Chapter 129: Lord Reth


    The moment Vir stepped foot into Lord Reths audience chamber, he knew hed made a mistake.


    The ruler of the Pagan Order sat on an ostentatious throne that fit the man like a glove. Vir guessed even King Rayids throne in Daha couldntpare to the dizzying array of jewels, gold, and carvings that adorned his massive seat, positioned high above a flight of steps.


    The man himself sported arge, bushy mustache and greased ck hair. He looked like the sort of man no one would trust. Sleazy, fake, and maniptive. He wore an opulent, form-fitting robe that did little to hide his lean and muscr body. The product of intense training, and without the benefit of prana, he must have truly toiled to achieve such a physique.


    But it was the red demon woman kneeling next to him that made Virs blood boil. A woman whose neck had been chained. Kept like a sick sort of pet.


    Vir nced at the dozen armored knights that stood within the room. Only the tiniest traces of prana ran within them. Though they were no doubt veterans, taking them out would be childs y for him.


    Then again, he was here on Brotherhood business. If he assassinated Lord Reth and caused a scene in the Pagan Orders capital, he might as well kiss his Brotherhood membership goodbye.


    But that didnt bother him overly much. What stayed his hand was the bounty the Brotherhood would no doubt ce on his head if he acted out. Thest thing he could afford was to cross even more people. One kingdom was enough.


    Vir strode up to the foot of the dozen stairs that led to Reths throne, but he did not kneel. Nor did he avert his gaze, staring Reth in the eye. A gaze which the monarch returned with a look of mild amusement.


    Wee, Apramor. Or should I call you Neel, perhaps? A man of many names. And many faces, he said with a smile. First your assassination in Daha, then your recent beast subjugations You truly are a man of many talents!


    Vir reconsidered his n. Itd be an uproar if <em>he </em>took the first action, but if the guards attacked him? He could eliminate the head of the snake that hunted demonkind in self defense.


    <em>Just try it, </em>Vir thought, subtly bending his knees and charging <em>Dance of the Shadow Demon.</em>


    How do you know all this? Vir asked, forcing his voice to remain even.


    Fear not. The Brