real Hero. I calmed myself and saw through this farce.


    "Who are you!?" I screamed.


    "I''m the Hero!" Gabriel said.


    The imposter fought me again and I deflect all his strikes. Even with my broken Mithril sword, this fake couldn''t penetrate any of my defenses. The true Holy Sword would cut through my Mithril blade like it was paper. This was a fake through and through. Who was this in front of me and what did they want?


    "I AM THE HERO!" The imposter shouted.


    "No," I said. "You''re not."


    I swing my blade and cut through the fake Hero. The monster couldn''t even read my movements as blood splattered over me. The fake Hero was bleeding and suddenly vaporized into a black mist. I examined the blood that came on me and noticed it had all disappeared. This wasn''t real at all and those things weren''t the people I knew. I looked at the people and saw the fa?ade for what it was, a trap.


    Now all those people who stared and shouted at me before became afraid. I flash toward each one and stab them with my Mithril sword. The blade would easily slice through them and blood would splash only to disappear. Each time my sword would pierce them, they would vaporize into a black mist. Again, I had killed my friends even if they weren''t real.


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    These weren''t the people I knew, they didn''t come back from the dead.


    After I finished the last one, I looked around me and saw nothing. My eyes went to the ground and I noticed it looked artificial. I stab my sword in the ground and blood emerged like a geyser. The ground began to rumble and shake. I knelt down and pressed my sword deeper.


    "WHO ARE YOU!?" I shouted.


    Then the rumble stopped and a vapor slowly crept away from the ground.


    "WHAT ARE YOU!?" I shouted again.


    Only a bright white light shone in the cave.


    "Show yourself!" I said.


    The lights started to flicker.


    "Face me!" I said. "You coward!"


    Again the lights flickered but now in a controlled manner.


    My eyes stared straight and waited for whatever was supposed to come. I was ready for anything to appear. Darkness and light seem to flash like bolts of lightning. When there was darkness, there looked to be a white thread spinning itself in front of me. When there was light, a darkness seems to swirl in that area.


    Something started to manifest itself in front of me and I held onto my sword tightly.


    The darkness swirled up and formed a body shaped like an oval. The being stood over seven feet tall as its shaped formed. Tendrils sprouted from its face and tentacles on the side of its body. White teeth appeared in the middle of its dark body. They were large teeth but also flat and rounded like they were used for smashing instead of chewing. White lines outlined its body and eyes in the darkness.


    I had never seen such a monster before, I didn''t know what it was.


    "Kekeke." The monster was making a noise.


    The tendrils on its face seem to flutter about.


    "What kind of monster are you," I said.


    I held my blade in a defensive posture.


    "You call me a monster?" The shadow said. "But aren''t you truly the one who is horrific?"


    The lights were flickering as the black shadow of a monster was moving around me.


    "Your mind is a mess and I can see into your thoughts." The monster said.


    Darkness settled for a moment and I could still see the monster with the white outlines of his body.


    "You were trying to trick me," I said.


    The monster gave me a smile with his large teeth and the lights flickered again.


    "I was just trying to set you free."


    I grimaced at its words.


    "By tormenting me?" I said.


    "Everyone lives and everything dies," It said. "I was trying to save you from the pain."


    Its tentacles started to rub over its body.


    "Why not save you while letting you sustain me?"


    "You were trying to devour me?"


    "Don''t say it like that," The monster said. " I just happen to nourish myself on the thoughts and dreams of others."


    "So you tried tricking me so you could drain my mind?"


    "Yes and I wasted many of my minions but your mind is so deliciously tempting."


    The light flickered and bodies started to appear on the ground around us. The bodies of Ghasts and Elves littered the ground. There were other things too but I couldn''t tell from how rotten they were. Bones scattered everywhere that belonged to a variety of creatures. This monster had a mountain of bodies that sustained its life. I was shocked at the field of horror that laid around me.


    "Who are you?" I said.


    The monster moved its tentacles up as if it tried to shrug.


    "I have no idea myself Demitri." The monster said. "But since I know your name how about you call me Nyarlathotep."


    I never heard of a monster or a name such as that before.


    "Nyarlathotep?" I said.


    "Yes, it''s an old name from a place I came from."


    "Where did you come from?" I said.


    Nyarlathotep moved its tentacles wildly and then curled some close to its teeth.


    "Hmmm¡­.some place far away." It said.


    "Earth?..." I said.


    The monster was shocked at the word and it tilted its body.


    "How do you know that name?"


    The lights kept flickering as I stared at the monster who looked back at me puzzled.


    This monster was also a reincarnated being!?


    What is going on in the world?

 Chapter Thirty-three - Dharma:6

    Sweat was dripping from my forehead as I looked at the monster. Just what is happening in the world that reincarnated beings are coming here? Could there be something making these reincarnated beings coming to this world? Do reincarnated beings become anything? From the Goblin King to this monster, they were more dangerous than any regular Demon. Just from looking at this monster I could tell how terrifying it was.


    The monster''s white eyes looked at me waiting for my answer.


    "Are you from Earth?" I said.


    The dark shadow of a monster waved its tentacles.


    "No," It said. "I''m not."


    What? Was this monster from somewhere other than Earth? Maybe just stopping the Demon Lord won''t be enough to save this world. Perhaps I can''t die in the dirt after killing the Demon Lord. There was something strange going on in the world and I have to find out what it was. I dared not look away from this monster as more questions came into my mind.


    "How do you know Earth?" I said.


    "From the memories of someone I know," Nyarlathotep said.


    "Are you a reincarnated being?" I said.


    Nyarlathotep looked at me puzzled and curled its tentacles. The light kept flickering but I kept my focus on the monster. What was it and how did it come to be? If it was a reincarnated being, then I must assume that it is very powerful. I tried to look for any weakness the monster had but it only looked like pure darkness.


    "What is that?" It asked.


    "Something born in another world only to be born here again with their own thoughts and memories."


    I looked at the dark monster who seemed to ponder in thought.


    "No, I''m not that," Nyarlathotep said. "I''ve always been what I am."


    "What are you?"


    "Something my creator summoned."


    "You have a master!?"


    Nyarlathotep smiled with its large teeth.


    So someone actually created this monster. That person must be very powerful to do so. I don''t know if that person could be considered sane after witnessing Nyarlathotep itself. The powers of this monster were almost unimaginable. It could shape-shift and control others while looking at your thoughts. This monster was more like a God than anything.


    "Memories of Earth came from my creator," Nyarlathotep said.


    "Memories?" I said.


    "My creator came from Earth," Nyarlathotep said. "I only peeked a little into his mind."


    "Where is your creator now?" I asked.


    "Dead."


    The tentacles of Nyarlathotep seem to droop down.


    "When did he die?"


    "Some thousand years ago."


    This monster was very old but it''s strange that no one would''ve known about its existence. No, it wouldn''t be given how powerful it is. Although, the creator of this monster has intrigued me quite a bit. What kind of person would be able to summon this monster? Its creator must have gone down in history as a powerful magician. I had to find out and asked this monster.


    "Who is your creator?" I said.


    Nyarlathotep curled its tentacles and then its tendrils started to flutter.


    "I have forgotten his name but I do remember that people used to call him the Great Demon Emperor."


    I was shocked and felt pale as a ghost. The Great Demon Emperor was the first of his people. He was the one to establish the Demon Territory to the north and he was the first scourge of humanity. The Demon Lord is said to be the scion of the Great Demon Emperor. He was a plague on the world but for some reason never sought to conquer it. If that Great Demon Emperor was actually a reincarnated being, it would make sense why he was so powerful.


    "You actually smell like him maybe that''s why you''re so deliciously tempting," Nyarlathotep said.


    The monster looked at the black ring on my finger.


    "Yes, you are just like him."


    I kept my sword ready in case this monster tried anything.


    "You have a great mental fortitude," Nyarlathotep said. "Usually, men go insane when they see me."


    "I''m not like other men," I said.


    Nyarlathotep''s white eyes sharpen on me and its tentacles wavered.


    "I can see that," It said.


    I point my blade at the monster and wait for its move.


    "I don''t want to fight you," Nyarlathotep said.


    "Your actions prove otherwise," I said.


    The monster laughed and it smiled at me.


    "How about we make a deal?" It said.


    "I don''t make deals with devils," I said.


    "We don''t have to but aren''t you pressed on time?" Nyarlathotep said. "I can wait until you die but can you?"


    The monster was snickering.


    "You won''t be able to escape without me."


    This monster already knew my thoughts and memories. If it also lived for a thousand years then the passage of my death would be nothing to it. Nyarlathotep had most likely already seen what it wanted from my mind. I couldn''t wait here and battle with this monster while the Demon Lord still lives. I needed to know what it''s thinking first before I deal with this monster.


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    "Why?" I said.


    "Because I can''t leave," Nyarlathotep said. "I''m bored."


    Its answer confused me.


    "You''ve never left the North Mountains?" I asked.


    "No, I can''t leave," Nyarlathotep replied. "My creator trapped me here."


    Was this monster trapped here In the North Mountains? No wonder it has lived for so long without being found out. It couldn''t leave but used the Ghasts to lure prey here. Its creator was smart enough to not let this monster go free. The monster looked at me when rubbing its tentacles together. Or was this all a trick?


    "I want to leave but I also want your delicious dreams," Nyarlathotep said. "You want to leave and you want to kill the Demon Lord."


    I nod my head at the monster.


    "Then we can make an arrangement," It said. "Let me use your body as a vessel and I can guide you through the North Mountains without any harm."


    "And?" I said.


    "When you kill the Demon Lord¡­your soul will be mine."


    I could see the teeth from inside its dark body form into a mischievous grin.


    "How do I know you won''t turn on me?" I said.


    "We can make a contract using that ring of yours," Nyarlathotep said.


    The monster pointed to the black ring on my finger using its tentacles.


    "A contract bonded by that powerful artifact will have grave consequences that I dare not break," Nyarlathotep said. "Also, in return, you may use a portion of my power."


    "This black ring can?"


    "It was made by my creator."


    The ring that had bonded to me was made by the Demon Emperor?


    I had serious doubts about this but I didn''t know if I could kill this monster. I was trapped in its lair and I didn''t know what else laid about. If there were more frightening creatures here, I shudder to even think about it. No one would come save me even if they knew I was here either. I had no choice but to accept this monster''s proposal.


    I looked up at the monster who smiled at me.


    "I accept," I said with some conviction.


    So in the end, my life would be forfeit to a dark monster when my time comes.


    "When you kill the Demon Lord¡­your soul will be mine." The smiling monster said.


    "Then guide me and use your power to help me in this endeavor," I said.


    Nyarlathotep swung its tentacles and tendrils wildly as the lights flickered.


    "Raise up your hand and swear the contract on the ring."


    I hold up my hand and swore on the contract with the monster. I felt a great power and the ring started to burn my hand. The monster Nyarlathotep only smiled at me. Suddenly the ring began to surge and suck the darkness into it.  I gripped my hand and I looked at the monster who began to laugh.


    An energy filled the caves and the lights flickered wildly.


    Nyarlathotep raised up its dark tentacles and soon the ring reacted to the monster. The ring started to drag the body of Nyarlathotep into it. It was as if the ring was devouring the monster instead. But Nyarlathotep did not care that his body was being sucked into the ring.  The monster smiled as the ring started to consume it.


    Soon the body of Nyarlathotep completely vanished into the ring.


    My face grimaced as I felt a new power surge within me. It was something strange but it felt nostalgic in a way. My mind felt free and clear like my worries had disappeared. I balled my hands into fists as the energy flowed through me. I looked at the black ring on my finger and saw that it became elaborate in design. Now instead of a pure black ring, there were white lined designs on it. I circled the ring around my finger and saw that the design looked like Nyarlathotep.


    Only light shone inside the caves now and the dark shadows had disappeared.


    Something voiced in my mind.


    "Our contract is complete, good luck on your mission¡­Hero."


    A faint laughter seemed to echo in the caves and my mind. A path opened for me at the bottom of the caves and I knew where I should go. I walked onto the bright path that laid before me. Everything seemed much clearer to me but there were some dark clouds in my thoughts.


    There was a nagging ache in the back of my mind.


    It itched and clawed at me like a scavenger.


    I couldn''t help but think that I made a deal with a devil.


    And that my soul would burn for it.

 Side Story - Oracle:1 - Dharma:6.5

    I was in a tiny room and I looked out at the sky. Time was becoming a factor for us. But, we waited for his arrival. There was a book in my hand and I read it patiently. Where are you? When will you come find me? That was all I thought about as I sat waiting.


    There was a knock on the door and someone entered the room.


    It was a beautiful girl with silver hair. She had milky white skin and eyes as clear as the sky. She was wearing a uniform that told of her prestige and accomplishments. She looked much older than me but she was younger by five years. She had a serious expression on her face and I knew what she was going to say.


    "When is he coming?" She asked.


    "Soon Petra," I said. "I can feel him close by."


    I closed the book and held it to my chest.


    "Should I gather the men and go find him?" Petra said.


    "No," I said. "Knowing him, he''ll fight you."


    Petra still had a stoic expression but I could tell that she was getting peeved. She stood straight and tall but her eyebrows had a slight twitch to them. I chuckled a bit and gave her a smile. I could see Petra''s face turning slightly red.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked.


    "I don''t like it when you tease me," Petra answered.


    "I''m not," I said. "That''s just how he is."


    "Are you sure about him?"


    "Have I been wrong?"


    "No, you haven''t Oracle."


    I stood up and stretched my arms out wide. I had been sitting in this room all day while reading my book. It was an old history book about the world and the founding of the nations. It was written by the first Hero of the world. He talked about the people, their struggles, and the war they waged on each other.


    What interested me was what happened to the Hero after he saved the world, he was exiled and labeled a criminal.


    This was what the people of the world offered to their saviors, punishment for doing good. It was the way of the world and yet people could not stop it. The Kings and Queens or the many rulers of countries only sought to benefit themselves. If you weren''t useful anymore, you were dealt with quickly and publicly.


    "Let''s go outside for a bit Petra."


    "Are you sure Oracle?"


    I nod my head and sweep my hair aside from my face.


    We left the tiny room and went outside where there seemed to be a snow covered wonderland. The weather here was cold and dreary but the people smiled. Some children ran by me and greeted me warmly. I could see some townsfolk look at my direction and give me a simple bow.


    "Was it wise to stay here in the town?" Petra asked.


    "Why not?" I said.


    "You could''ve stayed inside the castle."


    "No," I said. "I''m a simple girl and I like to be around people."


    The town we were in was small and simple but I loved it. Not because of its simplicity but the people that lived here. They didn''t have much but they had big hearts and wide smiles. The food here was also delicious as they were made with tender care and love. I''m usually a picky eater but I feel content when I eat the food here.


    I continued walking around the town with Petra.


    "The marquis kept asking for you," Petra said.


    "Hmm?..."


    "Everyone wants to know when he will come."


    "He will come," I replied.


    "It''s dangerous right now," Petra said. "The Kingdom of Bareth and Solace seem to be cooperating."


    I looked at her and I gave out a heavy sigh.


    So it means they have started to move already. I wonder what the Church of the Veil is going to do. I know how tainted and corrupt they really are. If anything it wasn''t the Kingdoms I was worried about but the Church. They were the true sinners of this world. What they''ve done to its people cannot be repaired so easily.


    "Are the scouts still watching Princess Helen?" I asked.


    "Yes, we have surveillance on her but we can''t get too close," Petra replied.


    "That''s good, you can never tell what she''s thinking," I said.


    "As long as we have you Oracle, I don''t think she will be a problem."


    I give Petra a smile.


    "You don''t have to patronize me," I said.


    "It''s true," Petra said. "Even the Generals praise you for your outstanding abilities."


    "It''s nothing," I said. "Just some tricks."


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    People have always praised me since I was a child for the things I could do. I knew that it was a farce of talent that I had. I wasn''t truly talented as the other people I knew. The ones who deserved praise are those of moral and upstanding character. Maybe that''s why I always thought about him. He was a Hero and I would never forget the things he''d done. Truly in my heart and soul, I loved him.


    "We should go to Granny''s," I said.


    Petra stopped in her tracks and looked at me.


    "Are you hungry again!?"


    "I''ve only had a little meal to satisfy me."


    "You call what you ate¡­a little?"


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about," I said.


    Snow started to drift down from the sky and encompass the land further. It was a winter wonderland here in the town and the joy of children could be seen. I smiled and watched as they ran around playing in the snow. Some snowflakes drifted down and landed on my robes. With a simple blow of air, they puff out to the sky.


    I walked down a certain path and Petra followed me closely. Her uniform started to get covered in snowflakes at which she repeatedly dusted off. I laughed as I watched her become exasperated at the falling snow. It was times like these that I believed in the joys of living. We stopped at a building that looked like a simple white structure but its architecture was far advanced from the rest of the world.


    As we entered a bell rung, soon an old woman shorter than me appeared. She had looked to be like that of a child but she was far older than us by many decades. She came to greet us but when she saw my face her skin turned pale. It looked like she had seen something horrible but all I could do was smile at her.


    "Y-you''re back! Already!? So Soon!?" Granny said.


    "Yes," I said. "I think your food is very delicious."


    "Please, Oracle!" Granny said. "Give me a break!"


    I was puzzled at the Granny''s words and tilted my head.


    "I just want to eat some of your delicious food," I said.


    "We have other customers to serve as well!" Granny said.


    I looked to Petra who only looked to be shaking her head.


    "I only want one serving!" I said and held up one finger.


    Granny sharpened her eyes at me and grabbed my finger in a harsh grip.


    "A girl must always keep her promises!" Granny said.


    I nod my head to her.


    Quickly I got seated at a table with Petra and Granny served us some tea. I looked around the restaurant and noticed how Eastern in design it was. This town was peaceful and it''s people were good. How foolish was I to believe in the words of the ignorant? Even good men and women had died believing in a farce.


    Petra looked at me again and wanted to talk business.


    "Are you sure?" Petra said.


    "I''m sure," I said again while drinking my tea.


    Suddenly I felt a disturbance in the air and the soul stream seemed to cry out to me. I stood up from my chair and looked south to the North Mountains. Something powerful was just awoken and it was going to leave the North Mountains. It felt dark in nature and the mana around me seemed to condense.


    "What''s going on?" Petra said.


    I look at Petra and took my seat again.


    "We might have to plan some contingencies," I said.


    "What!? Is he not coming?"


    "No, he is but something else is coming with him."


    I gave Petra a serious expression and she knew the severity of the situation.


    "Gather the Demon troops," I said. "We might have to go get him after all."


    "Yes, Oracle," Petra said and gave me a salute.


    Petra stood up and quickly left the restaurant.


    I looked at the cover of the book in my hands. It was written by the first Hero of this world. The Hero was transported to this world from a different one. He was brought over by a powerful technique that was discovered by accident. When he came, he brought with him new ideas and even developed a new system of magic. When they thought he was no longer useful, they branded him a criminal and exiled him.


    The first Hero of the world.


    He was also known as the Great Demon Emperor and the first of his people.

 Chapter Thirty-four - Dharma:7

    There was a crawling chaos in my heart and mind, I had made a deal with a devil. I knew what it was but I couldn''t stop myself. Time and my own tribulations had overcome me. I wanted to kill the Demon Lord, I wanted to right my wrongs. I became blinded by the need to redeem myself but I already knew, there was no redemption for me.


    I never confessed myself to be a saint or a hero, I''m just a man.


    A man who sometimes becomes blinded by his emotions. I''ve done things that I believe were right and those were the choices I''ve lived by. The mistakes I''ve made will always come back to haunt me. A reprisal for the things I''ve done and I accept that. This is what I''ve learned through my life.


    I''ll face my consequences in the end and that''s all I could do.


    I staggered out of the caves in the North Mountains, I had finally reached Demon Territory. The maze of the caves became surprisingly easy to navigate as if I knew where to walk and go. Nyarlathotep made good on his word and the monsters had stayed away from me. I didn''t even see a shadow, no, I became a shadow myself. Darkness seems to be consumed by me as I walked past it.


    It was a cloudy winter outside of the North Mountains in Demon Territory. The landscape reflected what I knew about the Demons, frozen and dreary. The air was cold and the sky was bleak like the foreboding of something to come. Yet the air around me was evaporating like smoke. My body was burning with an intensity I had never felt before. The power of the black ring on my finger was stronger than ever. The pact I made with that monster had given the ring a new form. That black ring became bonded with the monster which in turn was bonded to me.


    I felt that I could face an army of Demon Lords and come out unscathed.


    I made a foolish choice but I was not an actual fool. I understand the corruption that comes with power but I needed it, I wanted it. It was already suicide to face the Demon Lord alone. Last time I had the help of my former companions and we faced the Demon Lord together. Now, some were missing and the rest were dead. It was my mission to confront the Demon Lord and correct the mistakes I''ve made.


    A noise could be heard from the trees close to me. Wolves as white as snow appeared before me. They looked hungry and mad at my presence. The wolves were desperate otherwise, they would know what they really faced. I pulled out my blade and waited for them. The pack of wolves surrounded me and I could see the vicious fangs they bared.


    "Get on with it," I said.


    Soon a wolf lunged at me and in an instant, it disappeared. A visceral explosion of guts and blood appeared before its place. My broken Mithril blade made mincemeat out of the hungry wolf. The other wolves hesitated because they didn''t realize what happened to a member of their pack. Another wolf tried his luck and in return, it was cleaved in two.


    Now they understood the clear difference between us. The wolves whimpered and ran off with their tails behind their legs. I sheathe my sword and look at the mess I made. For some reason, I didn''t feel anything at all from doing this. No, wait, I did feel something and it horrified me. I didn''t realize it until I caught myself, but I was smiling like I enjoyed the killing and I felt afraid of myself.


    "What is happening to me¡­" I whispered to myself.


    I looked at the black ring on my finger and I twisted it for a bit.


    "Nyarlathotep," I said. "What are you doing to me."


    A white glow flashed on my ring and I could hear the voice of Nyarlathotep.


    "As I said before on our agreement my lord," Nyarlathotep said. "I will help you kill the Demon Lord."


    "Are you controlling me?"


    "My lord," Nyarlathotep said. "Why would I do that?"


    "Don''t you want my soul?"


    Nyarlathotep laughed inside my mind.


    "Now that''s the fun my lord, what is a soul without a little sprinkle of fun? Tempting, your soul is very tempting but I''ve lived for a long time. I like to savor the things that I believe are delicious. The emotions you''ve felt, the things you''ve lived through. Your trials and tribulations. It''s like a masterfully prepared dish and I''m just whiffing the aroma. I won''t let anything happen to you until you kill the new Demon Lord. Don''t worry, you are only getting a portion of my power. You will receive more when you use the black ring like you''ve done before. It is all for you and your struggle. Whatever you are doing now is because of you and only you. I will not change you¡­yet. "


    The voice of the monster subsided and the ring stopped glowing.


    I was alone in a white covered forest, standing on top of a pool of blood. I was becoming afraid of myself, even more, I felt like I was becoming something different. Was I transforming into something I hated? Am I becoming a monster? The idea started to fester in my heart and I trudge through the snowy forest.


    I moved forward like I always did and made tracks in the snow.


    I watched my surroundings carefully and looked up at the cloudy sky. Usually, there were patrols out here by the Demon army. It was eerie that I haven''t seen nor heard from them yet. This white wasteland called the Demon Territory was savage in nature and plenty of cruel monsters lived here themselves. The North Mountains was a dark and terrible place but it paled in comparison to the strength of the things that lived here.


    The monsters here didn''t hide in the dark, they let you see them and devoured your body as you watched.


    I knew that the Demons were in disarray after we had killed the previous Demon Lord. I had heard from some scouts in the Bareth army before that the Demon Territory had broken into four parts. The West territory was ruled by the Demon Duchess, the North by the Demon General, the East by the Demon Princess, and the South by the Demon Marquis. They fought with each other over control and bickered.


    If they were all united again by the new Demon Lord, then all hope is lost as our Hero is gone.


    I heard the whispers and rumors that somehow found its way down to the Kingdoms. The Demon Lord had returned and its people would rise against humanity again. I witnessed firsthand the terrifying power of the Demon Lord. I knew the prowess and combat ability of the Demons themselves. They had survived in this winter wasteland and nourished their skills to adapt to this climate. Their magic was above and beyond what most considered humanly possible.


    We had a ray of hope against the Demons before and that was the Hero.


    Now he was gone and only I was left to take this mission.


    It was my duty, my obligation, my reason for life.


    A massive shake occurred in the forest and I stood still as I listened. I heard the sound of footsteps but it was in exact unison. It was the march of soldiers and I quickly ran for cover. I hid behind a tree and made myself small. The steps became louder and louder until they stopped.


    Then I heard some voices coming from around the trees.


    "Is this the area?"


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    "The Oracle said he would be in this vicinity."


    "Where is she anyway?"


    "She said she had matters to do before she came."


    "How will we know what he looks like?"


    "We don''t, only the Oracle knows."


    I peered behind the tree I was hiding around and I saw them.


    It was a troop of Demons with a commander. The Demon commander was a woman with silver hair and white horns on her head. There were small black wings on her back and I could tell that she was very powerful. But this was strange, I could never understand Demons before. Only the Hero and Liz were able to. They used to sound foreign to my ears but now it was like they were speaking the common tongue.


    I looked at the black ring on my finger and knew that the ring was the reason for this.


    The commander was sitting on horseback and wearing some light armor. The rest of her Demon troops were covered in the elite black armor of the Demon army. These weren''t just any troops but the ones who protected the Demon Capital. What were they doing here and who are they looking for? Who is this Oracle that they are talking about?


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    Suddenly a force of wind blew in my direction and I ducked instinctively. The tree I was hiding behind had been cut in half and I rolled away before it could topple over me. I stood up and saw that the Demon commander was looking at me from on top her horse. She had a sword out and pointed towards me. I looked at the tree stump and saw that it had been cut clean by the wind.


    This Demon commander was a sword mage and a powerful one.


    "Who are you and why are you hiding?" The commander said.


    I looked at the Demons who drew their weapons out and faced me.


    "Talk now or be silenced forever."


    I looked at the ring on my finger but I didn''t want to show my trump card yet.


    "I''m just passing through," I said.


    "Out here? So close to the North Mountains?" The Demon commander said.


    I held up my hands but my fingers twitched slightly as if I wanted to grip my sword.


    "Liar," The commander said. "You are an assassin against our Lord!"


    Was I found out already?


    "The Demon Lord is here?" I asked.


    "Humph!" The commander showed disdain towards me.


    The situation was becoming grim and I didn''t think I could talk my way out of this.


    "Should we take care of him, Ma''am?" One of the soldiers said.


    "No, no need to stain our hands," The commander replied. "Bring out the Golems."


    Some of the troops behind her came forward and they made way for them. They had metal packs on their back and they laid them down. There were four in total and they uncovered what looked like metal armor. Suddenly the troops incanted a spell and the armors stood up from the ground. Those armors were mechanized Golems and an unnatural light seem to shine through the slits of their armor.


    "Take care of him," The commander pointed at me.


    The Golems rushed at me before I could react in time. One of the Golems backhanded my face and I flew backward. My body struck a tree and I coughed out blood. Another Golem dashed toward me and I rolled away. The Golem struck the tree with its metal arm and punctured it like it was nothing. I drew out my broken Mithril blade without thinking and stabbed the Golem in the neck.


    The Golem stood up and turned its head to look at me.


    "Damn!" I said.


    Stabbing them wasn''t going to work.


    Another Golem tackled me from behind and I fell over several yards in the snow. The Demons seem to be laughing at my plight but I couldn''t worry about that now. My body ached in pain but I moved off the ground before another Golem could rush me. The mechanized Golems were relentless and felt no pain. I was slowed by the snow and the pursuit of the four Golems.


    I let them chase me for a bit so I could settle my thoughts.


    I see a Golem separated from the others and I make my move. I flash towards the Golem and roll on the ground before it could attack me. I cut through the leg of the Golem with my blade and it fell over in the snow. As it fell faced down on the ground, I use my blade to slice off its head. The light that shone in the armor disappeared and I knew what I had to do.


    There were only three Golems left and they didn''t stop to look at me.


    They all rushed to attack me and I evade the attacks as best I could. The mechanized Golems fought like fighters using an array of punches and kicks. I side stepped what I could and I used my sword to deflect any hard blows. As more blows came into contact with my Mithril sword, I could hear a cracking noise. One Golem tried punching me in the face and I use my blade to block.


    My broken Mithril sword shattered before the Golem''s fist came into contact with my face.


    Again I was sent several meters away and tumbled to the white ground. Sweat was dripping from my forehead and blood leaked from my mouth. My Mithril sword was broken by the Golems. What were they made out of? I stagger up off the ground and look at the Demon commander who had a stoic expression. Her sword was still in her hand as she watched me from afar.


    I flashed forward towards her and use my magic steal to grab her sword.


    Two Golems quickly rushed me from behind but I swung around and use the sword to lop off their heads. Almost instantly they fell down to the ground without the light of life. Now only one Golem remained and it leaped towards me. I flashed away to the side before it landed and crushed the ground I used to be on.


    The Golem looked at me and I quickly flashed around it to the side. Again, I kept flashing around the Golem and it tried to follow my movements. I circled around the Golem by using my flash step and the Golem kept spinning around. Then in one moment I flashed toward the back of the Golem and use the commander''s sword to cut off the Golem''s head. I tried to catch my breath as I had finished destroying the last Golem.


    My gaze moved toward the Demons and I point the sword at them.


    "You''re right," I said. "I am an Assassin and I will kill your Demon Lord!"


    The Demons looked at me with pierced menacing gazes.


    "Where is your Demon Lord!?" I said. "Let him come face me!"


    "You don''t need to know," The Demon commander said.


    I walked towards the Demons and kept the sword pointed at them. The Demons encircled their commander in a defensive position. I was ready to fight them as I spit out my red blood to the white snow. They held out their weapons waiting for me to come forward. The Demon commander showed me no emotion as she looked at me from atop her horse.


    "Be ready to strike him down," The Demon commander said.


    The Demon commander goaded me to come forward with her hand.


    "WHERE IS THE DEMON LORD!?" I screamed.


    I grabbed the black ring on my finger and was about to pull it off.


    "Stop!" A voice called out.


    Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the ground between us and I jumped away. In the air, I saw a robed figure drift down from the sky. The Demons all stopped and saluted to the robed figure. I twisted my face in anticipation and waited for it to come down. I noticed the robed figure looking at me but I couldn''t see their face with the hood covering their head. Who was this? And what did they want from me?


    The robed figure came down onto the snow and I noticed a long river of blue hair.


    My breath left me for a moment as the robed figure uncovered their hood. I clearly saw the robed figure''s face and I was shocked momentarily. It was the little wizard Lizzie who the Demons were saluting. Lizzie looked a little more mature now, she was slim and taller than before. She looked like what most men would call beautiful. The robes she wore fluttered in the wind.


    The Demon commander went off her horse and rushed to her side.


    "Oracle," The silver haired Demon said to her. "As you commanded, we are waiting for the Demon Lord but there was trouble."


    "No, there''s no trouble here," Liz said.


    Liz looked at me with a smile like she always had.


    "Where is the Demon Lord?" The Demon commander said.


    I quickly looked around our surroundings to see where the Demon Lord could be.


    "Liz," I said. "What''s going on? The Demon Lord is here?"


    Liz nodded her head at me.


    "Where is the Demon Lord!?" I said.


    Liz pointed at me and the rest of the Demons looked at my direction.


    "You are the Demon Lord," Liz said.


    A whirl of confusion hit my mind and I stumbled backward.


    "You were chosen by the black ring," Liz said. "You are the Demon Lord, Demitri."


    Suddenly all the Demons knelt on the ground before me. The Demon commander looked at me hesitant but looked at Liz. Her face only smiled at me and then she nodded her head again. The Demon commander saw this and then knelt like the rest. My eyes kept moving from the Demons on the ground to Liz who stared at me.


    I looked at Liz and the Demons before my eyes went to the black ring on my finger.


    A faint laughter of madness echoed from the black ring.


    A shock of terror and despair came over me.


    I hadn''t become a monster but a Demon instead?


    Am I the Demon Lord?

 Chapter Thirty-Five - Advent:1

    Liz was looking at me with a gentle gaze and then her eyes went to the black ring on my finger.


    Suddenly, Liz summoned her staff from above her head.


    "State your intentions Nyarlathotep!" Liz said in a battle posture. "Or face the consequences!"


    The white lines on the black ring started to move and glow.


    "Very well then," Liz said. "We can cooperate for now."


    I didn''t know what was happening anymore.


    Liz knew about this devil that lived in the North Mountains? Why did I know nothing? What is going on? Am I truly the Demon Lord? Liz ordered everyone to follow her and we did. I went through the motions but my mind was a mess.


    I felt like a shell of my former self as I walked with the Demons. The flock of Demon troops kept their composure around me and treated me like a king. They were walking me towards a Demon town and Liz was guiding the pack. I hung my head low and just stared at the ground. So I''m the Demon Lord? Was what I''ve done for nothing? Or is Liz lying to me? But why would she do that?


    I moved my hand and touched the black ring to my lips.


    "Did you know?..." I whispered to the ring. "Am I really?..."


    "Kekeke," Nyarlathotep replied to my mind. "Yes, my lord."


    "So it was true," I whispered. "I''m the Demon Lord?"


    "Yes and I''ll help you receive a beautiful death," Nyarlathotep said in my mind with a laugh.


    I brought my hand down and twisted the ring on my finger.


    I had sold my soul for nothing and I had struggled for nothing. I despaired for what the Hero had done before. Now I was in misery for what I''d become. I had promised Richard that I would live on for the sake of others who could not. Then I had brokered a deal with a devil to end my own life. How foolish was I?


    Anguish filled my gut as I couldn''t help but feel bitter.


    What does destiny want from me? Why did my fate lead me down this terrible road? In my quest to kill the Demon Lord, I''ve killed many people and have come to know many horrible things. Some of those things would drive any man insane. My life would be better forfeit to those who want it. My legs started to feel numb as I lagged behind the others. The Demons stopped to look at me and then Liz appeared again.


    She looked at me and smiled but I only turned my head away.


    "What''s wrong?" Liz said.


    My gaze moved to meet hers.


    "Am I a monster?" I asked.


    I felt weak but looking at Liz gave me some minor strength.


    "No," Liz said. "You''re a savior, you''re a hero, you''re you, Demitri."


    I scoff at her words with a snicker.


    "I''m the Demon Lord," I said. "I''m the leader of Demons who are the scourge of Humanity."


    Liz kept her smile at me while she parted her long blue hair.


    "Life is as dear to Demons as it is to Man," Liz said. "Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures."


    My mouth was left agape at her words and Liz turned around to lead the troops again.


    When did Lizzie mature so quickly? She had always been very intelligent but her wisdom had changed immensely. I couldn''t call her a little wizard anymore as her height was close to mine now. She had always been strong but something about her now made her even stronger. I stared at her back until she stopped and turned her head for a moment.


    "You will come to know everything as I told you before," Liz said.


    "What!? You mean you''re!..."


    So the voice in my head in the Wild Forests had been Liz all along. While I worried about her and thought of her, she was watching me. How foolish was I again? The Reincarnators and the Demon Lord, were they all connected? It didn''t take long before we reached a small town that was in a clearing, north of the forest.


    It looked rather peaceful and the architecture was something I had never seen before.


    Liz had guided me to a stone brick building in the center of the town. There were random designs that littered over the walls and it looked like magical runes. Even seeing such a place and the tranquil calm of the town, I hadn''t felt anything. I had become numb to the emotions and the ordeal that came over me. I didn''t know why and for what I was brought here for.


    I had lost my purpose in life and felt empty.


    Liz entered the building and I followed after her. The doors closed behind us and I could gaze at the quaint area inside. It was a tiny room with bookcases and a desk with a table. The windows were set high and let an amount of air in from the outside. You could look out the window and see up into the sky. Liz stopped and turned around to look at me.


    "Don''t worry Demitri," Liz said with a smile. "This is a holy place, no one not even Nyarlathotep will bother us."


    Liz''s smile felt like it would melt my heart if I wasn''t already wretched in my feeling. I only stared at her pathetically as I felt drained of my sensitivity. Then in a quick moment, Liz came close to me and gave me a hug. She held me tight and I could feel the warmth of her body. The smell of her hair brought me back to the nostalgic times that I had spent with her.


    "Finally," Liz said. "You''re here."


    I cried and I shook myself off her grasp.


    Still, Liz looked at me with kindness and I leaned my back against the wall. I hunched down slowly and sat on the ground. Tears still dripped from my eyes as I thought about the things I had done. The people I''ve killed, the things I were supposed to stop. I had become the bane of humanity and the existence of life.


    "Kill me," I said looking at Liz. "I''m the enemy of existence in this world."


    I felt the ring on my finger slightly burn as I knew Nyarlathotep heard my words.


    "No," Liz said. "You''re our savior."


    My gaze moved to Liz and I saw her emerald eyes looking back at me.


    "Am I not the Demon Lord?" I said.


    "You are," Liz said. "But now you will know the truth that has been hidden from the world."


    Liz helped me up and took me to the center of the tiny room. There she summoned her staff and started an incantation. The glowing lights of a circle surrounded by runes appeared on the floor beneath us. A dark shadow had covered the entirety of the room and only left us in place. The spell circle underneath our feet expanded larger and larger until a bright flash occurred.


    I looked around me and saw that everything had disappeared but the glowing circle. Liz was nowhere to be found and I tried to talk but my words wouldn''t come out. I looked down to see that my body had disappeared. I had become a floating mass of consciousness and thoughts. There were only dark shadows surrounding the spell circle until someone appeared in the middle of the circle.


    The man wore strange clothes and looked oddly different. The area he was in looked fantastical in nature and my mind couldn''t understand what surrounded him. Suddenly, I saw the man get pulled into a black vortex. He appeared in what looked like a throne room surrounded by people and a king. The man looked shocked and horrified at being there. Armed knights surrounded him until the King waved them off.


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    Now the scene had faded into darkness again.


    "Long ago, there was a man who had come here from another world."


    A voice spoke and I knew it was Liz.


    "He was transported here against his own will and adapted splendidly to his surroundings."


    The man appeared again but this time, he was wearing something familiar. It looked to be the luxurious robes of a great magician. People started to greet him with respect and reverence. I could sense the power he emanated. The man seemed happy and content with his life but I could see the faint signs of melancholy.


    "He was a prodigy in the art of magic and he was also known as the first Hero in this world."


    Was this man the Hero Gilgamesh?


    "He developed a system of magic," Liz said. "One that you had become slightly familiar with."


    What system of magic was Liz talking about? Gilgamesh moved his hands in the air and a blue box appeared in front of him. The words and numbers written on it were something I had never seen before. Gilgamesh quietly looked at the box and rubbed his chin.


    "This system was known from a variety of games in his world."


    In his world, they treat magic like a game?


    "The Hero created it on a whim and decided to protect it by syncing it with his own soul."


    Was the first Hero that powerful?


    "The magic system connected itself to the Soul Stream and had become attuned to those of a particular soul."


    Gilgamesh connected magic to the Soul Stream?


    "Only souls from another world, his world, could use the magic system he made."


    Don''t tell me that this is¡­


    "The world he had come from was a place called Earth."


    The first Hero was from Earth as well?


    Darkness draped over the first Hero again and then he reappeared back in different clothes. Gilgamesh looked to be on trial as the Church of the Veil argued with him. I couldn''t hear the argument but from their faces, it must''ve been intense. Gilgamesh lowered his head and left the trial as the Church of the Veil pointed to him. I saw that even the King and the Pope had fear in their eyes.


    "The first Hero had grown too powerful and the people in the upper echelon had become afraid. " Liz continued. "He rebelled against them, so they conspired and sought to dispose of him."


    What did they do to such a powerful man?


    "They didn''t have the power to stop him, so instead they shamed him."


    The scene changed to the Great Cathedral of Manse, the home to the Church of the Veil. Priests were gathered and they were incanting over a spell circle. They watched Gilgamesh from a viewing portal and saw him in pain. Gilgamesh toppled over and people rushed to him only to run away horrified. Gilgamesh had become a Demon with silver hair, black horns, claws, and wings.


    "They called him a Demon when he wasn''t and changed his appearance to look like one," Liz continued. "Even now, all his children has been cursed to the same fate."


    I watched as Gilgamesh cried and tried to console himself with people only to be shunned. Most of his friends had turned their back on him and only a few people comforted him. Something burned in the eyes of Gilgamesh and he locked himself away in the North Mountains. I saw him creating something from his magic and the dark things that lived in the North Mountains had been sprung to life. Then a black blob was brought forth and it became Nyarlathotep.


    "Since they called him a Demon, he wanted to be the worst of them all. He created menacing creatures from the darkest depths of his mind and remembered about a creature from his world. He summoned it from where ever it was and it came forth, ready to cause chaos."


    Then I saw a look of sadness and reluctance come over Gilgamesh.


    "But, Gilgamesh had a change of heart. Locking away his monsters and fleeing north."


    Gilgamesh created a circle to bind Nyarlathotep and left the North Mountains. Gilgamesh was in the winter wasteland of the North and he proceeded to create the Demon Territory. A race of people developed in the north called the Demon Territory. He started to govern the people who came with him and they built an architecture that I had never see before. His populace looked rather joyful and at peace.


    "Gilgamesh ruled his territory as a kind and just leader, he was known as the Great Demon Emperor."


    The first Hero was the Great Demon Emperor!?


    "War had broken out in the middle Kingdoms and Gilgamesh had found out. Gilgamesh, fearing that they would summon more people from his world to be used in their bidding decided to put a stop to it all. Gilgamesh found the great summoning circles and destroyed them. The only one he couldn''t destroy was the one that brought him forth, so instead he tampered with it."


    So the Great Holy Wars that engulfed the Kingdoms wasn''t because of the Great Demon Emperor? I could see Gilgamesh going to the great holy places in which he destroyed. Only the great summoning circle in Manse was something he couldn''t deal with. I watched as Gilgamesh used his magic to change the summoning circle into something else.


    "What Gilgamesh didn''t know was that in his righteousness to stop the summoning circle he created something else. The Church of the Veil and those people in the upper echelons of the Kingdoms did not stop in their folly. They tried and tried again to summon heroes that would do their bidding. Instead, they pulled souls from the other world into this world''s soul stream. Those souls became reborn in this world with the knowledge and memories of their previous lives."


    The Reincarnators are being caused from the constant faulty summoning!?


    "When Gilgamesh had long died, more people were being summoned but scattered around in our Soul Stream. They reincarnated into monsters, humans, animals, elves, and whichever life they could. They were able to tap into the system of magic that Gilgamesh had created and left behind. The problem is that our world is being bombarded with souls from another and the system is being used heavily. It is creating a natural disaster that is boiling and festering."


    The shadows disappeared, the light had come back and I was in the room again with Liz.


    "And you must stop it Demitri," Liz said.


    Liz smiled at me and had firm conviction in her eyes.


    "You must save the world."


    <The truth has been revealed.>


    <You have unlocked the title.>


    <Bearer of the System.>

 Side Story - Oracle:2 - Advent:1.5

    Demitri looked at me with his face filled with worry. His hair had grown long and the stubble on his face was growing thick. He had been running for so long and he held the weight of worries on his shoulders. I could tell that he had to digest some of the information I gave him. But I knew that he was the one that would save the world. Demitri was always filled with kindness and compassion. I had always love that about him.


    "How are we going to fix it?" Demitri said.


    "By destroying the Church of the Veil," I said. "And any other summoning circle they would have built."


    "Don''t they have an army?" He said.


    "Then we will gather our own," I said.


    I crossed my arms and smirked at him.


    "Are you talking about waging war!?" Demitri said.


    "Yes," I said. "For the common good."


    Frustration was set on Demitri as I had forgotten about how the previous war had affected him so.


    "The leaders in war will kill many people for their own agenda," Demitri said. "Isn''t there any other way?"


    "Then lead it and prevent that from happening," I said. "For the sake of the world."


    "I''m no leader Liz, I''m a sword."


    "You have always followed people Demitri, always a follower but to be a good leader you must be a good follower," I said.


    "You can right the wrongs that people made, you are a true Hero."


    Demitri sat down from the spot he stood and contemplation showed on his face.


    "Yes, that previous war was horrific and we did many things that we shouldn''t have," I said.


    Demitri stood up and looked at me with confusion.


    "Did you know!?" Demitri said.


    "About what Princess Helen and the Hero Gabriel planned?" I said. "No, not until it was all over."


    Demitri looked to be deep in thought.


    Demitri stared at me and I looked at him with a smile. I knew what type of man Demitri was, he had always strived to be better for the sake of everyone else. In his heart, the pain and sadness of losing people broke him. In his mind, the torment of having killed those he cared about had rendered a toll. But as always for the sake of everyone else, Demitri moved forward and did what he believed was right.


    "Alright," Demitri said. "Say we do this, what do we do now?"


    Demitri''s expression calmed and I dusted off his cloak for him.


    "We will unite the Demon Territory," I said. "You will take up the mantle left by the Demon Lord and you will be a King."


    Demitri''s expression was of shock and I knew that it would be hard for him to take in.


    "A King?"


    "A Demon King."


    "I don''t think I can do this Liz."


    "You will learn and there are people here willing to help you."


    Demitri stood quietly as the expression faded from his face and seemed lost.


    "All this serious talk has me famished," I said. "How about we get something to eat?"


    Demitri''s eyes met mine and he laughed when he saw my face.


    "How rude," I said.


    "You never cease to amaze me, Liz," Demitri said. "Alright, let''s get some food."


    I led Demitri out of the Sanctuary and were greeted by the soldiers. I told Petra of our plans and to get everyone ready for a rendezvous at the castle. Demitri followed me through the town and he kept a stoic expression. Demitri must have been thinking of why he had been pulled into this but it was for the sake of the world. Some of the children stopped to look at Demitri in amazement as most children would. Demitri has a sort of aura that would make children like him, a sort of cool and rugged hero.


    "Sorry children, he''ll play with you later," I said.


    "Yes, Oracle." They replied.


    Demitri looked perplexed again and walked next to me.


    "Why do they call you Oracle?"


    I looked back at him with a grin and gestured my hand.


    "It''s because of the things I knew from the past, of what came to present, and what is going to be."


    Demitri seemed confused and I laughed as we continued through town.


    I had many secrets that I wasn''t willing to share with Demitri yet and this was being one of them. When I knew Demitri was ready, I would tell him. I had resolved myself to guide him and protect him because how fate abhors him. I wished I could have saved him many times but I wasn''t allowed to. I had things to do that would set the future in place. Now, the wheel of fate would be in motion and there was no stopping it.


    For all the things that Demitri had done, this was the pivotal point in his life that would mark him down in history.


    We had reached Granny''s restaurant and she had seen me with a look of horror. I deeply bowed to her but it looked like she was going to die of a heart attack. Demitri put himself forward and apologized on my behalf for some reason. Granny suddenly propped herself up when she saw Demitri and then she looked at me. I nodded my head and then Granny kneeled on the floor while holding Demitri''s hand.


    "Our Lord! Our Savior! You have come finally!"


    The other patrons of the restaurant realized who Demitri was and they all gathered around him. Demitri was perplexed at the adoration and reverence that everyone had for him. He hadn''t realized that the Demon people had been waiting for him to save them from their plight. Demons had become locked like birds in a cage to the north of the continent. They weren''t allowed to leave at all and struggled here isolated from the world. While they had adapted there was still a scarcity of resources here in Demon Territory.


    The people in this small town had known that I was waiting for the Demon Lord to come.


    Although only a few had known that Demitri was the killer of the previous Demon Lord. The Demons had revered the previous Demon Lord as well. The previous Demon Lord was loved by the populace and cared about his people as well. Demon Territory had split because of the Demon Lord''s passing and the ones who ruled it now was his close companions. To the West was his lover, to the North his friend, and to the East his sister. Only the Marquis of the South was low on the totem pole and sought to accomplish what the Demon Lord had wanted.


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    Demitri looked at me like a cornered animal and pleaded for help with his eyes.


    "So Granny," I said. "Our Lord here would like to have one of your finest dishes and make it a feast since he''s arrived."


    Granny looked at me and I jeered at her with a cough.


    "Right away! Excuse my rudeness before Oracle! I beg your pardon, my Lord!!"


    Granny moved like the wind and the other Demons left us alone. Some of them had the faces of adulation from seeing Demitri firsthand. Demitri was still confused about his role and how the Demons saw him. Demitri had traveled here for vengeance and even humanity had shunned him. Here for the Demons that he sought to destroy, they looked at him as their savior.


    "I didn''t know," Demitri said. "That Demons were like this."


    "As I told you before, Demitri," I said. "Everyone seeks the pursuit of life and happiness."


    "Why am I so ignorant to everything Liz?"


    "It''s not just you, everyone in the world is ignorant to such things."


    Demitri must have been shaken to the new circumstances that befallen him.


    "As long as I''m here," I said. "I will help you and guide you on your way."


    Demitri smiled at me and I smiled back at him.


    "I''m sorry," Demitri said.


    "For what?," I replied.


    "For everything, for not confiding in you, for leaving you alone."


    "Demitri, " I said. "I will always forgive you, no matter what."


    Finally, the expression and demeanor on Demitri had changed. He looked to have restored some of his confidence and composure. He would need it for what was to come. Uniting the Demon Territory would be a momentous task for anyone including Demitri. Before we could save the world, we needed to gather an army. The Marquis wanted to see Demitri and in turn, the Demon populace would learn his name.


    Demitri would be the Demon King.


    Demitri seemed to look around the homely restaurant almost fascinated by the design and architecture. I wished I could tell him how he would never see such architecture anywhere else. It was very Eastern in design and that was due in part because of the Demon Lord. He was also a Reincarnator from Earth and he incorporated the design and legacy of his homeland here.


    I opened a screen without Demitri noticing.


    <Inspect>


    <table><tbody><tr><td colspan=''4''>Demitri</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Level:</td><td colspan=''2''>99</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>HP:</td><td colspan=''2''>2309/9999</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>MP:</td><td colspan=''2''>503/999</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Stamina:</td><td colspan=''2''>30/100</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Race:</td><td colspan=''2''>Human</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''2''>Class:</td><td colspan=''2''>Demon Lord</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Strength:</td><td width="25%">110 (70+20+30)</td><td width="25%">Dexteritry:</td><td width="25%">150 (100+20+30)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Constitution:</td><td width="25%">55 (90+20+10+15+30-40-50-20)</td><td width="25%">Intelligence:</td><td width="25%">26 (56+20+30-100+20)</td></tr><tr><td width="25%">Wisdom:</td><td width="25%">40 (70+20+30-100+20)</td><td width="25%">Charisma:</td><td width="25%">19 (94+20+20+15+30-100-40-20)</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Title: Killer of Reincarnators (+20 All Stats), True Hero (Max Hp), Savior of Children (+20 Charisma), Kind Hearted (+10 Constitution), The People''s Champion (+15 Constitution and Charisma), Demon Lord (+30 All Stats), Hero Killer (-100 Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma), Betrayer of Friends (-40 Constitution and Charisma), Faithless (-50 Constitution), Bearer of the System (Max Mp, +20 Intelligence and Wisdom, -20 Constitution and Charisma), Lucky (+10 Luck), Devil''s Luck (-10 Luck), Hated by the Gods (???), Soul Stealer (Ability Transfer from Killed Reincarnators), Dealt with the Devil (Cursed),</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Skills: Acrobatic, Athletic, Agile, Deception, Fast Hands, Intimidation, Investigator, Light Blade Proficiency, Light Armor Proficiency, Multi-lingual, Night Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, Silent Steps, Stealth, Quick Reflexes</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Abilities: Assassinate, Back Stab, Blind Sense, Dash, Detect, Double Attack, Double Jump, Dual Wield, Elusive, Evade, Flash Step, Flee, Hide, Heighten Senses, Infiltration Expertise, Steal, Throw, Thief Reflexes, Quick Throw.</td></tr><tr><td colspan=''4''>Magic: Call Darkness, Dark Avatar, Dark Shroud, Magic Ambush, Magic Steal.</td></tr></tbody></table>


    I closed the window and gazed at Demitri with a smile.


    Fate would change indeed.

 Chapter Thirty-Six - Advent:2

    Days had passed by from when I had reunited with Liz.


    I was in a convoy with Demon troops and Liz as we headed toward the Marquis''s castle. Our convoy consisted of a platoon of fifty soldiers. We had supplied ourselves for a couple day''s journey from the town to the castle. I was given a new sword as a replacement for my broken Mithril blade. The sword felt light but was sturdy enough to fight with.


    I had heard that the south domain of the Demon Territory was under the control of the Marquis.


    Liz had wanted me to meet with the Marquis and after some discussion we left the small town. Liz had told me that the Marquis was willing to support me in uniting the Demon Territory. I frankly hadn''t made up my mind yet if I was going to follow Liz''s plan. Still, I thought it might be okay to hear what the Marquis has to say. If I hadn''t heard of what was happening in the world I wouldn''t have followed Liz.


    I had just found out that Demons weren''t the monsters we made them out to be. I didn''t want to be a hypocrite but did I really care about Demon lives being lost? When all I thought about before was stopping the Demons. Did I really want to save them? Or was I scared of being the actual Demon Lord in my mind?


    War was cruel and it invoked terrible feelings that people keep deep down inside.


    I wasn''t a fool that I believed everything could be solved through peace. War happens and will continue to happen as long as there is conflict. I just didn''t want innocent lives to suffer and be lost for no reason. Much like how the Hero Gabriel and the previous war had killed people indiscriminately. I just didn''t want that to happen again with my hands playing the part.


    I used to think that I could protect and change the world by myself but how na?ve was I? Even when the Demon Lord had died, Demons had still continued to exist and thrive. I had killed the Demon Lord because I thought he would bring ruin to humanity and existence itself. Now, I was the successor to the Demon Lord and his legacy in that aftermath.


    I had once thought that the Hero might change the world too but he was just another cog in the world.


    My gaze moved towards Liz as she was talking to Petra.


    "Demitri was always cocky," Liz said. "He used to instigate fights and once tried to take a group of Wargs by himself."


    "The Lord was?" Petra replied.


    "Yes, he''s not the introvert and cold brooding man you see now."


    I exhaled and shook my head at their conversation.


    "What are you trying to tell her?" I said.


    Liz chuckled a bit after I called her out.


    "Petra just wanted to know how your great Lordship used to be."


    My eyes moved from Liz to Petra who looked at me with admiration.


    "Forgive my rudeness your Lord!" Petra said.


    Petra had always asked for my forgiveness after our little altercation.


    "The past is the past," I said with a wave of my hand.


    "Then Lord if I may," Petra said. "Is it true that you were the one to land the killing blow on our former Lord?


    I held my tongue for a moment but decided to speak on the matter truthfully.


    "Yes," I said. "It was my blow that killed him."


    My face turned serious at her mention of the previous Demon Lord. I knew how some of the Demons couldn''t believe that their new Demon Lord was the killer of the previous one. I had felt that there were some that wouldn''t take kindly to me because of that. Some whispers from the Demon townsfolk had said that the previous Demon Lord was well liked and kind. I hadn''t known that the previous Demon Lord was revered as kind and just while we had called him a tyrant.


    I had expected Petra to look at me with disgust but she didn''t.


    "Lord, you must be very strong," Petra said with a smile on her face.


    I felt confused at Petra''s smile and I looked at Liz for guidance.


    "Don''t worry about Petra," Liz said. "She''s very similar to Martin as she''s a battle maniac, she only notices strong people."


    I flashed a weak smile and then focused my attention on the road.


    The air was cold with the drizzle of white snow and the road was covered in it. The horses and Demons didn''t seem to mind it but I felt that it was bleak and dreary. Demon Territory was always in a state of never-ending winter. Demons had adapted to this lifestyle ever since the Great Demon Emperor was exiled here. Demons did not feast on the flesh and blood of humans as most had thought. Most of the food in Demon Territory came from hunting, fishing, and domestic animals. Wildlife that lived in the Demon Territory could reproduce quickly and survive on the smallest of portions.


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    While there were some pockets of land that could be managed, the returns were meager at best.


    The Demons had looked toward me to save them from the cycle of never ending winter. I didn''t know if I could nor did I believe that I was their savior. I was a man who had lost his place in the world and only sought to find it. Only to lose it again and find another. I didn''t know what my fate and destiny wanted from me.


    My gaze moved to the black ring on my finger and I exhaled the warm air from my lungs.


    I had thought that I had picked up this ring on a whim as a souvenir for defeating the Demon Lord. Then I had come to learn that it had chosen me as the future Demon Lord. It was no wonder that I could not be rid of it no matter how hard I tried. I also couldn''t resist the power that the black ring gave me and I had used it a few times. I shudder to think of the Devil that rested inside the black ring as well.


    "Look the city and the castle can be seen up ahead!" Liz said.


    I looked up to see that the snow had subsided and a castle could be seen in the far distance.


    It looked enormous almost as if it was a mountain itself. The top of the castle looked like the rest of the Demon architecture which was triangular in design. Much different from the square castles in the human domain. Liz had told me that the city which the castle was situated in was called Nagoya. She said that the previous Demon Lord had named it and that it meant peaceful. It was a sight to behold and I had felt in awe of the design with the meaning of the name.


    "So that is where we will meet the Marquis?" I said.


    I looked at Liz who nodded.


    "The Marquis is a very intelligent and compassionate man," Liz said. "He''s looking out for the interests of both Demons and the world."


    Liz moved her hands when she talked about the Marquis which meant that she must have found him interesting.


    "I see," I said. "But what about the other Demons?"


    Liz parted her hair and gave me a reluctant look.


    "There might be some complications," Liz said.


    "Hold!"


    A Demon soldier in the front of the convoy called out.


    "A company of Riders coming fast!"


    Everyone stopped in their tracks and we held our positions. The front of our convoy had scouts who were eagle-eyed and held telescopes. Petra moved to the front of the convoy to talk to the scouts and get a better look. I couldn''t see what was ahead from my current position but I could make out a storm of movement. Liz looked to be contemplating something and I held onto the hilt of my sword.


    "Something''s wrong!" Petra shouted. "They aren''t with the Marquis! I see no flags!"


    The soldiers around started to get jittery and some had pulled out their weapons.


    "Defensive formation!"


    All the Demon Soldiers tightened a formation around myself and Liz. Their black armors rustled as they grouped closer. A line of Demon soldiers carrying heavy shields planted themselves in front. Spearman followed behind them and created a barrier in front of us. Archers began to spread out and created some wings to the defense. There were only a few archers in the platoon and they had stayed on horseback.


    I could only guess that these Demons had combat experience.


    I hadn''t realized that even Demons fought with one another. I only surmised that humans were capable of such things. These Demons in front of me had prepared themselves to lay down their lives for me. I was the man with my companions who had brought them into this state of disarray. I didn''t think there would be people who would sacrifice themselves for me. If I did go to war with these Demons would it be for their sake or mine?


    Liz summoned her staff from above her head and I could tell that she was serious.


    "If we don''t have to fight, we shouldn''t," Liz said. "But if they want to, we should show them no mercy."


    "I understand," I said.


    I knew that Liz had thought it would be better for me to unite the Demons without bloodshed. Though she knew that Demons much like Humans had to be shown force sometimes. The sky was dark and clouds started to gather near the horizon. I drew my blade and readied myself for what was to come next.


    Was I going to become a savior or a warlord?

 Chapter Thirty-seven - Advent:3

    <School just started and I was going to spend the weekend writing up this whole battle but some plans came up and I have to go to San Jose. The story will continue after I get back. ~ Neoquicksilver>


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


    My heart pounded in my chest as I watched a horde of Demons approach. They had red armor with black outlines and a symbol of war on their chests. It was a cavalry of Demons armed to the flesh and bone. As they moved closer and closer to us they looked like a wave of hellfire. The aura that surrounded them was menacing in nature and my body screamed out the danger. I watched intently to see what they would do as they outnumbered us two to one.


    As they came within a throw''s distance Petra went forward and greeted them.


    "Halt there!" Petra said. "State your business! Why do you come for us?"


    The wind seems to stop as the air became deathly chilled. Clouds gathered above like a calamitous sign from the Gods. We stood there with apprehension as we waited for the opposing Demons to speak. The white of their eyes appeared through in stark contrast to their red helmets. They said nothing as they stared at us until their eyes reached Liz. The Demons glared at Liz and some moved their gaze towards me.


    Silence surrounded the snowy field as either side waited for some cause.


    "Who are they?" I whispered to Liz as I held the hilt of my sword.


    "Trouble," Liz said without letting her vision leave the red armored Demons in front of us.


    The sound of a horse galloping finally reached our ears and the red armored Demons parted.


    The Demon who approached had on the same design as the other red armored Demons but more extravagant. Long white horns protruded off the red helmet and long white hair came down underneath the helmet. This Demon had a massive frame and the steed he rode looked more of a monster than a horse. More than likely this Demon was the commander of the red armored Demons.


    "Lancaster," Liz said.


    The massive Demon lifted up a halberd to point at Liz.


    "There you are, little witch," Lancaster said. "I''ve come for your head."


    "You aren''t frightened of me anymore?" Liz said with a smile.


    Lancaster looked to be enraged as a stream of hot breath came from his snarl.


    "You will be tried first then hanged by your neck and all those who harbor you here will die," Lancaster said.


    "Hold your tongue!" Petra shouted. "You''re in the presence of our Demon Lord."


    The red armored Demons looked taken aback and whispered among themselves.


    "Who?" Lancaster said.


    Petra and the Demons around me looked at me while I held my gaze at Lancaster.


    "And who decided that he was the Demon Lord?" Lancaster asked.


    Lancaster sent a piercing stare at my direction.


    "The Oracle had foreseen his presence and ordained him so," Petra replied.


    The red armored Demons snickered at Petra''s words.


    "Then it''s just the false lies of a witch," Lancaster said.


    "Who are you to come threaten us and slander my friend?" I said.


    "He''s Lancaster the son of the Demon General who controls the north end of the Demon Territory," Liz whispered to me.


    Liz had mentioned to me before on our journey that the Demon General was a hot blooded man. It seemed that his offspring was not too far off from his father. The Demon General was in direct conflict with the Marquis and Liz herself. I had never faced the Demon General before as he fought with the Kingdoms while we sneaked into Demon Territory to fight the Demon Lord. This Demon Lancaster was probably looking for glory somehow by capturing Liz.


    I would never allow that to happen.


    Lancaster gazed at the surrounding troops we had which numbered around fifty. He looked to already be convinced of his victory over us. The Demons in black armor who supported me were elite troops of the Demon army. They were no slouch either compared to the red armored Demons. Still, we were outnumbered and if these red armored Demons had the same battle prowess it would be bad.


    "Who are you Demon to not know who I am?" Lancaster sneered at me.


    I couldn''t stand people like this Demon who had the unruly arrogance to everyone around them. I didn''t care that he was from a prestigious Demon blood line. I didn''t care that he and his company of Demons seemed dangerous. I wouldn''t let my pride and those of my friends be stained by slander. I straightened my back as I sat upright on my horse and took off my hood for the Demon to see me. I''ll let him see clearly the face of the man who he antagonized.


    "You¡­" Lancaster said. "You''re human!"


    "Yes," I said. "And I''ll be the one to cut off your tongue for even daring to kill any of my friends."


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "This witch chooses a human to be the Demon Lord? Ha! She is nothing but a poisonous serpent to the Demon race!" Lancaster said.


    Liz kept her smile up as she held up her staff.


    "Do you think you can fight me?" Liz said.


    "You think I came here unprepared for you a witch?" Lancaster said. "Now!"


    Arrows flew towards Liz and I drew my sword in order to protect her.


    I cut into one of the arrows and it exploded out a cloud of white smoke. The other arrows missed Liz completely but a white smoke exploded as they came in contact with the ground. I covered my mouth and Liz''s to prevent us from inhaling the smoke. It wasn''t poison in the smoke but something else. I checked Liz over and she looked to be okay.


    "Are you alright?" I asked.


    Liz looked at me as she nodded her head and tried to say something. Liz panicked as her voice would not come out. Then I knew what that smoke that exploded was. Those arrows were wrapped with mute powder. It was used to combat spell casters and prevent them from using their voice. We had lost Liz''s combat ability and a major arsenal at our disposal.


    "The witch can speak no longer!" Lancaster shouted. "Capture her and kill the rest!"


    The red armored Demons all drew their weapons and charged at our defensive formation.


    "Fight!" Petra screamed.


    The wind started to gust through again in the white snow field. The clash of metal and bones resounded. Demons and horses leaped over the front shield barricade in a suicidal attack. They intended to break our formation with their very lives. Red and black armored Demons collided against each other with reckless fervor. Petra was holding her own fight against the onslaught of red armored Demons.


    The sounds of screams and battle roared throughout the land.


    <Use me>


    My hand felt a slight burning sensation and I ignored it.


    Some red armored Demons broke through the perimeter and lunged themselves for Liz. I used my sword to quickly end their plans and their lives. The troops couldn''t pay them any attention as they were surrounded by a sea of red. Some of the Demons jumped off their horses to swarm into the heart of the shield defense. More of the red armored Demons converged toward Liz and me. I lobbed the head off of one demon with my sword and stabbed another through his head.


    Blood splashed around the area as the white snowy field became dyed red.


    <Use me>


    The Devil still called out to me.


    Petra fought her way through the swarm of soldiers and came close to me. I held off any attackers who tried to come at Liz. My sword moved frequently as there seemed to be an endless mob of red armored Demons that attacked us. As I fought the soldiers, they started to attack my horse who bucked wildly and threw me to the ground.


    I was on the floor in the middle of the skirmish of blood, flesh, metal, and snow.


    <Use me>


    The ring on my finger burned more and more.


    My vision was blurred as I hit my head on the fall to the ground. I scrambled up to look for Liz and couldn''t see her in my sight. The sounds of metal clashing rang loudly in my head. Petra was close to me and I killed one of the Demons she fought with.


    "Petra! Where''s Liz!?" I shouted.


    "She''s not with you!?" Petra replied back as she fought with more Demons.


    My eyes searched in the sea of black and red Demons. My breathing became agitated as I couldn''t see her in my sight. Then in the sea of bodies, I saw the blue of Liz''s robes as a group of soldiers tugged her toward Lancaster. Space in this battlefield was a luxury as a torrent of flesh and metal swirled around the field. I rushed forward through the mass of bodies and killed those in my way.


    I saw the grim smile of Lancaster as he was on top of his horse looking at the carnage.


    "Liz!" I screamed.


    Liz was getting farther and farther away from me. I screamed and shouted but I couldn''t see her in the sea of red. Hope and frustration seemed lost to me as I stretched out my hand for her. More Demons converged toward me and blocked my path. I fought and I fought until my mind went blank.


    <Use me>


    I moved instinctively and pulled the black ring from my finger.


    I heard the laugh of a devil inside my mind.


    A pain covered the entirety of my body for a moment.


    The sounds of the battle disappeared.


    I was consumed by a black darkness.


    Shadows converged over me and spikes jolted around me.


    I had become a monster incarnate and I brought with me death.

 Chapter Thirty-Eight - Advent:4

    ~Just got back from Monterey, had a blast with my friends at an engagement party for one of my good buddies. The story will be back regularly ~ Neoquicksilver


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


    My body became covered in a black abyss.


    <Kill them all>


    <Destroy everything>


    "Run away! Get far away from me!" I screamed to the black armored Demons and Petra.


    Everyone that followed me listened to my commands and gathered everyone they could to run. They all moved away as a swirl of darkness converged on me. The laughing of a devil resounded throughout the field. My body was changing and I feared what I would become. Dark clouds surrounded us from up above and the battlefield became still.


    Dark blackness was around me and started to take form around my body.


    Claws erected from where my fingers used to be. They were sharp as swords and as long as daggers. My face contorted and my teeth became jagged. The muscles on my body pulsed and I grew larger. I felt like I had become light but as hard as steel. A cloak of darkness draped over me and fluttered around the wind.


    My body molded and twisted into a new shape. I had become taller and stronger as my physical abilities increased. I felt stronger and lighter than I ever was in my whole life. I had become something else entirely, something more dangerous and I knew it.


    A mask of some sort covered my face and I started breathing more intensely under it.


    <Kill them all>


    <Destroy everything>


    Small slits through the mask gave me the vision to the surrounding Demon soldiers. My vision became monochrome in color to black and white. The sky was pitch black and the ground was a plain white. Horns grew on top of my head and white wings sprouted on my back. Black chains were wrapped around my body and settled on the floor.


    The black ring on my claw started to swirl with white symbols on its black exterior.


    The red armored Demons around me had stopped and watched in disbelief at my transformation. A black aura surrounded me and intimidated those around me. I could sense the fear that gathered around in the air, it was something palatable to my own desires. The laughing sound of a devil echoed around the field. Until I realized it was the sound of my own voice.


    I had become a Demon¡­no, a Devil incarnate.


    <Kill them all>


    <Destroy everything>


    I felt a thirst for something and it ached in the pit of my stomach. I flashed toward the sea of red Demons and swiped my claws. Nothing stopped my claws from going into the Demon soldiers and I rendered flesh obsolete. In an instant, blood splattered everywhere and I saw the fear in the eyes of the Demons. I brought my hands close to my mask and felt the need to lick the blood from my claws. I tasted the blood from my claws and it was the sweetest thing I had ever consumed in my life.


    Some of the red armored Demons tried attacking me and I felt nothing  from their swords. My skin was impenetrable to the weapons they had and I grabbed another Demon by his throat. The Demon had dread on his face as his body kept shaking uncontrollably. I squeezed his neck until only the white of his eyes shone from the pain of death. A thrill of excitement entered my body and I felt the rush of adrenaline.


    <Kill them all>


    <Destroy everything>


    Killing these Demons were bringing me great unbridled joy.


    I wanted more of the feelings that came over me and the taste of blood.  I stabbed another Demon through the heart and his armor did nothing to stop me. I pulled the arms off another Demon in front of me and let his blood cover my mask. The blood dripped down and I tasted more of the succulent red blood with my tongue.


    I wanted to kill all these Demons in front of me and I had stopped thinking about Liz.


    The horde of Demons wanted to fight me and I wanted to cut them all down. Blood, flesh, and entrails became common place on the ground beneath me. It didn''t matter what was in front of me be it a horse or Demon, I killed everything. A maniacal laughter came from within my throat and I kept with the slaughter. There were around a hundred of the red armored Demons and now only half remained.


    "Fight me!" I screamed. "Is this all you have!?"


    I tore the head off one Demon and threw it into the crowd of soldiers.


    The Demons stopped trying to fight me and more of them ran away in horror. I didn''t let any escape alive as the black chains around me moved wildly and tore them apart. I jumped into the middle of the Demon soldiers and started my vicious attack again. Blood and guts streamed out like rain and littered the once snow white field.


    <Kill them all>


    <Destroy everything>


    I raised up my claws and a blue glow covered them. The dark clouds above gathered intensely and lightning began to strike. Thunder rained down on the Demons who scattered around as the bolt of energy crashed upon them. The field and the very sky trembled for me as it went amok. I kept laughing and I couldn''t stop myself from the feeling of pleasure it brought.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    The once stoic and battle hardened Demons had become terrified of me as they tried to run away in vain. A Demon made the mistake of trying to attack me as my black chains converged on him and ripped his limbs apart. Another Demon cried out for his loved ones as I sunk my claws into his body and pulled out his rib cage. My hands glowed red hot and I waved it across the air in front of me. Suddenly, a wave of magma appeared and melted the Demons in its way.


    They cried and screamed as their armor melted into their flesh. Some became a mess of blood and metal while others were unrecognizable. I sensed the fear in the hearts and minds of the Demons. Now they all knew my power and wished they hadn''t antagonized me. The Demon soldiers became nothing in my might and the power I wielded.


    Then a voice called out to me.


    "Lord Demitri! Find yourself! Save the Oracle!" I could hear Petra say.


    I halted for a moment but continued my onslaught.


    More and more Demons died under my hands.


    <Kill them all>


    <Destroy everything>


    I couldn''t help but kill them. I wanted to kill them. I needed to kill them. Every last one.


    <Demitri help!>


    Another voice called out in my mind.


    I recognized the voice and I had remembered why I used the ring.


    I had become a monster because I wanted to save Liz.


    I regained my senses and my blood thirst wavered.


    My eyes wandered down the field and only Liz''s blue robes had any distinction in my eyesight. Even though my vision had become monochrome she was the only thing that mattered in my eyes. My body moved quickly and the Demons scattered from my approach. I didn''t care about them anymore as Liz was the only thing on my mind.


    The Demons were almost to Lancaster and their leader looked afraid himself. I would have never known that Demons would fear anything even myself. Yet they were all afraid of me and knew the fearsome power I wielded. The soldiers that guarded Lancaster seemed to want to run and cower in despair. The only thing I wanted was Liz and the Demons who held her approaching Lancaster.


    In a flash, I was at the Demons who were holding Liz and they screamed in horror as they saw me. I sunk my claws into their heads and crushed the bones that laid within. Liz looked up at me but I couldn''t tell if she was afraid or not. She started shaking a bit and some sweat dripped from her brow. But her eyes were clear and calm as she looked at me. Liz wanted to speak but was muted from the powder.


    I moved my hands to her throat and cleared the effects of the powder with a wave.


    Liz seemed to have returned to normal and she looked up at me.


    "Are you¡­.there Demitri?" Liz asked.


    I nodded my head under the black cloak that surrounded me.


    "I am¡­Demitri," I said with a voice I couldn''t recognize.


    Liz moved her hands to my face and I caught it for a moment. I didn''t know if I was going to hurt her but she wanted to touch my face anyway. I released her hands and she continued her movement as she felt the mask that covered my face. Then she put her hands close to her chest and nodded.


    "I''m sorry, that you had to become this," Liz said.


    Liz stared at me and I could see tears well up in her eyes.


    "No," I said. "It''s my own fault for walking down this path."


    Liz looked at the red Demon soldiers and to their leader, Lancaster.


    "Tell your father to submit or there will be more suffering than there was today," Liz said.


    Lancaster and his soldiers dared not make a move but they glared intensely at me.


    "What manner of monster do you have with you!" Lancaster yelled.


    Liz moved her vision to me and then to Lancaster.


    "He is the Demon Lord and he will be King of the Demon Territory," Liz said.


    Lancaster looked disgusted and furious at Liz''s statement.


    "We will never submit to this monster!" Lancaster screamed. "Kill them all! To the Death!"


    Lancaster held up his spear and an aura surrounded his Demon soldiers. Their armors cracked and red spikes grew out. Blood seem to drain from their faces as they screamed. Even Lancaster was affected as his armor contorted in shape. An aura of death covered the remaining red Demons and they grew in size as well. I could sense that the fear was gone from them and it had been replaced with something willing to embrace death.


    "Berserker Armor," Liz whispered.


    Armor that imbued it''s user with supernatural strength and abilities at the cost of their lives.


    "Go to Petra," I said to Liz and moved her behind me.


    So these Demons wouldn''t yield until the end.


    I smiled underneath my mask as I went to give them the embrace of Death.


    <Kill them all>


    <Destroy everything>


    "I will," I whispered.

 Chapter Thirty-Nine - Advent:5

    When I was young, I used to dream of excitement and adventure.


    I wanted to be somebody better than who I was. The boy who was abandoned and raised in an orphanage. I didn''t want to be the person who left his friends behind. But, I wanted to leave the Royal Capital and make something of myself. I wanted to leave my worries behind and change somehow.


    When I traveled the world, I used to think of my purpose in life.


    Who was I really? Was I a thief and a treasure hunter to a fault? All I did was steal things and live on from that point. I wanted to know that I could do something more, be something more. I acted for money and fame but something was not right to me.


    When I was with the Hero, I used to think I was making a difference.


    I thought I had finally found my place in life. That I was saving the world, helping people. I thought that Heroes did exist and I was a part of a new family. I did think I was a hero and I did think that I was making a difference. But, I was nothing more than a fish trapped in a pond worrying around his little world.


    When I had killed the Hero, I had only thought of surviving.


    We were making a difference and we were doing things for the greater good! Those were the thoughts I had until I saw what we did was nothing but for our own selfishness. I was horribly wrong and now I could only suffer in shame. I fled and left more people behind me dead. My companions that I once called my family also suffered and some to the worst degree. Some even died to my hands and my heart mourned for it.


    Then I had made a pact with a devil and had become something I once hated.


    I had become the Demon Lord and my power is too great for me to even imagine anymore. The black ring that I took as a token had become my burden. I met with Liz again and she even called me a Demon King. I''m nothing but a man who followed his own whims and the burden that came with it. Fate and destiny had done nothing but filled me with hate and despair.


    The Demons that were in front of me were no longer themselves.


    They didn''t want to suffer in my so called reign and wanted to fight me to their dying breath. The black ring on my hand was willing to oblige them and end their lives. Only less than half of their army remained as the rest were scattered on the once white field, dead for all to see.


    The red armored Demons raged on with supernatural strength and fanatic fervor.


    A black cloud shaped in my hands from the black ring I wore and transformed into a scythe. It felt natural and right in place on the grip of my hands. With one swing, I decapitated a row of Demons that dared rush me with their murderous aura. In another swift moment, I began swinging the scythe wildly and slicing through the armored Demons like butter. Once these Demons had emotions and nerves but it was all gone.


    The Demons had some sort of madness in their eyes and I didn''t care as I reaped their lives from them. More and more Demons died to my hand like it was squashing ants. I felt invigorated at the sight of their deaths but I tried to keep myself from going into a blood frenzy. The Demons sacrificed their life force and their minds in trying to stop me but it was for nothing.


    They had kept coming for me and I ended their lives with a swing of my scythe.


    I had killed all the red armored Demons and had left only Lancaster standing.


    Lancaster stared at me with the same madness in his eyes.


    "You will never be our Demon Lord!" Lancaster screamed.


    Lancaster kept some of his sanity but the berserker armor seemed like it was giving him the drive and determination to fight. Lancaster leaped off his horse and thrust at me with a spear. We locked in our weapons and collided our heads together. Blood dripped from Lancaster''s eyes as the veins on his body protruded.


    "Never will we let humans rule us!" Lancaster said.


    I looked down at my body for a quick moment and then back to the face of Lancaster.


    "I don''t believe I''m human anymore," I said.


    I pushed Lancaster away with force and he slid about ten feet away from me.


    "You wish to rule us!" Lancaster said.


    My breath slowed as I looked up into the cloudy sky and then back to Lancaster.


    "I don''t wish to rule anyone," I said. "I just want to live."


    Lancaster growled in anger and charged at me with his spear.


    The spear in Lancaster''s hands was large and fearsome. It moved with precision and grace as he darted it around aiming for my vital points. My body moved instinctively and I just floated around Lancaster. I felt no fear for my life as I easily avoided his moves. I could tell that Lancaster was in a hurry to finish me off.


    Berserker armor used the blood and the life force of its wearer to strengthen themselves. The armor stabs and grips into its wearer as it drains them. Sooner or later their life will end if they don''t stop it. Lancaster would forfeit his life for his fight against me.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    I too know the feeling of sacrificing yourself for power.


    "NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! MY FATHER AND HIS ARMY WILL DESTROY YOU!" Lancaster screamed.


    The blood was drained from his face and his skin had become a pale white.


    "That witch of yours and that damn Marquis! You all will never get away with this!"


    Lancaster kept his attacks and I started to deflect his spear with my scythe.


    "I wasn''t going to do anything but listen to the Marquis," I said.


    "Liar! You wanted to kill the Demon race just like all those humans before you!"


    I held my tongue in that moment.


    I had known what I wanted to do before I came to the Demon Territory. I had wanted to stop the Demon race. I had thought that they were the evil in the world. I wanted to kill the Demon Lord and stop the Demon race by any means necessary. I didn''t know that I had become the very Demon Lord I sought to destroy. I didn''t know or believe that Demons were just like any other race living on the prime continent.


    "You hold your tongue like you know I speak the truth!" Lancaster said.


    "You are right," I said. "I did want to destroy the Demon race before."


    "Ha! Just like that Witch, that leads those rebels! You all will end!"


    Lancaster attacked me with increased fervor.


    I blocked his blows but his strength had increased a great amount. Cold frost surrounded his spear and Lancaster had thrust it at me. I dodged and part of my cloak gets stabbed only to be frozen. The wind blew my cloak around and the frozen part of my cloak had burst apart under the pressure into little icicles. I stepped back and Lancaster tried catching me with a thrust into my gut.


    I grab the Spearhead with the palm of my free hand and felt the freezing power of the spear.


    "I know you think what you are doing is right," I said. "But, you did one thing wrong."


    I broke my hand free from the ice spear and broke the head of the spear off as well.


    "You attacked Liz and you wanted to kill her," I said. "For that, you will die."


    I used the scythe in my other hand to send Lancaster''s head away from his body and armor. Lancaster''s body dropped to the floor and the berserker armor crumbled without any life force to sustain it. Red blood mixed on with the white landscape as snow started to trickle down once more. Soon the red armor and the blood will be covered by the white snow. Nature would take its course as the bodies were left strewn across the field.


    I looked at the black ring on my finger as it glowed white and heard the last laugh of the devil in my mind. I twisted the ring on my claw and felt the darkness burst away from me. Dark shadows vaporized from my body like a black mist. My body reverted itself slowly back to normal and I felt a stinging ache on my body.


    My face felt pale as sweat started pouring from my body like a flood. I was feeling the fatigue and the blowback of using the black ring already. Like a stinging pain on my skin while my body boiled up as if I was on fire. I crumpled down on my knees as a pain surged within me and I struggled to breathe. My gaze looked back to Liz and the other Demons who followed me.


    They were quite a distance away but had a clear view of the battlefield. I knew that they heard and saw everything that had happened. But, they didn''t look at me with fear and contempt at all. The Demons had a sense of awe and revelation on their faces. Only Liz had looked worried and afraid of me.


    I looked away as I just felt bitter and sad at what I had become.


    Suddenly, Liz ran over to me and held me close in her embrace.


    "I''m sorry Demitri! I''m sorry!" Liz said. "I''m sorry that you had to do this!"


    I was in pain but my worries seem to drift away.


    "No," I said. "It was my own choice."


    I gave Liz a weak smile as I tried to fight through the pain of my body. Liz tried to hold me up as I felt weak from the pain. Liz gave me a smile with some tears in her eyes and then only darkness covered my eyes. The pain had become too much and I had slipped out of consciousness.


    The pact with the devil Nyarlathotep had given me incredible power but at what cost?


    I had lost myself for a moment and killed all those Demons who faced me.


    A power that I never had before and I had enjoyed the bloodlust that I felt.


    I was now a Demon Lord with the power to end lives as if they were nothing.


    I felt like a God but I knew I was a Devil.


    <hr />


    Sorry for the late chapter, got really busy during the week. I''ll try to do more updates quickly.

 Chapter Forty - Advent:6

    Darkness was something I was used to, it was something that I am most familiar with.


    My mind was swirled in darkness as I was covered thick in it as my fate allowed.


    Memories of the past started to resurface in my mind.


    It was years ago, some time before the war and we were out chasing wanted criminals. The Hero Gabriel was with me and Camille. Our party had split up in search of the possible known bandit hideouts. So the others had gone to a different location while only the three of us remained to look in the Black forest. We were looking for a particular criminal, someone who had terrorized his own village and ransacked it for all its worth.


    The small village had collected a moderate amount of money in order to rebuild and expand. It was their life savings and they desperately wanted to make their village grow. The village didn''t know that a fiendish man within their own ranks would steal from them. The man was a criminal called the blind bandit Byron for his style to steal from anyone no matter how rich or poor.


    Yet he stole mostly from the poor which was why he earned the name, the blind bandit.


    The Black forest was southeast of the Western Kingdom and situated around farmlands. Many parents had used what lurked in the Black forest as a tale to frighten their children. Some have said that disaster and apparitions did indeed live in the Black forest. I wasn''t scared and neither was the Hero Gabriel of the stories surrounding the area. Only Camille had a frightfully hard time with the stories and she wasn''t up to her usual self.


    "What''s the matter, Camille?" Gabriel said.


    Camille seemed to shake and make herself small from the sounds of the wind.


    "I-I''m not g-good in places like this!" Camille said while clenching her body with her arms.


    Camille screamed when she heard the rustle of some leaves.


    The three of us were walking inside the Black forest which looked like any other regular forest. It was near sunset and soon nightfall would come upon us. Camille had dark green hair and emerald eyes which seem to sparkle. Camille''s body was naturally curvy with a small waist and she wore tight clothes that accentuated the fact. Her long hair was twisted into two buns on the top of her head. She usually had a twisted personality as she was most obsessed with money. When I saw her acting like a child, it greatly changed her image in my mind.


    I came up from behind Camille and took off the hood covering my head.


    "How can you be a Martial Arts master and be scared of fairy tales?" I said while looking at Camille.


    The bracelets and the muscles on Camille''s body seem to shake with the wind.


    "I''m not like you Demitri! I don''t prance around the dark!" Camille said trying to look defiant.


    Another passage of the wind caused her to shrink back down.


    "Those stories are just to keep children from being out of line," I said.


    "Easy for you to say! You never had parents to tell you these stories all the time!" Camille shouted back at me.


    I shook my head and looked at Gabriel who just smiled at us.


    "We should keep going," Gabriel said. "How about you stay in between the two of us Camille?"


    "O-only if you lead the way H-hero!"


    Camille stood up tall and tried looking around the forest but shrank her posture back small again.


    Gabriel walked ahead of us in his shining white armor and blue cape. I only sighed as I followed Camille who kept behind Gabriel. I saw nothing to note about from the Black forest. It looked and sounded like any other forest in the Kingdom. The only difference was that this Black forest had a tale stuck to its name.


    I doubted the authenticity of most fairy tales and superstition as I had matured quickly during my youth.


    Especially since the stories of this forest had only popped up recently within twenty years. It was known as the Black forest because of how it takes children away from their parents. Lost children were usually found in the forest dead and alone with nothing but black bags under their eyes. Some parents who lost their children would come to mourn them in the forest only to see black ghostly apparitions.


    The black ghostly apparitions always looked like children to all who dared delve into the Black forest.


    The people who lived near the Black forest would call it haunted and frighten their children with its stories. Others have said that it might be the ghost of dead children who roam these parts. We had information that the Bandit was seen entering this forest. It would make sense as a hideout for the wanted criminal as the common folk dared not enter. Tales would say that only children need to be weary of this forest.


    Though, tales are just meant to teach moral consequences.


    "Stop shivering Camille," I said. " We need to look for a criminal and not be weary of tall tales."


    Nothing particularly strange was happening as we continued our walk through the Black forest.


    "There are tales for a reason!" Camille said.


    "Yes, for children," I said.


    Camille seemed to pout at me but was more scared of the noises made by the wind.


    "I''m surprised you are scared of this when you are always out fleecing people of money," I said. "Aren''t you afraid someone might catch you for your tricks someday?"


    "I-I can talk to people but I can''t talk to the d-d-dead," Camille said. "B-besides, m-money is essential f-for living! M-my f-family needs money!"


    Camille still tried to make her words come out through the stammering of her teeth.


    "H-how rude of a thief like you D-Demitri to lecture me!" Camille said.


    I shrugged my shoulders as I did know the hypocrisy of my statement.


    "Ghosts and scary things are frightening! I hate hearing about them over and over again!"


    I scratched my head and kept following behind her through the forest.


    "Aren''t you the oldest of thirteen?" I said. "Aren''t you a little old for stories?"


    "My mother loves scary stories and so do my siblings, so she keeps repeating them!" Camille said.


    Camille stopped for a moment to look at me while covering her face.


    "So I kept hearing them over and over again!"


    I understood then how she got her phobia of fairytales and ghost stories. Camille always talked about her family and the need for money. She always used her attractive features or tricks to get money from men. It was so she could support her poor family that lived in the Eastern mountains. The Hero stopped for a moment in front of us to look behind and let out a laugh. It was one of the rare occasions that I ever saw the Hero laugh heartily.


    "Family and siblings are funny aren''t they?" Gabriel said. "Some minor things like that can live with you for the rest of your life."


    I looked surprised for a moment at Gabriel.


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    "Aren''t you an only child Hero?"


    Gabriel was taken aback for a moment and then returned a smile.


    "Ah yes, I meant when I hear other people talk about their siblings."


    The Hero had a sort of sadness in his smile and then he continued walking while we followed.


    "Do you miss your family Camille?" Gabriel said.


    "Yes, every day," Camille replied while looking around.


    Gabriel nodded his head faintly and then suddenly halted.


    In only a few feet we had stopped in our tracks as the Hero kept still.


    "W-what''s the matter?" Camille said.


    "Something''s up ahead," Gabriel whispered.


    We all crouched down and scanned the forest. Nothing seemed out of the regular until we heard the faint sounds of someone sobbing. Camille sat down on her knees and almost let out a scream. I hurriedly covered her mouth before she could do so. Camille looked like she was about to cry as she stared at me. I gave her a stoic expression as I put one finger to my lips.


    Gabriel looked back at us and I could see that he had some suspicions.


    "Demitri, scout ahead and see what''s going on," Gabriel whispered. "It might be the bandit we''re looking for."


    I nodded my head and made my way around the area.


    Sunlight started to fade away and the temperature became a bit more chilly. I stealthily made my way around to see what was in front of us. I noticed a small camp in the forest with a tent and what looked like various things scattered about. The campfire was just put out as I saw the smoldering ash of a fire. A dark shadow was sitting in the middle of the camp and the sound of crying emitted from it.


    I approached a little closer and the ruffle of leaves startled the shadow. I knew my mistake and I tried to react. Quickly I rushed into the camp only for the shadow to disappear in front of me. I looked around and didn''t see any other movement in the forest. Something strange happened and I couldn''t understand what. I let out a whistle to call Gabriel and Camille to come forward.


    "A-a camp?" Camille said.


    "Yes," I replied. "Someone was definitely here and something else."


    "What was?" Gabriel asked.


    "I saw a shadow here but it ran as soon as it heard me," I replied.


    Camille seemed startled at my words while the Hero scanned the camp. Gabriel looked down at the various items and I searched the tent. I found a stash of money and it looked to be the same amount that was stolen from the village. I moved to the others and showed them my findings.


    "It seems the bandit was here," I said as I held up the bag full of money.


    "Good work Demitri," Gabriel said. "Now we just need to catch the blind bandit."


    "It''s strange, though, why would he leave this money here and run off?"


    We heard a scream and looked towards Camille who was cowering next to a body. The body was just on the other side of the camp. Gabriel moved next to Camille who hugged his legs. Gabriel comforted Camille and urged me to inspect the body. I walked towards the dead body which was leaning next to a tree. The features all confirmed the details that were given to us by the village, it was the blind bandit Byron.


    "It''s him," I said. "It''s the blind bandit Byron."


    "What happened?" Gabriel said.


    I looked over the dead body of the bandit who still had his eyes wide open.


    "No major injuries, nothing external anyway, he has sunken eyes like he hasn''t slept, and nothing that I can really tell how he died," I said.


    "I-it''s t-the c-c-curse of the forest!" Camille said. "We should leave!"


    A strong wind blew in the forest and we all covered our faces for a moment. A child appeared in the middle of the camp. It looked like a little boy made out of dark shadows. The air around him was swirling with green lights. The little boy wore some strange clothing but it too was covered in darkness. Camille screamed again and I drew my blade from my side. Only the Hero Gabriel looked at the little boy made out of the darkness with confusion.


    "Sam¡­?" Gabriel said.


    I looked at Gabriel who seemed to know something about this apparition.


    "Rick?...Rick?...Is that you?....Where are you? It''s cold here¡­.I''m so cold¡­..I''m so lonely...I''ve been here for so long¡­Rick? Where''s Mom and Dad?.....Where''s Elizabeth?...Rick?...Are you there?...We were going home, weren''t we?....Where''s the car?....Where''s everyone?...."


    The boy that looked like a shadow cried.


    I didn''t understand what the dark shadow of a boy was saying. Gabriel seemed to want to reach out to the shadow but Camille prevented his movement. Then a green light enveloped the little boy and he disappeared. I was confused and Camille was frightened to the core. The Hero seemed shocked at what happened. Tears streamed down across Gabriel''s face and I didn''t know what that was about.


    We stayed only for a little bit and searched the area some more. Nothing important was in the forest as it returned to being common again. Nothing like what we saw occurred again. We gathered everything of value and even took the body of the blind bandit Byron for confirmation. I didn''t want to leave the body here in the case that it might rise up as an Undead.


    Camille breathed a sigh of relief as we left the Black forest. Our duty ended quickly with not much conflict at all. Yet something strange happened to the Hero. Something had changed within Gabriel and he seemed to have been looking for something. He searched the Royal library of the Capital often and searched historical records inside the Church of the Veil. Many of our companions voiced their concerns but none knew the true matter of what was going on.


    I didn''t really know what it was about and I didn''t care as the Hero still acted like himself. He still made with the airs and gestures of a Hero. Though I could tell that he became more distant after this encounter and the war would start not soon after. Gabriel had become more cold and aggressive but we didn''t know why. I thought that I had knew who the Hero was but I was wrong.


    Who was that little boy and what did he say to make the Hero change?


    Sometimes I felt that I was that little boy covered in shadows and this memory was nothing more than a  dream. How I searched for something or someone to help me. That I was alone in the middle of a forest with no one around. But I had become covered in a different kind of darkness, one of my own choosing.


    I didn''t know why I thought of this memory as I drifted in the darkness but it seemed like a clue into why Gabriel had changed.


    The light came piercing into my mind and my eyes.


    I woke up from my unconsciousness and found myself in an unfamiliar room.


    I hoped that I would not change much as Gabriel had done.

 Chapter Forty-One - Advent:7

    My head was throbbing and my body was weak.


    I had woken up on a lavish and luxurious white bed. My eyes scanned the surroundings and it looked like I was in an open hallway. There were high ceilings, paintings with golden trims on the walls, and immaculate furniture. Just about everything was gorgeous as I looked at the expensive furnishings around me. Then my eyes saw a grand door with light piercing through the windows that lined onto one side.


    This open hallway was actually a gigantic room that looked fit for a king.


    I stumbled off the bed and noticed that my clothes had been changed. I was wearing a silky robe and pants with pattern weaves of golden thread. My shirt was gone and replaced by some bandage dressings as I felt some ache near my ribs. My equipment looked to be neatly placed on a counter next to the bed. My bare feet were cold on the tile as I wandered around the room.


    Suddenly the grand door had opened and entered what looked like a young girl.


    The girl was wearing a maid''s outfit of black and white. Her long white hair covered half of her face and she seemed to have a blank expression. Golden eyes from her tanned brown face pierced up at me and she quietly closed the door behind her. The maid turned around afterward and gave me a slight curtsy.


    "My Lord," The maid said. "You have awakened."


    I walked towards her sparingly as my body felt stiff and weak. I tried to say something but my throat was dry and the words seem to not leave my mouth. The maid noticed my predicament and walked towards me with grace. She assisted me towards a sofa housed in the middle of the room with an arrangement of other chairs and a table. A glass cup and a pitcher of water were seated on a tray atop the table. The maid poured me a glass of water and offered it to me before stepping away slightly.


    Quickly, I had drunk the glass of water and felt the nourishment I needed.


    "Where¡­am I?" I asked. "Who are you?"


    "My Lord," The maid said. "This servant is called Sabrina and you are in the Castle of the Marquis."


    "Where is everyone? Where''s Liz?"


    "I believe your servants are training in the outer courtyard and I don''t know who this Liz is my Lord."


    I had forgotten that only I had called her Liz.


    "Where is the Oracle?" I said.


    "The Oracle had left our premises about some weeks ago," Sabrina said with a bow.


    "What!? How long had I been asleep!?" I said.


    "About a month and many days, my Lord," Sabrina said.


    I slumped back into the sofa I was sitting on.


    Just where did Liz go? Why did she leave me here? Thoughts were racing through my mind as well as the pain of some fatigue. How could I have been asleep for so long? I looked down at my finger and see the dull color of the black ring. Every time I had used the ring I had gotten some indescribable pain for some moments of its use. After my pact with a devil, it was taking time off my life to recover.


    Frustration mounted for me as I covered my face with my hands.


    I slid my hands down and looked back at the maid who didn''t say anything else. Sabrina kept still as she looked to be prim and proper about her work. I noticed the small white horns that were on the sides of the headband nestled on top of her head. So there were even Demons that worked as maids here? I really didn''t know much about the lives of Demons.


    "Excuse me, my Lord," Sabrina said.


    "What is it?" I said.


    "Now that you are awake," Sabrina said. "The Marquis would like to see you."


    Then I had remembered that I had come to this place to speak to the Marquis.


    "I guess that''s fine Sabrina," I said. "My body is a little weak but I came here to talk to him after all."


    "Then it''ll be for tonight my Lord," Sabrina said. "I will inform the Marquis."


    "Wait," I said. "What do I do in the meantime?"


    "I''m sorry my Lord, it''s not my position for one lowly as myself to decide," Sabrina said.


    Sabrina gave me a bow and left the room.


    I was going to see the Marquis later but I had nothing to do right now. I stood up and looked at what I was wearing again. Quickly, I changed back into my old attire and felt more comfortable with a cloak around my back. My sword was still with my equipment so I could guess that they didn''t find me dangerous. I was only here because Liz asked me to talk to the Marquis.


    I don''t really know what the Marquis wants and I didn''t see myself as a leader to Demons.


    How could I really be a leader? I had failed my own leader and my companions. I could only fathom how heavy my sins weighed. Yet these Demons who I sought to destroy, came to find me and waited for my guidance. Why was I chosen as the Demon Lord?


    I shook my head and left the room I was held in.


    Outside the room was a long corridor with a row of windows to one side. Looking outside as I walked I could see snow falling down. A city was neatly arranged downhill from the castle. It looked like the Eastern design that Liz had talked about and I felt in awe of its architecture. The city was silent and beautiful from up above in the castle.


    After a moment''s hesitation, I walked down the corridor and only met more servants in my way. I had used to run and hide inside upper establishments such as this but now it was different. I was no longer creeping through the castle but walking calmly through it. The Demon servants made way for me and often greeted me with the utmost respect. I didn''t think that Demons would bow to a human even if I was the Demon Lord.


    The castle of the Marquis was very large and one could be lost for hours in its hallways.


    It was indeed amazing how a Demon with such a lowly noble rank could have such a castle. The Marquis is not a Duke and is far from royalty. But the Marquis in the Demon territory seems to have the status of a human Duke. With so many servants and even a city nearby that is most likely governed by the Marquis.


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    When I had enough of walking, I asked a nearby servant to guide me to the outer courtyard.


    With a series of twists and turns, I had finally come to the outer courtyard. I thanked the servant who gave me a bow and left. I saw many Demon soldiers practicing their weapons and craft. Some created mock battles while others drilled in sections. I was glad that most of them had survived the previous battle. In the center of them all, a Demon was shouting out commands and I recognized Petra''s voice. It looked like some of the Marquis'' men were integrated with the group.


    The Demons looked like an army preparing for war.


    "To serve your lord! Offer up your bodies! How disgraceful that his lordship had to take matters into his own hands! Don''t you as soldiers feel any disgrace!?"


    "Yes!"


    "Then battle! Then learn! Then improve!"


    "Yes!"


    "For the future of the Demons!"


    "Yes!"


    "For our Lord Demitri!"


    "Yes!"


    I walked towards the center of the courtyard to see Petra.


    The soldiers had conducted themselves in a frenzy of training. Most of them didn''t notice me at all as I walked through. Perhaps, it was my own unique skill of being able to blend into most crowds. Yet I felt satisfied that I was still able to lose the sight of others even if they knew who I was. I went to Petra and looked at the soldiers she was overseeing.


    The soldiers had immediately recognized me and knelt down to the ground.


    "What are you idiots doing?" Petra said.


    "I''m sorry," I said. "It''s probably my fault."


    Petra turned around and was shocked to see me.


    "My Lord!" Petra shouted. "You''ve awakened!"


    Soon all the Demons in the courtyard began to kneel and even Petra herself prostrated before me.


    "Stand up everyone," I said. "It''s alright."


    I hadn''t gotten used to the treatment that the Demons were giving me at all.


    "See! Our Leader returns! Together he will lead us through the war!" Petra shouted.


    "War!?" I said.


    These Demons wanted to wage war? No, I don''t want any part of that. The Demons quickly returned to their routines but now with much fervor. I could tell that my appearance had increased their resolve and stamina.  I waited for Petra who still kept her posture below me. I grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the courtyard. Petra seemed dazed and confused by my actions.


    "My lord!!?" Petra said.


    "It''s alright Petra," I said. "I just wanted to speak to you privately."


    Petra stood up but kept her eyes down to prevent making direct eye contact with me.


    "What''s going on!?" I said. "You want war?"


    "No, my Lord," Petra said. "But we will triumph against all those who oppose us!"


    I only sighed, speaking to her wasn''t a good action.


    "Where did Liz go?" I asked.


    "To secure some alliances I was told," Petra answered.


    "What? Must we go to war!?" I said.


    Petra looked up at me blankly when she heard my words.


    "Yes," Petra said.


    So it might seem that I was right all along about these Demons. I knew Demons were powerful but I didn''t see the aggression from them before. I had once bought into the human''s myths created for Demons. Until I saw everything in a new light and I hoped for a change. Do Demons not care about their lives or the lives of their loved ones?


    I was vexed at what I should do.


    "Are all Demons so bloodthirsty?" I said.


    "No, my Lord."


    "Then why must we fight in a war?"


    "To protect ourselves," Petra said.


    "To declare war to protect ourselves!? This is not what Demons should be doing."


    "We didn''t declare war," Petra said. "So we have no recourse."


    "Wait," I said. "What do you mean?"


    "The Western and Eastern Kingdoms have unified under the leadership of Queen Helen," Petra said. "Then right after, they declared war to the Demon territory."


    This had become too ridiculous, I had been asleep for far too long. Is Helen now Queen? The Western and Eastern kingdoms have united? I never thought humans would be so bold to declare war and enter Demon territory. How wrong I was but it was very peculiar as to the circumstances.


    "Why would they do such a thing and cause more needless deaths?" I said.


    "They have a trump card," Petra said.


    "What?" I said.


    "There were reports coming in," Petra said. "Something that has led to this brazen act by humanity."


    I shook my head and grabbed Petra by the shoulders.


    "What happened!?" I said. "Just tell me!"


    Petra cast her eyes downward again and then moved back to me.


    "He''s returned," Petra said.  "Multiple reports and some people even confirmed it was him."


    Petra looked to be gathering her courage.


    "Who?" I said. "Just tell me."


    "The Hero of the Veil¡­he''s come back," Petra said.


    "What? You''re joking right?"


    Petra kept her composure as she stared at me and shook her head.


    "What!? No¡­.no¡­.no," I said.


    Was this true?


    I slumped down to the ground and felt paralyzed. My life on the run and everything I did after killing the Hero was for nothing. Was I being punished by fate and destiny again? I was certain that I had killed the Hero  and I don''t think Petra would''ve lied to me.


    Heavy emotions emerged within me as I fought them with my mind.


    The Hero of the Veil.


    My friend.


    My leader.


    The Hero Gabriel had returned¡­back from the dead?

 Chapter Forty-Two - Crusade:1

    ~Tabbing quotes for easier viewing~ nEoquicksilver


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    The maid Sabrina was leading me up the castle of the Marquis to a forbidden area.


    I desperately wanted to meet the Marquis because of the news I found out from Petra. The Humans of the Unified Kingdoms have called for war against the Demon race. Helen was now crowned Queen and leader of the Unified Kingdoms. Then the most preposterous news I heard yet. Gabriel, the Hero of the Veil had come back from the dead.


    How could all this be possible?


    I didn''t know if I wanted to scream for joy or cry in despair.


    What happened when I was incapacitated for these two months?


    I had pleaded with Sabrina to meet with the Marquis earlier than intended. Sabrina had told me that the Marquis was in his office hidden away from people while he worked. I could only guess that the Marquis preferred solitude while he worked. Not many people knew of the Marquis'' location inside his castle and he wanted it that way.


    After a lot of stairs and passageways, we had arrived at a chamber hidden away inside the upper floor of the castle. Two stone golems in the shape of armored knights guarded the chamber door. As we approached, the slits of their stone carved helmets lit with blue fire. The golems drew their weapons and intercepted us from going any further.


    "Halt!¡­You¡­Are¡­Forbidden¡­From¡­Entry¡­"


    Sabrina gave the Golems a curtsy and glanced at me before looking at the chamber doors.


    "Pardon my rudeness," Sabrina said. "Lord Demitri would like a word with the Master."


    The fire in the helmets of the stone golems blazed for a moment and distinguished in almost an instant. The golems reverted back to their positions standing on the sides of the chamber doors. I was puzzled as we didn''t receive any answer. Sabrina nodded before giving me a bow and leaving my side.


    "Wait, where are you going?" I said.


    Sabrina looked back at me before giving me another bow.


    "I have other duties to attend to my Lord and it seems that Master would speak to you in private."


    I scratched my head and heard the opening of the chamber doors. I looked at the opened chamber room and saw nothing but darkness inside. I let out a sigh before I gathered some composure to enter. As soon as I stepped inside the chamber, the door slammed shut behind me.


    "Come in," an authoritative voice beckoned to me.


    The chamber room was dimly lit with candles but then the candles roared. Fires from the candles ignited and brightened the room. All around the chamber room were bookcases that reached the high ceilings. The bookcases were filled to the brim with books, scrolls, scripts, and other parchments. In the far end of the chamber room, there was a modest desk with some chairs.


    A Demon was sitting behind the desk and he paid me no attention as he looked to be writing something. It was a long blonde haired Demon with ivory horns who wore spectacles as he worked. The Demon had a skinny frame and I could notice how tall he was just by him sitting behind the desk. His attire looked like that of an aristocrat and I could only assume that this was the Marquis.


    "Lord Demitri, I presume?" The Demon asked.


    "Yes," I said. "And are you the Marquis?"


    "Yes," the Marquis said as he continued his work.


    I walked towards the desk and saw the Marquis patiently doing a stack of paperwork.


    "Please, sit down, Lord Demitri," the Marquis gestured to me without even looking at me.


    I sat down on the wooden chair in front of his desk and felt out of place. The Marquis looked to be working hard on something and I seemed to have been interrupting him. I had never seen people in the upper echelons of society work as hard as I saw the Marquis. Still, I needed to know what was going on in the world and the Marquis would have the answers.


    "I''m glad you have awakened Lord Demitri," the Marquis said. "Why is it that you want to see me now instead of having our meeting at dinner?"


    I stared at the Marquis who still hadn''t paid any attention to me.


    "War," I said. "I needed to know what is happening."


    The Marquis finally had set aside his pen and pushed up his glasses to look at me.


    "Ah, so, you have heard the news and want to know the circumstances of such?"


    The Marquis displayed a regal bearing and I nodded my head to affirm to his question.


    "Well, I apologize Lord Demitri," the Marquis said. "That information is confidential."


    "What!?"


    The Marquis stared back at me with the blue specks of his eyes. He grasped his gloved hands together while putting it under his chin. His demeanor and words were of utmost respect but the way he looked at me had given me shivers. I felt the burning hatred from his eyes when he laid his gaze at me. I was confused at why the Marquis wouldn''t give me the information I wanted. But I knew that he didn''t like me very much at all.


    "Aren''t I your Demon Lord?" I said.


    "Are you?" The Marquis said. "I heard that you didn''t want to be our Demon Lord and for that, I cannot completely trust you."


    I stood up from the chair and tensed up my fists. He was right in that sense, was I really their Demon Lord? Did I want to help the Demons? The Marquis kept a stoic expression on me and then moved his gaze to the black ring on my finger. Sadness filled his eyes for a moment and he looked away. I sighed and then sat back down in the chair.


    "I just want to prevent a war," I said. "To save people from suffering."


    "To save Humans or to save Demons?" The Marquis said. "War is coming, no matter what you say or do about this matter."


    "Why is it this way?" I said.


    "It''s this way because of humans," the Marquis said. "People such as yourself who waged war with us invaded our lands, and killed our leader."


    As the Marquis raised his voice, I felt a well of anger rise up inside me.


    "It was the best for Humanity to stop evil!" I said. "He was the Demon Lord!"


    I slammed my fist on the table and the Marquis kept his composure.


    "He wasn''t evil but he was our Lord," the Marquis said. "He was our savior and my best friend."


    I could tell that the Marquis was very rational but the sounds of his words had deep emotion in them.


    "He was saving our people and gave us new ways to live here in this cold desolate area that we were banished to," the Marquis said.


    "So you despise me for killing your friend?" I said.


    "Wouldn''t you?"


    "Then why am I here? Why all this charade for me?"


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.                "A symbol, Lord Demitri, that black ring of the Demon race has chosen you as it has done to my friend before you," the Marquis said. "While I do loathe you Lord Demitri, I understand what''s best for my people."


    I gave the ring a glance before looking back at the Marquis.


    "So do you just want a puppet? or a figurehead?" I said.


    "It doesn''t matter either way Lord Demitri," the Marquis said. "What I want is for the Demon race to survive."


    I gripped my pants tightly as I stared at the Marquis.


    "Do you want war?" I said.


    "If the Demon race is to survive because of war," the Marquis said. "Then bring the war."


    The Marquis gave me a slight smirk which irked me.


    "The Demon race has divided into four sections, if your presence will unite us all then I and all those who serve me will willingly follow you," the Marquis said.


    "You''re a leader yourself, why don''t you take up leadership for the Demon race?" I said. "It looks to me that you have a great following and you have an air of nobility around you."


    I gave the Marquis a smirk back but he had just smiled at me.


    "I know my role and my place in the world," the Marquis said. "Others would have a far greater claim to leadership than I do but I trust the words of my friend who said that I should follow the one who bears this ring next."


    The Marquis pointed to the black ring on my finger and then to me.


    "As the storybook for one ends," the Marquis said. "The story for others still continues."


    "So you really want me to be the Demon Lord?" I said.


    "As I said before, it is not my choice to make."


    The Marquis looked at me to say that it was my choice.


    I didn''t really know if I could become the leader of the Demon race. I wasn''t a Demon but a Human that had become prone to trouble and despair. My past haunted me and I wanted to change it but it kept me in its embrace. Were violence and war the only way for me? I''m not a pacifist but I wanted peace and I wanted people, Human or otherwise to live with it. I had to stop this war but could I do so by myself?


    "So if I do accept that I am your Demon Lord," I said. "Would you do as I say?"


    The Marquis relaxed his posture and leaned back into his chair.


    "I will take everything into consideration as you say Lord Demitri and I will hope that you lead the Demon race into prosperity."


    I wanted to stop the madness of war but I was no leader and I never saw myself as one. I had once thought only about stopping the Demon Lord and the Demon race itself. Then I had found out that they were not the evil race that I once thought them to be. I contemplated heavily on the matter at hand but I couldn''t throw myself into a strong agreement.


    "You do not have to answer now," the Marquis said. "We may talk again at dinner with the Oracle present."


    I stood up from my chair once I heard the news.


    "Liz will return today?" I said.


    The Marquis nodded and then returned to his work. The sail of my thoughts dropped when the Marquis mentioned Liz. I had to speak to Liz and I just had to see her again. I held my breath for a moment and waited for the Marquis who continued his work. I had believed that he wouldn''t speak any further on the matter so I then begrudgingly left my chair. I walked towards the exit until the voice of the Marquis stopped me.


    "For the information you wanted," the Marquis said. "For good will, I will go against my senses and tell you."


    I looked back at the Marquis who looked up at me from his desk.


    "So Gabriel?" I said.


    "Ah yes, I could guess that this is about your former friend," the Marquis said. "The Hero Gabriel has not returned, but there is a new Hero of the Veil that is being championed by the Unified Kingdom''s propaganda."


    "What!? A new hero of the veil?" I said.


    "Yes, just as news being spread of a new Demon Lord has raised the hopes and dreams of the Demon race," the Marquis said. "The Unified Kingdom will, of course, counter this news with their own."


    "Then why are they saying it was Gabriel?" I said.


    "The new Hero, oddly enough, looks almost identical to the Hero Gabriel," The Marquis said.


    "So Gabriel hadn''t returned from the dead?" I said.


    "The murmurs of people say that he has risen from the dead but of course that isn''t true," The Marquis said. "If it were, I would have wasted all my effort and resources in finding a way to resurrect my dead friend."


    "Then who is this new Hero?" I said.


    "That I do not know," The Marquis said. "Now if you''ll excuse me Lord Demitri, I have work that I must finish before dinner."


    The Marquis continued back to his work and I left his chamber room. The door to the chamber closed shut as soon as I left. Sabrina was outside the room waiting for me and guided me back to my quarters. I laid down on the couch inside my room and started to process the information given to me.  I felt a sense of relief from the news but some sadness.


    The Hero Gabriel was dead and buried in the ground.


    I sometimes think that it was a mistake and that I couldn''t have possibly done what I did. Though I knew better and I had to continue on living as others go to the dirt. The Hero Gabriel being alive or not wouldn''t change anything to the matter at hand. War was coming and I had to choose which side I was on. I just knew that I didn''t want to be on Helen''s side.


    Helen, now a Queen of the Unified Kingdoms. She was the one who made us go to war in the first place. Yet did she became Queen without any bloodshed? No, there must have been bloodshed behind the scenes for her to accomplish her goals. She is not that caring of a person for what she wants.


    But what of this new Hero? Who is he? The Church of the Veil must have endorsed him for him to be called the Hero of the Veil. As I pondered this question I heard a knock at my door. I went and opened the door to see Liz standing before me. She was in her blue robes and looked fatigued as if she ran here.


    "Demitri," Liz said. "You''re awake!"


    Tears looked like they were welling in her beautiful green eyes.


    "Liz," I said. "You''ve come back."


    In an instant, Liz rushed inside and gripped me with her slender arms.


    Liz moved her head away from my chest and looked at me with a gentle gaze.


    Suddenly I felt the slight warmth of her lips as they touched mine.


    My heart was beating fast and then I held her in my embrace.


    Again, our lips touched and we held each other tightly.


    I closed the door to my room.

 Chapter Forty-Three - Crusade:2

    I felt the warm embrace of her touch and almost staggered. My heart had soared to the skies and I felt a surge of happiness. I never wanted Liz to leave my side ever again. I wanted to hold her close and never let go. I did fall in love with Liz and I loved her with every fiber of my being. Again, she kissed me and I realized it was a beautiful dream but it was not meant to be.


    <Kill her.>


    I shook my head for a bit in a daze.


    "Where were you?" I said as I released her from my embrace.


    Liz looked at me with her emerald green eyes.


    "I thought you wouldn''t wake up Demitri," Liz said. "I just had to find you."


    I cracked a faint smile at her.


    "Sometimes I think I won''t wake up either," I said. "But where did you go?"


    Liz tried to tempt me with her eyes and ignored my words.


    <Kill her now.>


    Not yet, I echoed the thoughts back to the devil in my mind.


    I ran my fingers through her hair and a smell wavered that did smell just like Liz. Though I knew better and slowly I grabbed this Liz by her head. She looked at me with gentle eyes before I slammed her head against the door. She chuckled a bit after my show of violence and still looked at me with loving eyes.


    "You can take me here right now if you want," Liz said as she tempted me with her body.


    <Ravage her.>


    My expression turned serious and I slammed her head against the door again.


    "It was a very nice try but the real Liz wouldn''t act that way," I said.


    This imposter pretended to be Liz and got very close to me. I was taken aback by her actions but she did fail in one area. This fake Liz tried to poison me with her lips. The moment they touched mine, I knew what her lips were covered with. The real Liz would know that I''m immune to poison and she wouldn''t try to poison me anyway. Who was this assassin and who sent her?


    The imposter had a hint of clarity but still tried to play it off.


    "Abuse me like you always do, Demitri," the fake Liz said.


    The imposter tried to move away but I kept her forced against the door.


    <Hurt her more.>


    I punched this fake Liz on the face and drew blood from her nose.


    "You can do better than that Demitri," the fake Liz said.


    "Who are you?" I said. "Where is Liz?"


    "I am Liz," the fake Liz said.


    "No," I said almost whispering to her ear. "You''re not."


    The imposter realized I wasn''t going to be tricked.


    "Are you going to kill me just like your friends traitor?"


    "I will if you don''t answer my questions," I said.


    <Yes. Kill her.>


    The fake Liz tried to give me an innocent smile before she moved and kicked me away.


    I staggered backward before I tried to attack her. The Imposter pulled out a dagger from the side of her robes and stabbed me in the arm. I pulled out the dagger from my arm and forced it back toward the imposter. We struggled for a bit but I was much stronger than this fake.


    "Tell me!" I screamed.


    "For the Cardinal!" The fake yelled back. "I would gladly die than tell you anything you traitor of humanity!"


    <End her!>


    Slowly the dagger would be buried deep in her chest.


    The life in her eyes was gone and the fake fell dead. It was a surreal feeling as it looked like I had killed Liz. My hands were covered with this imposter''s blood. This fake was a very good chameleon to be able to imitate Liz in detail. She was even able to get through the castle and find me quite easily.


    The fake had yelled out the Cardinal''s name so I knew that the Black Birds were behind this. How were spies and assassins out in Demon Territory already? Helen probably sent them out once she had unified the Kingdoms. I had really been asleep too long for her plans to have already gone into motion.


    The door to my room opened and I heard Petra''s voice.


    "Lord, is there something wrong?" Petra said. "The Marquis told me to come check on you and I heard a commotion."


    I looked at Petra who was horrified at the scene in her eyes.


    "What have you done!?" Petra screamed.


    <You don''t have to tell her anything!>


    I shook my head to clear away the voice.


    "It''s not what it looks like Petra," I said. "This is a fake, it''s not the real Liz."


    I knelt down and looked for the seal of shadows used for appearance transformation. It was a magic well known to the Black Birds. I found the seal in the shape of a grackle on the imposter''s chest. Then I broke the seal by breaking her skin with my fingernail. The shadow magic dissipated instantly and black shadow like mists appeared. After the shadows disappeared, we were shown the real body of a female assassin in the Black Birds'' uniform.


    "See?" I said.


    Petra fell on her knees in shock.


    "I''m sorry, I doubted you, my Lord," Petra said.


    "Don''t worry," I said. "If I had killed Liz¡­I would''ve probably killed myself soon after."The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Petra stared at me in a daze.


    "The Marquis told you to come here?" I asked.


    "Yes," Petra replied. "He said you might need my help."


    I snorted and knew that the Marquis let this imposter through his castle.


    "Where is he now?" I said.


    "Getting ready for dinner, my Lord," Petra said.


    I quickly grabbed a cloth and bandaged my bleeding arm.


    "Could you find someone to clean this up?" I said. "I have a dinner appointment."


    I left Petra who must have been going through some emotions to go see the Marquis.


    I went through the corridors of the castle in a hurry as I searched for the Marquis. I needed the Marquis to answer some of my questions again personally. I wondered why and how this assassin would be able to get so close. I had doubted the failing security of the Demon Territory but I saw that it was just a ruse. What game is this Marquis playing at? Why did he let this assassin just come through for me?


    As I walked towards the main hall I was greeted by a familiar maid.


    "Lord Demitri," Sabrina said. "The Marquis requests that I guide you to him for dinner."


    "I see," I said. "So he had this planned out already?"


    The Demon maid gives me a smile with a courtesy and leads me to the dining hall.


    Sabrina opened the doors and magnificence of the dining hall reflected in my eyes. This Marquis really lives like a grand life of riches. Everything shined golden and the floor, as well as the ceiling, were spotless. The Marquis was sitting at the end of a long table reading some documents in his hand. A lot of dishes were scattered about on top of the long table. He noticed our appearance in the huge dining hall and shifted his gaze towards me. The Marquis gestured for us to come forward and I obliged.


    "Ah, Lord Demitri," the Marquis said. "You have arrived in time for dinner I see."


    I wasted no time with pleasantries and confronted him.


    "Did you know?" I said. "That there an assassin disguised as Liz who tried to kill me?"


    The Marquis put down the document in his hand and pushed up his glasses.


    "I told the Oracle that once she has returned that she would see me no matter what. When I heard she didn''t and went straight for you, I knew it was an imposter. The Oracle keeps her word and wouldn''t do something frivolous as to see you when we have things to accomplish," The Marquis said with a wave of his hand.


    <He only lies to you, Kill him!>


    "You let her come and try to kill me?" I said.


    The Marquis smirked at me.


    "She shouldn''t be able to kill you and if she did¡­then you were not worth my time," The Marquis said. "This would mean that the Oracle too would be not worth my time."


    A boiling anger shot through my body and I felt irritated by being played like a fool. My hand reached for the hilt of my sword but I was stopped from unsheathing it. I looked behind and saw that the maid Sabrina had her hand on the hilt of my sword. A murderous aura came from her eyes and no longer did she seem like a timid obedient maid.


    "Forgive me Lord Demitri," Sabrina said. "But I will not allow you to harm the Marquis."


    <She dares!? Kill her!>


    "Don''t you want to know where the Oracle went?" The Marquis said.


    "You know?" I said.


    <Kill them! kill them!>


    I shut the voice out of my head.


    I gritted my teeth for a moment but brought myself back to my senses. I looked at the Marquis who only kept a smile at me. I released my hand away from my sword and Sabrina returned to her fa?ade. I looked at a chair close to the Marquis and nodded my chin to Sabrina. She understood my actions and pulled out the chair for me.


    I sat down and didn''t bother with proper etiquette.


    "Where?" I said.


    "We should eat first," the Marquis said. "We have some excellent pigs here in the north."


    "Where is she?" I said.


    "You see this area is cold and desolate but a particular breed of swine live here," The Marquis said. "They survive the harshest of the cold and feed on anything smaller than them to survive whether it be plants or animals."


    "Where is Liz?" I said.


    "These swine are true Demons-"


    I slammed my fist on the table and the Marquis seemed peeved.


    "Lord Demitri, I can see that you are a man of business only," The Marquis said.


    "No, I''m just not a fan of games and bullshit," I said. "You''ve lost my trust when you tried to test me with an assassin in the image of Liz."


    "That assassin was not mine," The Marquis said.


    "Either way you let her through and let me kill someone who looked like Liz," I said.


    The Marquis rubbed with chin slightly with his hand and nodded.


    "I can understand your anger," the Marquis said. "There''s one thing you should''ve realized Lord Demitri, you shouldn''t have trusted me as I never trusted you."


    The Marquis signaled for a plate of pork and Sabrina obliged him.


    "So while I have lost your trust, you have gained mine," the Marquis said.


    The Marquis hadn''t cared to look at me while cutting into the ham.


    "By trying to kill me?" I asked.


    "No, But you would kill your friends for your own survival," the Marquis replied. "A needed trait for the Demon Lord."


    "She wasn''t Liz and I knew she wasn''t," I said.


    The Marquis inserted a fork into the slice of ham and ate it.


    "You had no doubt?" The Marquis said after a wipe of his mouth with a cloth.


    "None."


    "Interesting," the Marquis said. "Care to explain?"


    "No."


    "Good."


    The Marquis set aside his plate and looked at me.


    "I need to know if you can be the Demon Lord, Lord Demitri," The Marquis said. "You might not care but the Demon race does and then so do I."


    I looked at the black ring on my finger and felt calm after suppressing the voice.


    "Where did Liz go?" I said.


    "She went for a parley," the Marquis said. "To the north."


    The Marquis looked left of the dining table to a huge map of the Demon territory scrolled on the wall.


    "What?" I said. "Isn''t that the Demon General''s territory?"


    "Yes, General Bartholomew holds the territory to the north and plenty of the human spies must have seen her leave this area," the Marquis said.


    "Why did she go there!?" I said.


    I stood up and looked at the map.


    "For you," the Marquis said. "To help prevent a civil war when another war brews on the frontlines."


    The Marquis gracefully picked up a wine glass on the table and drank it.


    "She wants you to become the Demon Lord and she''ll risk it all for you," The Marquis said. "Would you let it all go in vain?"


    "Damn!" I said. "Of all the reckless things!"


    "Yes, you did kill the General''s son after all," The Marquis said. "Blood leads to more bloodshed."


    I looked at the Marquis who kept his eyes on me with a smirk on his mouth.


    "I''m leaving to go get Liz," I said.


    I turned around and started to leave.


    "Do you need an army?" The Marquis said.


    "No," I said.


    "I''ll make sure that you get a fast horse," the Marquis said.


    I looked back at the Marquis who returned to eating.


    He devoured the swine that he talked about immaculately.


    Pigs are always fed but hogs will get slaughtered as Martin had told me.


    This Marquis looked to fatten me up to get slaughtered as a test.


    How much power would I really wield if I controlled all of the Demon Territory?


    I stopped thinking about it as I began my crusade to save Liz.

 Chapter Forty-Four - Crusade:3

    I had been traveling for days as I headed even further north inside Demon territory.


    I was alone again and didn''t want anyone to come with me. Petra begged and pleaded as well as some of the other Demons to join me but I refused them all. The Marquis told me of the grave situation that we were under and I left with that knowledge in mind. I was given a horse and some supplies by the Marquis. He had a good sense of mind to give me some thick wool clothing. The horse I rode on was special as it was raised in the cold harsh environment of the Demon territory.


    My face peered through the hood I had on and felt as though it were being pricked by needles.


    A quick glance around the area I was in would reveal an only barren rock of land. Frigid winds blew through the lands and the cold stole my body heat. By the Gods how cold it was and how barren the land seemed. The wind had blown across heaped piles of snow and brought the cold air down from the mountain slopes. Everything in the Demon territory was at a much higher elevation than the Southlands of the Human kingdoms.


    <Cold isn''t it?>


    "Shut up Devil and leave me be," I said aloud to the black ring as I shivered.


    This place was truly cold, desolate, and treacherous. I had once entertained the thought of letting go of everything and traveling the world. But, if the rest of the world was like this Demon territory I would never have thought of it. I didn''t know how much further I would have to travel but I knew that the General had his fortress situated over a Great frozen lake.


    The General Bartholomew was a Demon of old conventions and power. A great bloodline ran through his lineage that dated back to the days of the Demon Emperor. The General served the Demon Lord as his forefathers served Demon leaders before him. Lancaster, his son would not get the chance to serve anyone as I had put him down into the ground. I might''ve been too hasty but I killed his only son and ended his bloodline.


    I would kill anyone who dared to harm my friends or especially Liz.


    Liz was sent by the Marquis to parley with the General over the matter. She was not seen or heard from since she had left. Something must''ve happened to her for the Blackbirds to have tried and take her place. Human spies and scouts were already here in Demon territory. Plenty of Demons were jittery over the perceived threat. The North Mountains were supposed to be a deterrent to any human invasion but the dangerous thing that was housed there had disappeared. Due to my own stupid doing of course.


    I would''ve believed that no one would have found out about Lancaster and his men but I was na?ve. The Marquis even suspects that the General would have spies in his domain that he wouldn''t have known about. Spies and the game of politics are not in my realm of understanding. Only Silvia played that game well and knew the situations of all the kingdoms including her own.


    Sometimes I miss that crafty spy called Silvia.


    It was a tumultuous affair as I heard from the Marquis. The lands in the west of the Demon Territory would only join our banner if the North would as well. The former Mistress of the Demon Lord would not join forces unless she was sure the lands to the north and south of her were together. To the east, the Demons had been relatively quiet with the leadership of the sister to the former Demon Lord. The Marquis had hoped with the North and West united that the East would fall in line.


    A frozen tundra laid before me and I dismounted my horse.


    Great frozen lakes were ahead of me and I knew I had reached the General''s territory. I squinted my sight and narrowed my search to see a massive fortress. The General''s fortress was in the middle of the many frozen lakes founded on top of sturdy land. The fortress having been built over a rocky island using Demon ingenuity with stone and metal. It was as much a city as it was a fortress that housed a great Demon army.


    The information that was given to me by the Marquis was correct after all.


    I didn''t have a good impression of the Marquis but he was a Demon of his word. The fortress had high walls that seemed to reach the skies. I was advised that the General kept a tight army so I knew that guards would always be on watch. Now I was thankful for the harsh snowy winds as they would prevent lookouts from viewing my approach.


    After I stroked the mane of the horse, I gave him some food and set him free. The stable master told me he would be able to find his way home no matter how far I traveled. I was too scared to be on top of a horse to tread a treacherous frozen lake. Not only was the terrain dangerous but there were hidden monsters that swam in the waters below as I was warned.


    I gathered up some courage and began crossing the frozen lake.


    As I had put my foot down to the icy sheet of the frozen lake an enormous shadow appeared under me. I was startled for a moment and looked up to see a group of Drakes. By instinct, I fell down to the floor and tried to make myself seem small. I noticed the color of the Drakes and immediately knew what they were. They traveled straight for the General''s fortress and a feeling of worry overcame me.


    The former Kingdom of Solace raised Drakes to be ridden in the air by messengers or people of interest. They were used to travel long distances in a short amount of time. I could see the black insignias marked on the Drakes and knew they belonged to the Blackbirds. From what I could tell, there weren''t many riders enough for an attack sortie. What were these riders from the Blackbirds doing here? Why did they go to the Demon General''s fortress? Then it became clear to me that the General might have solicited the help of the Unified Kingdoms.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The Blackbirds were specialized spies from within the former Kingdom of Solace.


    Now that the Kingdoms of Bareth and Solace had united they were under the command of Queen Helen. She was willing to wage war against the Demons with her new found power. With the General''s help, this was how the Blackbirds would know to imitate Liz. Was this why they knew where to find me? It made much more sense but still the question was why? For revenge, the General was willing to betray his own kind?


    I just wouldn''t comprehend it any further as I resolved myself to save Liz.


    If the General had sold out his race and captured Liz then she was in great danger. I had to save her before the Blackbirds got to her and let what she knows become theirs. Their interrogation techniques are well known to everyone on the continent. With more conviction, I had continued forward onto the frozen lake. The sound of cracks underneath my feet wouldn''t deter me as I hurried for the fortress.


    A rumble sounded beneath me and I tried to keep my balance as the frozen lake erupted.


    Cracks were occurring everywhere around me and didn''t know what was happening. Then a ringing sound had come from the fortress. Flares lit up the sky and it seemed like an alarm was raised. Was this all for me? No, something was happening to the frozen lake and it was dangerous.


    I tumbled over as something enormous sprouted from beneath the frozen lake.


    A Frost Worm!


    This was extremely bad! Frost Worms usually bury themselves beneath the ground but this one made its home in the cold waters of the Demon territory. It was a creature that lived in extremely cold environments. A perfect nest was inside the Great frozen lake. So this was the dangerous thing that prevented attacks to the General''s fortress! This Frost Worm was gigantic and I could guess that it was very ancient.


    The creature must have seen the Drakes flying high above and sought to get a meal. The monster penetrated the frozen surface and leaped from within the frozen lake. It tried to hurl itself at the Drakes but was still short as it plunged back down into the frozen lake. The surface of the frozen lake cracked and I tried to steady myself as the ice broke apart.


    I became tense and ran as the frozen lake became alive with motion. More pieces of ice started to break apart and I jumped from ice to ice. I would freeze to death if I plunged down into the icy water below me. Adrenaline pumped wildly through my veins as I hurried across the broken sheets of ice. I didn''t know when the Frost Worm would try again and I didn''t want to be near it.


    I didn''t want to use the black ring to save me. I was incapacitated for months with the last use of the black ring. Who knows how long I could be asleep for after using it this time? A shrieking roar sounded from beneath the frozen lake which nearly paralyzed me in fear. The Frost Worm bursted forth in a long distance from me but it was all the same as it tore the frozen lake apart.


    Again, the Frost Worm had missed the Drakes in the sky and landed back to the frozen lake. More of the surface to the Great Frozen Lakes had disappeared. Icy blue water had taken its place as sheets of the ice surface bobbed down into the lake. I inhaled the harsh cold air as I used my might to travel to the fortress with fervor.


    I had to hurry before my path to the fortress was gone as it would be surrounded by icy water again.


    <You are having trouble, use me.>


    "No!" I shouted and ran across the bits of the frozen surface to the fortress.


    Soon the Drakes had disappeared from the sky above to the General''s fortress. I didn''t know if this was a good thing or something terrible. A red light began to surround the fortress and the ringing within intensified. The Frost Worm erupted again from the Great Lakes and tried to collide into the fortress. A thud sounded as the Frost Worm collided with the red light and was repelled back to the water.


    The collision of the monster and the red light reverberated around and more of the ice cracked. Before that monster could come up again I had to make it to the fortress. Small amounts of frost covered my face as I used my energy to get to the fortress. I fell and slipped many times over the sheet of frost that covered the lakes. But I gathered myself up again and kept running toward my destination.


    Finally, I had made it in time to the foot of the fortress but then I was repelled back by the red light. It was a powerful protective ward that covered the entirety of the fortress. I was in a panic as I started slamming my fists against the ward only to bounce back. I tried to catch my breath through the cold and icy winds. I looked around almost hesitant for the sight of the monster but it never came. A period of calm had occurred as the Frost Worm had stopped trying to attack the fortress.


    I scanned the foot of the fortress and saw nothing but rocky cliffs beneath a towering wall.


    Gods, how would I climb that in this cold weather? Then I noticed it a sewer drainage that was to the side close to me but it was beneath the frozen lake. The only way for me to get to it was to break the frozen surface and dive into the icy water below. I needed to find some other way into the fortress city but I didn''t know how. I tried to calm myself as my body kept breathing in the harsh air.


    <You shouldn''t be resting or else you might get eaten.>


    The devil warned me as I turned around to see the enormous Frost Worm peering at me with half its body above the frozen lake. The monster had noticed me and decided that I was a good enough meal to devour. I unsheathed my sword and kept my breathing calm as I gazed up to the monster. I couldn''t seem to sweat as my body was almost frozen over.


    I stared at the monster and waited for it to make its move.


    The monster roared and dove at me as I tried to run away.


    The Frost Worm crashed into the ward and then bounced onto the frozen surface.


    The surface of the frozen lake beneath me collapsed and I fell into the icy water below.


    The freezing water consumed my body but I paid no attention as I swam for the sewage drain. Using my sword, I picked at the drainage and hoped that it would break apart. I kept with all my might as I felt all the heat leaving my body completely. Soon I was able to break apart the edges of the gate with my sword. Then using my foot I bashed the drain gate in and it broke apart. Suddenly a wave of water surged behind me and I glanced to see the gigantic frost worm propelling towards me.


    I slipped inside the sewage drain before the monster could crush me. The force of the monster rushing towards the sewage drain pushed me forward. I swam through the pipes in dire need. A light shone at the end of the pipes and I felt relieved. As I swam to the other side of the pipe and rose to the surface.


    I gasped wildly for a breath of air.


    I looked around in a daze and noticed I was in the underground waterway of the fortress. Now I was inside the fortress and had to find my way around this city. This sewer system of the Demon fortress looked well made with stairwells and tunnels. I swam to an edge of rock and dragged myself on top. I would be crawling in the dark of the underground again.


    The Devil in my mind laughed.


    <You escape death quite well.>


    I laughed madly as well.


    The freezing cold water could not stop the burning feeling in my heart and mind.


    I would face death head on in my pursuit of saving Liz.


    I would be willing to fight all monsters for the things I care about.

 Side Story - Aide to the Queen - Crusade:3.5

    Time! Blasted there is no time! Late! I''m late!


    I stared at my pocket watch and felt the sweat pouring down from my head. I glanced outside the carriage to see the bustling of the Royal Capital. These damn fools don''t know what kind of tyrant they are living under! Everyone in the Royal Capital seemed to be enjoying themselves after the Kingdoms of Bareth and Solace unified.


    "Rider! Hurry it up you fool! We are late with our meeting to the Queen!" I shouted out through an open window of my carriage.


    "Yes, Administer!" I heard a reply after the cracking sound of a whip.


    The carriage went faster as I wiped the sweat off my brow.


    My name is Arthur Blain and I was once a young delegate from a noble family with a bright future ahead of myself. Then Princess Helen took a fancy to me and my future had disappeared. I did rise up in her court but I was nothing more than a lackey. My official title is "Administer of Affairs" but I was nothing more than the aide to the Queen. My stress had increased immensely after working for the Queen and I even gained a little more weight.


    My family was proud of me and even my wife was jealous that I worked so closely with the "beautiful" Queen but I knew better. Under that beautiful mask lays a snake from the pits of hell itself. I felt shivers all over my body when I think about that cold devil in human skin. Queen Helen is ruthless, cold, and calculating. Only those close to her know this to be true while others only admired her from afar.


    How would people react when they found out she was evil incarnate pretending to be a beautiful girl?


    I shuddered briefly and felt my pulse rising up. The horse carriage had finally pulled into the castle gates and we were halted for inspection. The guards had come around to stop us and I had no time for this. I was taking care of urgent matters and had to make use of a local carriage. My duties had led me around the country to take care of vile business.


    Quickly I peered out the window and glared at the guards.


    "You fools! It''s me! Now let me through quickly!" I yelled.


    "Administer! Our apologies!" The guard said. "Let them through!"


    The entrance to the castle opened and the carriage hastily pulled through.


    I hurried out of the carriage and went straight into the castle. The castle of the Royal Capital was enormous but I knew where the Queen would reside. She always had an afternoon tea break in the inner courtyard. I was late but in actuality, I had made it in time. The Queen just preferred everyone to arrive earlier than the time she proclaimed.


    As I rushed to the inner courtyard, I saw a beautiful maiden dressed in pure white. She looked to be enjoying a cup of tea. The furniture around her seemed to match her as they were white as snow. My brows knitted tightly as I approached carrying some important documents. Before I could make my way to her a group of knights stopped me.


    "You''re late Arthur," Queen Helen said while she gently placed down her cup of tea.


    The Queen gestured her hands and the knights had let me approach.


    "My apologies your Majesty," I said. "I had some inconveniences with some details you wanted me to find."


    The Queen gave me a cold smile.


    "And?"


    "He''s disappeared," I said almost ashamed.


    The Queen tilted her head while looking at me. If it were any other man he would have fallen madly in love with her. But I knew the meaning of that gesture, it meant that the Queen was peeved. I just prayed that I wouldn''t incur her wrath because of it.


    Queen Helen stood up and looked around the little flower garden of the inner courtyard.


    "Oh Demitri," Queen Helen said. "Where have you gone?"


    The Queen plucked a rose from her garden and gently crushed it in her hands.


    "My kingdom looked to be bustling with activity as I watched from high above my Castle," Queen Helen said. "How I want to give them the elation to know that I had captured the one who killed their hero."


    Queen Helen looked to be smiling in bliss.


    "Ah yes! Your Majesty!" I replied.


    Queen Helen wasted no effort in mobilizing a unit in search of the former companion of the Hero, the Hero killer, Demitri. The incident with Lady Cassandra and the news of his appearance in the surrounding border towns had vexed Queen Helen. When the Queen found out about Martin''s death at the hands of Demitri, her smile got a little colder. After unifying the Kingdoms, the Queen told the Blackbirds to waste no effort in their search of Demitri.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "I''m puzzled as to why Demitri cannot be found," Queen Helen said. "If he''s dead then bring me his body, if he''s alive then bring him to me so I can have him hanged."


    A chill ran through my body at the words that came out from the beautiful Queen''s mouth.


    "There''s been no word of anyone matching his description," I said. "It''s like he''s disappeared from the country."


    "What is the Church doing about him?" Queen Helen said.


    "No word your Majesty," I said. "Even when we found out that Master Edwin was last seen at that border town with a man who matched Demitri''s description. The Church refuses to recognize that Master Edwin was there."


    I took out an official letter from the Church and placed it on the table.


    "Oh?," Queen Helen said. "They tortured that poor Master Edwin until he was utterly blind and they refuse to say it was him?"


    Many people had seen what has become of Master Edwin after he talked with the inquisitor from the Church of the Veil. Rumors were that he was in a near death state and had become blind. For Master Edwin to have been in such a wretched state I felt pity for him. The Church of the Veil, of course, refused all suggestions and stated that it was just a poor beggar. Though many of our sources have said that it was truly Master Edwin.


    "Where is Helem anyway?"


    "No one knows your Majesty," I said.


    Queen Helen took up the letter with grace and read through the contents before having tossed it aside.


    "What about that border town?" Queen Helen said.


    "Yes, your Majesty!" I said. "Reports say that they have indeed found a huge Mithril mine near Balenos!"


    A look of indifference came across the Queen''s face.


    "Triple their taxes," Queen Helen said. "If they can''t pay, allow them to ship some Mithril ores to us."


    I bowed and quickly wrote down what the Queen wanted.


    "How goes the funeral arrangements for my father and my cousin?"


    "Smoothly your Majesty," I said. "We''ve kept the bodies preserved for these past months for the national day of mourning that you wanted."


    The Queen smiled another one of her cold wicked smiles.


    Everyone in upper echelons of the Kingdom of Bareth had known that the Queen was already running the Kingdom. An untimely death had befallen her father the King of Bareth and her cousin the crowned Prince to the Kingdom of Solace. Queen Helen had used that to jump up and unify the Kingdoms while crowning herself Queen. Anyone who voiced their opinion on the matter quickly met with their demise.


    Crowned Princess Abigail from the Kingdom of Solace was sent to a convent so she could mourn but it was more like a prison. All evidence would never suggest that Queen Helen had anything to do with it. Yet there were people who knew better and better yet, kept their mouths shut. It even goes further back to the former crowned Prince of Bareth, her brother. He died under mysterious circumstances but all witnesses have passed away.


    I sighed heavily knowing that I''m a lap dog to a devil Queen.


    "You look to have gotten a little rounder, Arthur," Queen Helen said. "I don''t like the people around me to look unsightly."


    A feeling of terror welled up inside me.


    "I-I-I apologize your Majesty!" I said. "My wife likes extravagant meals! I''ll make sure to cut down on portions!"


    "Ah Grace, how is she doing?" Queen Helen said. "I remember in school she used to flaunt that she could have any man she wanted with her beauty."


    I was shocked at hearing that my wife and the Queen used to be school mates.


    "Power, not beauty can grab or hinder anyone," Queen Helen said.


    The Queen flashed me a cold smile and I felt that my predicament was because of my wife''s doing in her youth.


    "Now, what about those little birds and that demon?" Queen Helen said.


    Queen Helen took a seat and a maid poured her another cup of tea.


    "Yes your Majesty," I said. "The Blackbirds were sent out to meet with that Demon General."


    "Really now¡­I wonder who that new Demon Lord is for this General to try and betray his own people."


    "The Demon General says that he wishes for the Unified Kingdoms to recognize Demon rule," I said.


    It wasn''t rare for Demons to contact us as I heard that the previous Demon Lord had contacted her highness before. This time, it was from a Demon who didn''t speak for all the Demons only his own set of people. It seems that the new Demon Lord hadn''t united the entirety of the Demon Race. This Demon General had offered to kill the new Demon Lord for us as long as we were to recognize Demon Rule.


    My heart almost gave out at what happened after the Queen heard this, she laughed.


    "Once he helps us rid the blight that has plagued humanity," Queen Helen said. "Be sure to let him be the last one left alive¡­"


    I bowed and wrote this down as well.


    "You may leave," Queen Helen said as she picked up her cup of tea. "Oh, and be sure to get those Heroes ready¡­"


    I left the presence of the Queen in a hurry. I almost had a heart attack while looking and listening to the Queen. It seems that the Queen holds longstanding grudges. I just prayed that I never do anything to make myself a target. I''ll be sure to talk to my wife and find out in detail what happened in her days at the academy.


    I was off now to the Church of the Veil and to see the coronation of the new set of Heroes. Only the Church is able to declare new heroes much to the dismay of the Queen. Although the Queen will use them for her political agenda and she dares not strike against the Church yet. With these new Heroes they have been found out and about in the continent. There are many of them with fantastical new abilities such as that promising youth.


    Besides that automaton in the guise of the former Hero, I don''t know how these new Heroes can even match to the old ones. The youth was with them but they lack the wisdom and power of the previous Hero and his companions. If they were to face Demitri the Hero Killer I can only see their demise. Luckily, they were only going to wage war against the Demons to the North.


    I hoped that they didn''t end up like the last Heroes.

 Chapter Forty-Five - Crusade:4

    I had survived the attack of an ancient Frost Worm and the freezing cold waters that surrounded the City Fortress.


    I was in the muck of the underground sewers to the City Fortress of the Demon General. I didn''t feel the freezing cold as my mind was on other matters. Also, the Demons enchanted my clothing to hold up in the harsh cold. The clothes that the Marquis gave me did quite well in keeping me warm and alive. I traveled through the underground passageways for what seemed like hours. It was a deceptive and dark maze that was filthy.


    If I remember correctly they called this place "Mizumi no Yosai", from what I heard it was the Demon Emperor who named and built this place himself. I have no idea what language it came from but I was told it meant "Lake Fortress", and this place was just like that. I kept moving upward and forward in the dark passageways. My eyes have adjusted quite quickly to the dark but small amounts of light were scattered all around in the sewers.


    The smell was distinct as it was not quite awful as I imagined. Still, it was amazing to me how great the Demon Emperor was in how he intricately designed these cities. The underground waterways looked almost comparable to those in the Royal Capital and even better so. The Demon Emperor was a genius in the art of building and crafting. I wondered if things would be different if he was still alive?


    I climbed up a ladder and waddled through another passageway. There were too many passage ways and I clearly didn''t know which direction I should take. I only chose the way that seemed less murky and foul smelling. I pinched my nose but there was a searing attack on my senses by a smell that seemed familiar. It wasn''t the smell of death but something close to it. I knew the smell but I just couldn''t recall from when or where.


    A noise echoed through the passageway and I became alert to my surroundings.


    "Wasn''t it dangerous?..."


    "This city has a protective ward against that Frost Wyrm¡­"


    "I was wondering why such a dangerous creature inhabited the Lake¡­"


    It was the sound of people talking and I listened for its direction.


    "Is everyone accounted for?..."


    "Mostly, the whole fortress is under wraps¡­"


    I moved closer in the tunnel as I heard only bits and pieces of their conversation.


    "Any Demons that haven''t turned?..."


    "Some, they were dealt with¡­"


    What''s going on in the city fortress above? I walked through the passageway and tried not to let the noise of my movements be heard. The passageway tunnel turned and there was a light that emitted from up above. As I walked closer, I noticed the light coming from a sewer grate above me. It was too high for me to reach and too small for me to go through. I could make out what seem to be some people standing there.


    "I can''t believe these fools let us¡­."


    "It''s that Demon General¡­"


    "Yes, he''s broken¡­"


    What''s wrong with the Demon General?


    "I used to spy in the Bareth Kingdom, I recall that the previous King was in the same state¡­"


    Were these Blackbirds talking? Have they already overrun the fortress?


    "Oh, he the same? Why?..."


    "Yes, he was broken after the death of his son¡­"The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I leaned close to the tunnel walls and stayed away from the light.


    "Ah, so the Demon General is the same¡­"


    "Yes, Queen Helen rose to power because of it¡­"


    "No one will rise to power here¡­"


    Isn''t this a city of Demons? What happened to the populace and this city fortress? Have the Blackbirds taken over? How and why? There were many questions that swirled in my mind and my heart seemed to race. If I was too late¡­what happened to Liz?


    "The Cardinal has arrived¡­"


    "She has?..."


    "The reinforcements from earlier!?..."


    "Yeah, the Cardinal was on one of those Drakes¡­"


    "Why!?..."


    "Don''t ask why, if the Cardinal is here¡­then it must be important¡­"


    The leader of the Blackbirds was here!?


    <Did that little Witch got taken?...ha¡­.ha¡­.ha>


    My heart was sinking at the words from the devil in my ring.


    "Then we better make sure our mission is completed¡­"


    "Yes! For the Cardinal!..."


    Some movement could be heard from up above as the Blackbirds scattered. I was left alone while I pondered my thoughts. The Blackbirds were here and the Demon General seemed to be in their pocket. What happened to the Demons of the City for it to be taken over? What exactly is going on?


    Then a realization came over me and I knew what might''ve happened. I knelt down a bit and touched the murky water with my fingers. I sniffed the aroma of the water and realized what was mixed in the water system. It was called the "Nectar of Madness" and I knew about its dangers. During the war, the Blackbirds had poisoned one of their towns in an effort to stop the oncoming forces.


    But, I knew that it was just a test of this poison. It would drive anyone who drank the water mixed with the nectar to go insane. Even Silvia referred to the Blackbirds as doing experiments on their own populace. The Blackbirds worked in the art of spycraft and subterfuge. They poisoned their own people and some of our own soldiers lost their sanity from drinking the poisoned wells.


    Had they perfected the poison?


    I didn''t want to imagine anymore and I looked for a way out of these sewers quickly.


    If I was able to hear some conversations up above, then I could be close to an exit. If not, I may have to use drastic measures and use the power of the black ring. Though knowing that a month of my life would be gone as payment for its use. I needed to make sure that it was a last resort only.


    Deeper in the passage, an indention was made on the wall.


    I walked over to see a ladder that led up above. Hastily, I climbed up the ladder but a creaking sound emanated and I fell off. I landed on my back and splashed in the murky water. I looked up to see half of the bottom of the ladder had become rusted and broke off. Now, I would need to gather up my strength and leap up to catch a rung. I poised myself to get back up and try again.


    I leaned my back against the wall opposite of the ladder and rushed forward to jump up. I caught one of the rungs with my right hand and pulled myself up. I climbed up the ladder and looked above to see a cover on top. I reached the top of the ladder and slowly pushed the cover. It wouldn''t seem to budge as the cover was made of metal and rusted a bit. I took out my sword and slowly carved around the outline hoping to free some of the rust.


    I used my shoulder to push up at the cover and slowly it moved. I was able to see the surface streets and people standing around. I held my breath as I thought I had been caught but the people paid no attention to me. I pushed the cover off and climbed out of the manhole. I looked around and saw many Demons that didn''t move.


    Their faces looked muddled and their eyes seemed blank. I passed by more Demons and it was more of the same. They stared straight and stood around like statues. The Demons whether men, women or children had the same faces and posture. Around the streets of the city fortress, there were bodies that laid on the floor bloody. I sneaked around the city streets and observed that the populace was either mindless or dead.


    This wasn''t like the Nectar of Madness but more like they had become mindless fools.


    I looked toward the center of the city fortress to see a castle and I knew that my destination was there. The city was silent but some footsteps could be heard in the distance. I saw many humans garbed in the Blackbird uniform scattered around. They looked to be searching the city for more inhabitants and I heard the screams of people dying. The Blackbirds had taken over the city and were killing those who had not become mindless.


    <These humans do well in exterminating their enemies¡­hahaha>


    I hid in an alleyway as I observed the Blackbirds from afar.


    I shuddered as I watched the Blackbirds moving throughout the city fortress doing their deeds. I had to stop them and was poised to make my move. I drew my sword but then a sound echoed through the city. It was the sound of a flute being played and the Blackbirds stopped in their tracks. It was a familiar song, one that I haven''t heard in a long time.


    I became confused as I saw the Blackbirds look towards the castle at the center of the city fortress.


    "The Cardinal, she calls for us."


    The Blackbirds got together and rushed to the castle.


    I leaned back against the wall and slowly drifted down to the floor.


    The flute and that song¡­


    I only knew one person who enjoyed both¡­


    It was one of my former companions¡­Silvia

 Chapter Forty-Six - Crusade:5

    In a fated meeting between them, they had stood together injured and bloody.


    "I''ll always serve you till the day I die¡­"


    Those were her words to the Hero and I remembered the conviction in them.


    "Only if I perish will you be set free from that vow."


    The words the Hero had replied to her and he smiled at the girl who only knew pain.


    "No, even if you die I will follow you."


    "I wouldn''t want a girl such as yourself to die for me¡­live on for others."


    I remembered those words that the Hero and Silvia had exchanged when she joined us.


    I laughed at the time as I thought she was joking, little did I know, she had never joked.


    Silvia was from the Kingdom of Solace. Her ravenous black hair matched the dull golden eyes she always had. Sometimes I would see her stare at the Hero with envy and I knew that feeling all too well. But, she loved the Hero more like the others did, maybe even more so. Silvia was a weapon and she was raised to be a weapon. Her mastery of spy craft from being a Blackbird was on par with none. She was a true assassin and she was one of my dearest companions.


    A nagging pain had aggravated my heart. It was sticking to me like a festering wound and I knew that it wouldn''t leave me. It had all made sense in my mind but I didn''t want to believe it. Silvia would often play a song for us, it was the last thing given to her by her mother. The song that would make you weep or cry for joy as she played it with the flute she carried. Her dull eyes had never changed even when she was with us. Only sometimes they would flicker and that was because of the Hero.


    <You seem to be in disarray.>


    "Shut up," I whispered. "Shut up you devil."


    I was in shambles for a moment but then I quickly chased after the Blackbirds.


    I followed the small group of Blackbirds through the city fortress, and I kept pace with them. They continued with a fast measure like they hurried to return to their master. We had passed by more Demons who were mindless and dull. They stood and sometimes staggered about like puppets. Their eyes reminded me of Silvia and how she was as we met her, lifeless and mindless.


    I struggled with the thoughts that perhaps it wasn''t true. That Silvia was somewhere else being content with her life. But the pain still aggravated in my very being as if there was a chance I was wrong. What could I do when I face her again? I felt weak because of it but I persevered onward.


    We had made it to the center of the city fortress and many Blackbirds had gathered.


    I was behind only a contingent of Blackbirds as they returned to a fold. They looked at first like a small group but they quickly appeared as a larger following. I hid from a distance but I watched closely with bated breath. They knelt down in front of the large castle at the city center and soon the doors opened.


    I had thought there were only a few number of them but I was wrong. There were a considerable amount of Blackbirds and it was no wonder how quickly the fortress fell to them. If there were this many Blackbirds in the Demon territory then they would be able to cause havoc. Queen Helen was quite fast in dispatching these many spies and assassins throughout Demon Territory. I shuddered to think what they might do if they were left unchecked in the Demon populace.


    A woman with long black hair walked out while wearing the uniform of the Blackbirds but dyed red.


    "Cardinal, we are here to thy command!"


    The woman looked at them and slowly commanded them to rise.


    "You have done well my flock," the woman said.


    The Blackbirds moved and stayed in unison. I inched closer and closer to see the girl''s face. The weather was still cold and bleak as more snow began to fall. The snow fell and only gently laid on her clothes and white skin. Slowly the girl had parted the hair from her face as she looked up to the heavens. Upon closer inspection of her face, my fears became realized.


    Silvia was the Cardinal and she was the leader of the Blackbirds.


    I wanted to question why but I already knew the answer for it. She had returned to the thing she knew most and that was mostly likely because of my faults. Never have I thought that she would return to the place where she only knew nothing but pain. All those scars she had on her body probably would not match the scar I had caused to her heart.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The Gods have continued to torment me and I bit my lip bloody.


    "Have all the Demons succumb?" Silvia said.


    "Yes!" The Blackbirds shouted in unison.


    "What about that matter¡­" Silvia said with a wave of her arm.


    One of the Blackbirds broke ranks and came close to Silvia at which he whispered something in her ear. The Blackbird waited for something to which the Blackbird returned to formation. Silvia looked up to the skies for a moment and then pulled out a flute from her side. Silvia played a song that would send shivers down your spine. After the song was finished, Silvia nodded her head and most of the Blackbirds went into the castle.


    Silvia gazed around the city for a moment as if to search for something and then closed her eyes.


    "Come out, whoever you are," Silvia shouted.


    I was shocked at her words and leaned closer to the wall to hide.


    "You think you can follow my flock and not be noticed!?" Silvia shouted again.


    My heart raced and I dared not move.


    "Fine, I shall leave some birds to play with you," Silvia said.


    Silvia went back into the castle with other Blackbirds and the doors closed with a thud.


    Five Blackbirds remained and they looked out to the city. I had damned myself in following the Blackbirds in a hurry. I wasn''t thinking clearly and didn''t try to make my movements be soft. These Blackbirds had skilled themselves and knew the art of the chase. They were not like those young Blackbirds who had followed me in the forest before.


    I couldn''t run away now, they knew I was here. If I did, they would only give chase. I wanted to save Liz and I couldn''t falter. I exhaled a breath and drew my sword out. I walked out from my hiding spot and stepped closer to their line of sight. The Blackbirds drew their own swords and watched me as I appeared.


    "Demon?...No a human," One of the Blackbirds said.


    <Go play with them.>


    The devil echoed his thoughts in my mind.


    <Kill them.>


    Even more now the Devil wanted me to satiate its lust for blood.


    "I''m not human," I replied back. "I''m a monster."


    The Blackbirds ran towards me as the winds blew the snow around. I didn''t want to be caught in the alleyways of the city, so I moved to an open area in front of the castle. The Blackbirds gave chase and surrounded me quickly. I raised my sword for defense and waited.


    "No matter," Another Blackbird said. "You will die for the Cardinal."


    "I will not die here," I said.


    The Blackbird who I rebutted rushed me and tried to stab my body. I deflected his blow and kicked him away from me. Another Blackbird came at me with his sword but I ducked his attack and slashed at his stomach. Blood poured out as he fell to the ground and with another swing of my blade, I severed his head.


    The Blackbirds wore masks but I knew this agitated them. They thought of themselves to be fearless but I knew better. None are fearless in the face of death and I was to bring it to them. I kept my composure as I stared at them and then continued my assault. Four were left and they did well to defend against me.


    "Do not falter," a Blackbird said. "Allow him no rest!"


    The Blackbirds saw my prowess and didn''t want to make a mistake. If I attacked one of them, the others would move in his defense. The clashing of metal rang out through the silent city fortress. The pace of the winds picked up and continuously poured down, even more, snow. I began to breathe more of the cold air as my muscles warmed in battle.


    I parried one attack and moved to deflect another. The Blackbirds tried to attack me in unison but it only gave me room to move away. I was only one man against four birds and I kept myself from being hurt. I did not want to waver in my approach to their attacks. I kept my defense up as I moved when they tried to corner me with an array of attacks. Slowly but surely they would give into anger at not being able to deal with me.


    Emotions give speed in blows but logic will save your life.


    "Die!" A Blackbird said as he lunged at me.


    I side stepped his lunge and stabbed him in his neck. His warm blood sprayed over the snow as the Blackbird would now be forever cold. Another comrade of theirs had fallen and quickly they rushed to strike at me. I parried more blows as I moved around the snowy path. More snow had poured around the castle and it built up to slow quick movements.


    Three Blackbirds were left as they widened their approach towards me. One stood in front of me while the other two went to my blind spots from both sides. I smiled as I used my flash step to get behind the Blackbird in front of me. They never thought to use magic or skills against me but I would not hesitate towards them. I appeared behind the Blackbird and removed the head from his torso.


    "You fiend!" A Blackbird shouted.


    I flicked the blood from my sword and stared at the Blackbird.


    "As I told you, I''m a monster," I said.


    The Blackbird rushed at me and I quickly took the sword from his hand with a blue light. With both swords in my hand, I stabbed into his body and he screamed out in pain. I withdrew the blades and watched as the lone Blackbird quivered in fear. I was going to bring him death for all the harm he''s done.


    <HAHAHHAHAH! YES! YES! FINISH HIM!>


    In an instant, I flashed towards the lone Blackbird and rendered him lifeless. I dropped the Blackbirds sword as I looked up to the skies. A feeling welled up in the pit of my stomach. The pain still nagged and ached in my heart. The snow continued to fall as I looked up at the Demon General''s castle.


    A song started to echo with the winds throughout the city.


    This song was what I heard during the days of war.


    Was Silvia telling me that war had returned?


    No¡­maybe it never left.

 Chapter Forty-Seven - Crusade:6

    "Why can''t you just praise me a little more?"


    "Why should I praise you for causing more harm than good?"


    "We''re alive aren''t we?"


    "More or less."


    "Why are you so mad?"


    "We could''ve used the evidence to indict that criminal."


    "No, it''s better this way. We get rid of his merchandise and slowly chip away at his power."


    "It would''ve been better for him to rot in a jail cell and then stab a dagger through his heart."


    "You are indeed vicious Silvia¡­"


    That was the conversation I had with Silvia when we were trapped in an underground dungeon.


    It was the dungeon of a former noble who used his wealth and power to subjugate the populace around him. We were there on recon together but we ended up getting caught. I improvised and fought our way out with the use of explosives. Silvia thought we should''ve sneaked out without a fight. In the end, we destroyed all his merchandise of drugs and weapons.


    Gabriel used to say that we were birds of the same feather but I just couldn''t see it. I could never hide my disdain for what I thought was wrong. Silvia always kept her composure but always had a dagger behind her back waiting to strike. We always had different ideologies in our approach. I preferred to tackle my obstacles head on while Silvia played the waiting game. While I was a Thief, Silvia was an Assassin, and our tactics were naturally different.


    But still, I could hide if I wanted to and Silvia liked to be seen in plain sight.


    Colds winds blew through the silent city fortress and I walked up to the castle. I sheathed my blade as the song disappeared from my ears. The huge doors opened as if they expected me to come through. I never hesitated and moved forward through the doors and into the large castle. There were demons that stood up everywhere inside the castle, mindless like drones. The castle walls were filled with paintings of old generals and wars. Weapons, armors, and other trinkets seem to litter the hallways as decorations.


    A song of melancholy played through the castle as if it invited me towards it.


    I followed the main hallways attracted by the song. I didn''t see any more Blackbirds, perhaps they were hidden or maybe they were just cautious of me. The song echoed louder as I headed to the audience chamber. The castle was cold and silent just like the outside. You would have never known people were inside the castle walls.


    I made it to the audience chamber and the song stopped abruptly.


    The audience chamber was spacious almost like it belonged to a King''s. A giant portrait of the former Demon Lord hung on the wall left of the chamber entrance. A huge black armor carved with intricate designs ornamented the wall opposite of the portrait. A large great sword hung next to the armor and various portraits of Demon Generals. In front of me stood a woman garbed in fiery red with long black hair.


    It was Silvia, my former companion, who was also the leader of the Blackbirds.


    Silvia had her eyes closed as if she tried to remember something. She opened her eyes and revealed their dull emotionless radiance. They were honed and tempered with the years she spent as an assassin. Sometimes you would think she were a living doll because of those eyes she had. The way she stared at you, you''d believe you were dead. Perhaps, she thought of the many ways she could kill you in her mind, so in the end you were dead to her already.


    Only the Hero Gabriel brought those eyes of hers to life.


    Sitting behind Silvia on a decrepit throne was a Demon who wore the attire of a military commander. I guessed that the Demon behind Silvia was the Demon General Bartholomew. The Demon General looked withered away as his horns and hair were white as snow. His hair covered his face as he slouched into the chair seemingly weary of life. Wrinkles covered his face and hands like he was more of a corpse than a living being.


    "So it was you Demitri," Silvia said. "Welcome to the Demon General''s fortress."


    Silvia looked around the chamber audience for a moment and then to me.


    "Don''t worry my flock won''t intervene," Silvia said. "You have done well at killing my birds that have chased you."


    "You want me killed?"


    "I do."


    Silvia flashed me a face of bitterness and resentment.


    "I won''t die so easily," I said.


    I gazed back and forth between Silvia and the Demon General.


    "What did you do here?" I said.


    Silvia put a hand to her chin and tilted her head to look surprised.


    "Nothing," Silvia said. "I was invited here but the same can''t be said about you."


    "Invited here? What happened to all these Demons!?"


    "For revenge, this old Demon General gave in to everything."


    "He betrayed the demon race for revenge?"If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "I was told to take care of them, " Silvia said with a fake smile. "So I did."


    "Using the Nectar of Madness!?"


    "Oh, so you remember. Yes, testing it on these demons had shown it''s quite something now. I can control these vermin with my song."


    Silvia played her flute and a number of Demon maids came into the chamber. They all bowed in unison and stayed still not moving afterward. The Nectar of Madness had been perfected for mind control. The Demons had become puppets on a string for Silvia.


    "Why are you with the Blackbirds!" I yelled. "Why!?"


    "You know why Demitri!" Silvia said. "To change the world! Like he always wanted!"


    "Did you not know what the Hero did during the war!?"


    "Of course I knew!"


    I had left my mouth agape at Silvia''s words.


    "You knew? And you let him carry on with those evil plans?"


    "The Hero was right to cull the weak, it was for the future and the good of others."


    "So the Hero decides who lives and who dies!?"


    Silvia looked at me with disdain.


    "You were just jealous of him," Silvia said. "You were never better than him."


    "I might have been jealous of him," I said. "But I looked up to him, I trusted him, and I believed in him."


    "Yet, you murdered him."


    I grimaced a little but I knew all the more what I''ve done.


    "I know what I''ve done," I said. "But what about you and these Blackbirds you''ve hated. You are a pawn of Helen now!"


    Silvia looked up to the heavens and then to me.


    "When he died, I questioned my purpose. But, I remembered what he told me. He told me to live on for others and so I will change everything from the inside. I will make the Kingdoms safer with the help of the Blackbirds. Following Queen Helen is a necessity to change everything."


    I stared at Silvia quiet for a moment as the pain in my heart resurfaced.


    "Where''s Liz?" I asked.


    "Liz?" Silvia said with some confusion. "Liz isn''t here, why would she be?"


    I balled up my fists, I didn''t know if Silvia was playing a game with me or that she didn''t truly know.


    "The Oracle was supposed to meet with the Demon General for a parley," I said. "She never came back."


    "Oracle?..."


    A connection formed on the face of Silvia.


    "Liz is the Oracle!?...then¡­.you''re¡­.Hahahahhahaha."


    The dull and emotionless Silvia reverberated with laughter.


    "It all makes sense," Silvia said. "That''s why you''re here! Of course! It would be you! So that''s why Liz¡­yes of course..."


    <This woman is quite clever, your friends are truly magnificent.>


    "Stop with the games," I said. "Where''s Liz!?"


    Silvia sighed for a moment and then glanced at the shambles of the Demon General Bartholomew. Silvia walked over to the withered Demon General and whispered something in his ear. Truly, the Demon General was a withered old husk of his former self. The Demon General mumbled something back to her. Silvia''s eyes widened for a moment and she returned to her stoic face.


    "Liz never came here," Silvia said. "The Demon General never received notice of the Oracle arriving."


    I was confused for a moment.


    "You lie!" I said. "That Demon General is under your control!"


    "I never needed to control this Demon General," Silvia said. "Look at him, he is worthless but perhaps I might get to use him afterall."


    Silvia had a evil grin on her face and whispered something into the Demon General''s ear.


    "De¡­mon¡­Demon¡­Lord?" The General spoke softly.


    Silvia nodded and then pointed to me.


    "Yes, he''s the Demon Lord now, the one who killed your son and¡­ the one who killed your previous Lord."


    The Demon General stood up as if given new life. Bartholomew roared and a strange aura surrounded him. The Black armor on the walls shook and flew towards the old Demon General. The armor covered the Demon General and the great sword flew into his hands. Bartholomew stabbed the great sword into the ground and his white hair fluttered with vigor.


    <This Demon is quite strong.>


    "You¡­.are¡­.Demitri!?"


    "I am."


    "You are the Demon Lord and you killed my son?"


    "I am¡­and I did."


    I would never deny my actions.


    "YOU¡­YOU MONSTER!" the Demon General roared.


    I was startled for a moment and slowly backed away.


    "Entertain the General won''t you Demitri?" Silvia said and played a song with her flute.


    As the tune sounded, the Demon maids moved to block my retreat. The path behind me had been cut off and in front of me stood a deranged Demon. Glowing mana like light swirled in the air and the General began breathing in the mana. The skin and horns of the General returned to color as his hair revitalized as well. His muscles grew and I realized how enormous the General was as he stood tall.


    I glanced at Silvia who smiled at me and then looked up at the Demon General.


    "How can I make it right?" I said. "I don''t want to fight you if I don''t have to."


    "YOU ASK ME HOW YOU CAN MAKE IT RIGHT!? While my Lord is dead because this servant could not protect him! When my son is dead within the dirt because of your hands! You ask me!?"


    The General stomped his foot and I drew my sword.


    "What a farce that a bloodthirsty monster such as yourself is the Demon Lord," Bartholomew said. "I will never accept it! Fate has done me cruel in this world."


    "I was just here for Liz," I said. "The Oracle."


    "That witch! She is a schemer! I can tell by her very nature, she is hiding a truth that you and the Marquis will realize all too late!"


    "What are you saying?" I said.


    The Demon General glanced over to the portrait of the former Demon Lord.


    "My Lord has always told me that there will be peace. I never believed him, he was the most gentle and kind being that this old man had ever known and you humans killed him! Murdered him in his own home! In the lands that you banished us to!"


    The Demon General lifted up his great sword and pointed it at me.


    "When your body is deep underground and its ashes are torn apart, when your soul is rendered asunder¡­that is when all will be right!"

 Chapter Forty-Eight - Crusade:7

    A frightening song echoed through the castle.


    "Death to you," Bartholomew Roared.


    Crash!


    The Demon General leaped at me with his great sword. His weapon created a crater on the floor and I tumbled away. There was no talking to him anymore, the rage in his voice and body shook with every step he made. The black armor he had on started to steam but the room was deathly cold. Liz wasn''t here and I been caught in a hard place with a Demon General and one of my former companions.


    <Unleash me, show them death.>


    I was worried and the devil in my mind wanted me to use the black ring again.


    Bartholomew pointed his great sword at me and mana swirled in the air. I quickly ran away as the temperature dropped and icicles shattered around where I used to be. This Demon General was proficient in ice magic and boldly used it in the room. There was nowhere to hide from the old general and I tried running for the exit. A song played and the Demon maids quickly blocked my path.


    "Oh, Demon Lord, where are you going?" Silvia snickered for a moment before continuing her song.


    My exit was blocked by the Demon Maids being controlled by Silvia.


    There was no life in their eyes but I didn''t want to hurt them in the chance that they could be saved.


    <Just kill them! They are nothing but puppets now!>


    "No, I can''t!" I said. "I won''t shed innocent blood!"


    "Have you gone crazy already?" Bartholomew said. "Prepare yourself! And fight me!"


    Bartholomew jumped in the air and landed in front of me as his presence shook the ground. More steam seeped out of the black armor. The General swung his great sword landing a hit to the walls behind him. His blow collapsed the exit in a rubble of smoke and stone. Some of the Demon maids hadn''t moved and laid motionless under the pile of stone. I stared at the General in disbelief at what he had done.


    "Why!!" I yelled. "We don''t have to fight! You''re killing your own people! There''s a war that''s coming! We must work together against it!"


    <Foolish.>


    "I will not work with you, for the Demons to be in such disarray as to have you as Demon Lord, I would rather die," Bartholomew said. "All these Demons were dead the moment you murdered our true Lord."


    What could I do now? Must I always depend on the black ring!? Must I always fight my former friends!? I blindly moved down my path only to get in such drastic circumstances. No, I won''t give in to the devil nor will I choose to lay down like a dog. I have done this old Demon General wrong but I won''t die for him. I grasped my sword and held it up in defense.


    "Fine, so be it General!" I said. "Let it be known that when you die, I gave you fair warning."


    <Yes, tear him apart.>


    "Ha, so the usurper, dares utter his words to me," Bartholomew said.


    "Do well in killing each other," Silvia said as she continued another song while sitting on the throne.


    The Demon General rushed me quickly and I flash stepped behind him instead. I lunged my sword into his back but the tip of the blade was halted by the armor. The black armor the General wore was not ordinary, to say the least. I jumped back before the General could swing his fist towards my face. I glanced down at my blade to see that small amounts of frost built up.


    "Magic armor!?"


    "My Lord gave me this armor to serve the will of the Demon Race," Bartholomew said. "With it, I will help the world be rid of you!"


    Blue light filled my hand and I tried to steal the great sword from the old General. But the music from Silvia intensified and the blue light disappeared from my hand. I glanced over to see Silvia who was still playing her flute. She was using her magic with the flute to disrupt anything I could do. Now I could understand why Liz always had a hard time with anti-casters like Silvia.


    The old General kicked me away and I rolled around the floor as I tried to get my bearings.


    The Demon General grasped his greatsword in both hands and made heavy swings for my body. I dodged the numerous blows as the cold air became more intense. If I was caught by one of those heavy blows, it would leave me in two. My breathing caused some hot air to fill the area around me as I avoided the blows. I put some distance between myself and the old General to see some hot vapor slowly come from my mouth and the steam coming from his black armor.


    Then I realized why there was steam coming out of his black armor.


    The black armor he wore was magically enchanted with frost magic. The sword I was using wouldn''t be enough to put a dent in the armor at all. The steam out of his armor was from his natural body heat coming into contact with it. Magic armor has great properties and are excellent for protection but have glaring weaknesses. The armor is hard like ice but is probably seeping away at the life of the old General.


    I didn''t need to attack the General at all to beat him.


    The magic armor he wore was going to kill him as long as he had it on. Then that means the only one I needed to fight was Silvia. I glanced over to see the black-haired woman sitting on the throne. The song she played had grown faint for some reason. The General slashed at me but I avoided it with a duck and roll. I flashed towards Silvia when suddenly the ground erupted with ice around me.


    "You should pay attention to me!" Bartholomew said


    I was caught in a cage of ice but my sword arm was still free. Using my free right arm I threw my sword towards Silvia who was still playing her flute. As the sword reached her, dark shadows vaporized where her body would''ve been. Silvia''s body transformed into a shadow as my sword was stuck into the throne chair.


    "Shadow magic¡­" I muttered.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The shadow started to wane and disappear.


    "Of course, Demitri, I already left with my flock," the disappearing shadow of Silvia said. "I wouldn''t stay here for you. Oh, and before I forget, I destroyed the ward that protected the fortress. Enjoy your time with the General¡­"


    The castle started to rumble as I heard the roar of a monster echo.


    "Damn it!"


    The Demon General looked at nothing else but me as I was trapped in his ice cage.


    "Death for all the lives you stole," Bartholomew said. "Finally they can rest in peace."


    <Will you die?>


    "No," I said. "I will not die so easily."


    I used my free arm to reach for the black ring and I pulled it out.


    <Yes¡­.>


    "The Demon Lord''s ring!" Bartholomew said in shock as he stared at the black ring I pulled out.


    The darkness of the black ring converged over my body and started to transform it. My body broke free of the Ice cage I was in, and the rumbling of the city fortress continued. My body grew immensely and black shadows became chains that rattled on the floor. A white mask covered my face and my cloak became tattered like rags. The General backed away from me in disbelief at what I had become.


    "This¡­this is the Demon Lord''s power! but something else!..." Bartholomew said. "Something horrible."


    "Yes, I am a monster," I said.


    <Unleash our power.>


    The black ring turned white as the eyes of the devil appeared out from it. Chains wrapped out my arms and littered the floor. I signaled my hand as the chains whipped around and attacked the old general. The old demon quickly used his great sword to fight off the chains as it struck him from all sides. Steam poured out from his armor and the chains shattered as they turned to ice. It didn''t matter how many chains the magic armor froze as more chains appeared.


    The chains poured out of my tattered cloak like black darkness and continued its onslaught at the Demon General. The chains chipped away at the great sword which the old Demon used to block my attacks. The magic armor was using more of his life as it protected him from the continuous assault. Steam poured out from the black armor of the Demon General.


    <Kill...Kill¡­.Kill¡­>


    "Why! Why did that ring choose you!" Bartholomew screamed. The black armor of the Demon


    General was battered and his great sword was on the verge of breaking.


    Bartholomew stared at the portrait of the former Demon Lord.


    "My Lord! Why did you choose him!"


    Blood sprayed the air as the General was being beaten senseless by the numerous chains.


    <Death unto you.>


    "¡­My¡­Lord..f-forgive¡­th..i..s¡­old¡­.man¡­"


    The old General was a bloody pulp of armor and flesh as the cold embrace of death finally took over his body.


    I looked at the Demon Lord''s portrait which became ruined with the blood of the old General. The blood from the old demon dripped down the Demon Lord''s face like tears. The Demon Lord seem to stare at me with a face full of sorrow. I could see the black ring covering one of his fingers in the portrait and I knew the weight it had on him. There was no turning back for the weight of the things I''ve done.


    The castle continued to rumble as I felt something monstrous attack the city fortress.


    I used the power of the chains to destroy the side of the castle wall and came to see what had become of the city fortress. Numerous gigantic Frost Wyrms were attacking the city fortress and eating the mindless Demons down below. The Demons didn''t move and became easily devoured by the monstrous creatures. I felt empty as a sickening feeling welled up in the pit of my gut.


    Silvia and her blackbirds have done their work in wrecking havoc for the Demons that lived in the northern territory.


    <How wonderful, death has been wrought unto them all.>


    "These Demons, they looked up to me like a savior."


    <Not these Demons, they didn''t recognize your power.>


    "I couldn''t save them."


    <They were useless to not save themselves.>


    "I should save the ones that I can."


    <No, they all deserve to die.>


    "I must save them."


    <No, you''re not a crusader of justice but a destroyer.>


    I tried to move forward but my steps were heavy. My body became numb as I started to get disoriented. It became harder for me to breathe and the white mask on my face turned red. The Devil laughed in my mind and I couldn''t move my body anymore. I could only watch the destruction being caused by the monsters.


    "WHY!"


    <You think, this power is for you? No, No, No.>


    "We had a deal!"


    <To destroy the Demon Lord is that not right?>


    I remembered the bargain we had and a feeling of dread came over me.


    <No worries¡­I already made a new bargain¡­but I grew tired of this one as well.>


    "With who!?"


    <Why, with that little witch of yours.>


    "Liz!? What!? She wouldn''t!"


    <Oh yes, she did. When she first saw me I thought I would have to fight her off but who would''ve known that she would bargain with me? She offered me something delightful to keep you protected for a while.>


    "You''re lying! She would never!"


    <You stupid fool. Look at the way you moved for her like a puppet on a string and how the Demons trusted her. She played you all.>


    "Why?¡­No!¡­No!¡­Stop trying to deceive me!"


    <I''ve grown tired of you. I seek more blood and to have my freedom in this world. Don''t worry, I won''t kill a weakling such as you. You can live on to see the glorious destruction I will bring.>


    An ache convulsed throughout my body and I shook like a mad man. Darkness poured out from my body but was excruciatingly painful. I reverted back to my normal state and I vomited blood as sweat dripped from my face. The black darkness concentrated at one spot in the air and became the devil known as Nyarlathotep.


    The black devil sneered at me and slowly vanished in the air.


    "NO! NO!"


    I fell to the floor writhing in agony and heard the roar of monsters echo the sky. The castle started to crumble and my body had become weak from separating with the devil. I could barely move as I laid on the floor in pain. My face stared up at the portrait of the Demon Lord and I could feel his jeering. My eyes filled with water as I felt my heart and body had been ripped apart.


    I was being used by the Devil and it was my own fault. But Liz? Why? What did she do? Didn''t she help the Demons? Wasn''t she helping me? Or was that all a lie! Or is that Devil lying to me? I just don''t know anymore. I can''t trust anyone, not anymore.


    My teary eyes looked down to see the Demon Lord''s ring on my finger. It was still there but now the darkness was gone. The ring was pure white and I looked at the ring to pray that my future would be different in another life. The castle continued to shake and crumble as the monsters roared.


    Debris fell down from the castle ceiling and it looked like my life was over.


    I closed my eyes to accept whatever comes next.


    But, I didn''t die.


    The white ring on my finger began to glow and covered me in a white light.


    The white light enveloped me and I vanished from the crumbling fortress.

 Chapter Forty-Nine - Paradise Lost:1

    Thoughts and memories came rushing to me in the vast darkness of my mind.


    I was in a dream on a past that I would never forget...


    Years ago inside the Demon Territory, my companions and I hid under the cover of darkness. We set a camp outside of the Demon Capital, Bahrut. We found a cave hidden by rocks and stalagmite inside the hilly forests of the winter wasteland. Our goal was one thing and that was to save humanity from a great impending threat. The Hero Gabriel had led us through many adventures and this time our quest was to vanquish the Demon Lord.


    I sat by a campfire while eating some soup Martin had prepared. Martin was stirring the pot on top of the campfire vigorously as he felt the anticipation. Camille was off to the side, polishing her golden gauntlets while humming a tune. Liz was asleep covered by her large mage robes and pointy hat. Helem also known as Master Edwin prayed to the Gods while reciting a verse in soft whispers. Cassandra was near the entrance of the cave worried with fright.


    We were all companions to the Hero of the Veil and dare I say, fledgling heroes ourselves. Myself a thief, Martin the berserker cook, Camille the fighter for hire, Liz a mage of the Elven forests, Master Edwin a priest of the Veil, Silvia a former spy of Solace, and Cassandra the knight of Balenos. I hadn''t contemplated of how drastically my life had changed with my friends and I never knew how hard it would change. We all were united under the Hero of the Veil, the paladin Gabriel.


    All of us were to our own devices but the noise of footsteps echoed constantly.


    "They''re late."


    Cassandra paced back and forth erratically while we waited for Gabriel to return.


    "Calm yourself, Cassandra," Master Edwin told her.


    "I can''t! Not when a spy is with Gabriel!"


    I stopped and stared at Cassandra with distaste at her words but then continued eating my soup.


    "Can you please stop?" I said. "She''s one of us now."


    Cassandra threw sharp glares at me while her golden hair flowed behind her.


    "Aren''t you at all worried in the slightest!?"


    "No, because it''s him."


    The Hero Gabriel went out with Silvia to survey the landscape of the Demon Capital. Cassandra was worried about the Hero but more than likely she was just jealous that Silvia was with him. After everything we''ve been through, I didn''t like how Cassandra treated Silvia. The only reason Gabriel and Silvia were out in the wasteland of Demon Territory, was for speed and surveillance. Silvia had many abilities of subterfuge and stealth that made detection almost impossible. Gabriel himself was more than enough to handle any potential threats. He also had an ability to scout the surrounding areas from a safe distance.


    We had progressed a dangerous distance from our home after many days and nights traveled here. Having saved the populace from Demon attacks and striking back at monsters that roamed. Our mantra was the safety of the world and we lost much to come. A war started between Humanity and Demonkind. We were given the task of being a force to end it quickly by defeating the leader of all Demons.


    Yet when we arrived we had hit a barrier and we found no clear entry into the Demon Capital. A wall of cold steel and magic prevented us from going any further. The walls had no clear entrance but smooth surfaces with strange markings on them. Security was tight with Demon soldiers on patrols and machines that roamed the walls of Bahrut. This, of course, didn''t even consider the menacing monsters that roamed free in Demon Territory.


    "What about you all?" Cassandra said to the others.


    Everyone continued with what they were doing but they did offer her some words.


    "Cassandra, pacing with worry is unbecoming for a child of the Veil."


    "Come eat some soup," Martin said. "It''ll warm your belly and make you strong."


    "When we go back we''ll get so many job offers! We''ll be rich!" Camille said.


    "Just sit down already," I said.


    "Hush....noisy," Liz moaned out from under her hat.


    No one dared to be loud after Liz spoke, she was a child but her magic was immeasurable.


    Everyone stared at her for a while and hoped she would go back to sleep. Liz was quite a cranky and problematic child for us all. We all knew that she was secretly the adopted daughter of the Elven King. Although, I was the only one who knew more than that. One of the great wizards in the Kingdom of Bareth had once praised Liz for her magic ability and many have said that she was a genius. What''s rather odd is that this genius was prone to temper tantrums for food and sleep. Her great power was almost uncontrollable for her, so we all tried to keep her calm.


    Cassandra sat down at her spot near the entrance and hugged her knees.


    We all knew how Cassandra felt but this was Gabriel. He could make the impossible probable and we all followed him. Although I sighed softly as Cassandra''s love sickness was getting to be a problem. Only Silvia and Cassandra seemed to fight over Gabriel in our group. Gabriel was a man who wasn''t entirely into romance when there were pressing matters at hand. Many girls have come and gone who loved Gabriel but he never reciprocated their love. Only Princess Helen seemed to have gotten something to stir within Gabriel. Cassandra was probably feeling the weight of her love against how she could die from attacking the Demon Lord. She never exactly told Gabriel her feelings for him even though everyone could see it clear as day.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Cassandra glanced at Master Edwin who kept his eyes close while praying.


    "Forgive me, Master Edwin," Cassandra said. "I''m just...we''ve just come so far."


    "The Veil will guide us," Master Edwin replied while half opening his eyes "Rest now with us."


    "But I..."


    "No need for a confession, let''s wait until the Hero gets back."


    "..."


    I saw this scene and sighed as I finished my soup. I''m glad that Master Edwin didn''t involve himself like he usually does. Master Edwin does have some tact sometimes while most of the time he preaches to us. He was a follower of the Veil and constantly wanted us to improve our souls. For the matter of love and jealousy, I don''t think Master Edwin thought himself to be qualified.


    I never pressed into the matter with Cassandra as it was never any of my business. I did talk to him once about the girls but he never really gave me a definitive answer. In return, he asked about my own love life to which I told him that I wasn''t as lucky as he was. I''ve had some physical relationships with women but none that could be considered love.


    We were a group that had our own agendas but banded together to fight evil. My only other goal in life besides following Gabriel was the safety of the world and making sure Liz was safe. Master Edwin was close to becoming a cardinal and we hoped his dreams would come true. Martin was the son of a butcher in a long family line of the same profession. He became a mercenary to help the siblings he left behind. Liz was a child of the Elven forests and seemed to be on a secret mission that she couldn''t say. Camille only thought about money and gathering more of it.


    "Someone''s coming..."


    A noise echoed throughout the cave and I pulled out my short sword.


    Martin stood tall and pulled out a cleaver from his side. Camille fumbled with her gauntlets before putting them on. Master Edwin pulled out his staff and covered the fire slightly with his body. Cassandra moved over to us and only Liz stayed sleeping. Everyone waited with bated breath for something or someone to appear.


    "What''s wrong?" A familiar voice said.


    Gabriel and Silvia appeared suddenly in front of us like they were always there.


    "Don''t go showing up in the middle of thin air," I said. "I might just punch you one day."


    "If you ever get a chance to hit me then I''ll go on my knees and call you master!"


    Everyone relaxed and Cassandra rushed to Gabriel''s side.


    "I was so worried about you Gabe!"


    "It''s okay Cass," Gabriel said. " We found the entrance to the Demon Capital!"


    "There''s actually an entrance?" Camille said almost dumbfounded.


    Gabriel and Silvia nodded their heads as they blazed smiles of victory.


    They explained to us that the entrances to Bahrut were on four sides. Those sides consisted of the directions toward the other Demon Cities that were North, South, West, and East of the capital. Those entrances were Gates fused with magic and machinery that made for short teleportation between the five cities.


    "What? So you''re saying we have to go to the other Demon Cities to enter the Capital!?"


    "Yes and no," Gabriel said. "We just have to wait until one of the entrances are being used and piggyback a spell to create our own entrance through."


    Everyone focused their eyes on Liz who had long since been awake.


    "Can you do it?"


    "I think I can," Liz said rubbing her eyes. "As long as the magic is working, I should be able to tell what''s happening."


    Liz had a keen sense of magic and she only needed to witness magic to understand it.


    "That''ll be a problem," Master Edwin said. "How do we know it''ll be used? And I doubt it''ll be opened for so long."


    "Easy," Silvia said. " We cause a commotion and force them to use it. The soldiers aren''t garrisoned in Bahrut but to the north in a fortress city."


    Silvia gave a cold sneer and I understood their intentions.


    "How did you find that out?" Cassandra said somewhat dubious.


    "We, that is, Silvia interrogated some Demon soldiers from the patrol groups."


    "Wait, what? I''m confused," Camille said perking her lips.


    "Me too," Martin said as he scratched his head.


    The mode of transportation is genius between the Demon Cities as they acted as a sort of one giant interconnected city. The flaw was space as the gates and walls to create the barrier were finite. Coupled with the transportation gates for which only so much space could go around inside. This meant instead of designated areas within cities, the cities themselves became designated to certain causes. The Demon Capital acted as the central hub of government while the other cities acted as living space, commerce, and military garrisons.


    This was probably developed by the Demon Emperor who saw the dangers of living in Demon Territory and wanted to protect his people. As the Demon population grew, there was less space in livable areas. So, many had to venture further out into Demon Territory. Instead of transporting people and goods over long terrain they developed a sort of short range teleportation device. Sadly no one knows how to build any more of these things as they were made in the days of the Demon Emperor.


    Everyone sat down as Gabriel went over the course of action for us.


    "Most of the Demon military are on the battlefront of the border," Gabriel said. "So I don''t expect much trouble but there are people who are risking their lives in the Demon War. We must not let it go to waste. We need four people to cause a commotion so they can call upon soldiers."


    A feeling of determination for the cause welled up inside me.


    "Demitri, Martin, Silvia and Camille, you four will be on that."


    The four of us nodded in agreement.


    "Liz will create a spell through a gate and make an entrance for us to go inside the city. Master Edwin, Cassandra and I will protect Liz to make sure it''s safe. When the entrance is opened, I''ll signal to you to make your way back to us and we''ll all enter together. With Silvia''s ability there is no need to prolong fights, just run if you must."


    Gabriel looked at us with clear eyes and smiled his radiant smile.


    "Don''t die, we''re doing this to save humanity!"


    We all began to prepare for our confrontation with the Demon Lord.


    I never knew then how much it would change the course of our lives for the worst.

 Chapter Fifty - Paradise Lost:2

    I was running like a mad man in the face of danger.


    Hours had passed by since our plan had sprung into action. I had the unfortunate ordeal of leading Demon beasts and patrols back to the group. We laid an ambush in waiting with Martin and Camille who were cloaked under shadow magic by Silvia. I was wearing boots that gave me a fleet of foot, stolen from the caverns of Balenos. The monsters and Demons couldn''t get close to me but never strayed far behind.


    Sweat dripped from my forehead as I evaded magical attacks and heard the roar of monsters.


    Two Demon patrols armed to the teeth were following me and I only hoped that they called reinforcements. Demon wolves and drakes chased after my smell as they sought a meal. My destination was in sight and I hoped the others were ready to counter. I ran pass a line marked on the ground and suddenly vanished like a shadow.


    "Now!" I yelled.


    The confusion as I disappeared from sight was instantaneous and it left us moments to strike back. Camille charged through like a fireball from the shadows as her body was engulfed in a circle of light and magma. A secret technique that she learned from her family who lives in the southern region. Her gauntlets crushed the Demon wolves as her charge scorched the ground.


    Camille shouted out with power and her vast martial art techniques were put into play. Bone crunched and flesh flew everywhere as the Demon beasts were caught off guard. Drakes tried to dive at her with their claws and talons but the energy from her fists killed them instantly. The Demon patrols were stunned at the ferocity Camille displayed and then prepared themselves to attack her.


    Before they could get a chance, something else leaped up from the shadows into the middle of the soldiers. Martin wielded his two cleavers and began hacking at the Demons. They tried to fight back at Martin but his sense of bloodlust went out of control. The more Martin fought, the stronger he became. The sound of screams and metal echoed throughout.


    "Come on then!" Camille said. "20 silvers to see who can take out more!"


    "Can''t you do anything without money involved?"


    "You''re pretty strong Camille but you won''t kill more than me!" Martin said.


    One of the Demon soldiers tried to call for a retreat but before he could do so, I had silenced him with a knife to the throat. I regained my composure and bearings to go into battle. I flashed through from the shadows to help Camille and Martin. I drew my short sword and had many throwing knives ready to hit my targets.


    "Stop talking before they escape," I said. "We need a bigger commotion!"


    The shadows we hid in started to mold up and formed into human shape.


    Silvia emerged from the shadows and quickly played her flute to give us an aura of protection. Shadow magic was an expertise known to only spies and assassins from the eastern Kingdom of Solace. When Silvia joined us she used her abilities in a support role to function with our own. The shadows from under her came near and connected to our own shadows. A glowing aura surrounded us and I glanced over to Camille.


    She was under attack so I dashed over and landed throwing knives on the various beasts around her.


    Camille stomped the floor and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks. Their claws and teeth were no matches for the power of her golden gauntlets. They whined and yelped in pain as Camille obliterated anything in her path. I jumped and rolled closer to her as I stabbed one Demon wolf in the eye. Our backs were leaning up against one another and I let out a laugh.


    "You waste a lot of your time as a mercenary Camille," I said. "You could get more money as a royal instructor."


    Camille smiled at me and then kicked a wolf in mid air as it tried to pounce on her.


    "You keep saying that Demitri but I told you that I wouldn''t want to be caught up in politics."


    I sliced and dashed my way through the monsters to get closer to Martin.


    "More! More! Is this how strong you are!?" Martin roared.


    Martin handled the Demon soldiers easily and took a few blows. I had to make sure he was okay even though he was strong he was still a young man at the time. His muscles protruded out as he took waves and waves of soldiers. I helped Martin by ensuring all the range attackers were dealt with. Magicians and archers were taken out by me as I ran through the battlefield.


    The number of soldiers was dwindling quickly as we fought. Even the number of beasts had gone down but still there was no sign of reinforcements. We only hoped that we made such a scene that would require them to call for aid. Gabriel, Cassandra, Liz, and Master Edwin had already made their way to one of the gates and were only waiting for us.


    Finally, a flare signaled in the sky and it was just what we were waiting for.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "There it is!"


    "Yes!"


    We jumped for joy as we created an opening for the others. A thunderous cracking sound echoed in the air. The clouds swirled above us and the wind picked up speed. Liz was using her magic to create a portal through the gate. Now all we had to do was meet up with the others.


    "I killed 30 beasts, you all owe me 20 silvers!" Camille said.


    "You know I took out more soldiers than that Camille!" Martin said as he patted his chest.


    "Stop it you two," I said and looked at Silvia. "Let''s get out of here!"


    Silvia nodded and started playing a different tune with an upbeat tempo.


    She sunk into her own shadow and quickly her shadow came under us. We all moved closer to each other after defending off the monsters and soldiers. The shadow bounced on the ground moving towards other shadows. All three of us were enveloped in the shadow as it moved towards us with supernatural speed. Quickly the shadow stretched out and sprung away from danger.


    We headed for the rendezvous point with the others.


    When we got close enough to the others, we emerged from the shadows. It was a weird feeling to be covered in shadows as we moved about. Shadow magic was quite useful but it had a toll on its user. Martin and Camille were fine but Silvia looked drained. Silvia was gasping for air as she seemed weak from using her power. I went over to her and held her up.


    "Are you alright?" I said.


    "I''m fine," Silvia said. "What about Gabriel?"


    I looked over to our meeting point to see Gabriel and Cassandra finishing off some Demon beasts.


    "What took you guys so long?" Gabriel asked.


    "Well you know, just an onslaught of monsters and Demons," I replied with a shrug.


    In a flash of light, Gabriel finished off the Demons with one swing of his holy sword.


    Liz was still chanting something and thunder struck down on her. Suddenly, a portal had opened from the gate on the wall. Master Edwin began casting a light healing spell on everyone. Our health and vitality were restored almost instantly by the spell. I smiled at Master Edwin in appreciation and he gave me a nod back. Liz was stretching and seemed like she wanted to fall asleep again.


    "Liz," I said. "You did well!"


    "Hungry," Liz said. "Demitri, I want food!"


    I walked over to her, rubbed her head and made a mess of her hat.


    "I''ll treat you to a grand dinner when we get back."


    "Really!? Promise me! No take backs!"


    "Yeah, sure," I said. "It''s a promise."


    Cassandra and Silvia both ran up to Gabriel who looked determined for our next plan of action. Both sought praise from Gabriel who just nodded. Martin and Camille argued about who killed more creatures. Master Edwin thanked the Gods that we had accomplished our task.


    Soon everyone gathered together and we confirmed our resolve.


    "Everyone, no matter what, don''t die," Gabriel said.


    "That''s why you''re here," I said with a laugh.


    "Seriously," Gabriel said. "If anything happens, know that we are doing this for everyone!"


    "Praise by the Gods that will let us smite the Demon Lord," Master Edwin said.


    "I wonder how much it costs to slay a Demon Lord?"


    "I''m hungry"


    "Let''s go everyone!"


    We stepped into the portal and it brought us inside to the Demon Capital, Bahrut.


    It was a first for our eyes for having to see something so majestic in nature. The city was made out of metal and machinery but grand in design. I never knew how much glass could be used in buildings until I saw Bahrut. It was a labyrinth similar to Balenos but bigger in scale. The roads were paved with something and lights were everywhere. Some sort of machine like vehicles were moving on the roads.


    "What in the world is this place?"


    "This is a Demon city?"


    All of us were shocked at the sights and sounds of the place but Gabriel was even more amazed.


    "It looks, like....a real city... from home," Gabriel said.


    "I don''t think this looks like home," Cassandra said. "It''s too weird..."


    "Yes, of course...I meant something else..."


    Gabriel was contemplating something but shook it off.


    "Are you alright?" I asked Gabriel.


    "I was just....thinking about something..."


    Gabriel moved his hand in the air like he wanted to touch something and then stared at it for quite awhile.


    "Let''s go," Gabriel said.


    "Where?"


    "To the big building in the middle of the city."


    "Why?"


    "That''s where the Demon Lord is."


    "How do you know?"


    "I just do."


    Gabriel moved and we all followed him as he would take us to the end of our destination.


    The changing of our fates laid with the defeat of the Demon Lord.


    If I knew what would become of me, I would not have gone.

 A little hiatus to rewrite back chapters.

    The direction I wanted to go has definitely steered. I felt the urgency to write some chapters even when I should''ve just waited and contemplated on how to bring it to light. I changed it a little too much and I know that everyone reading has definitely noticed it (Thanks for the pm''s, reviews, and comments).Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    I''m going to back chapters to rewrite and bring back up the quality.


    Question for everyone though in the story moving forward.Should the video game elements be more abundant going forward?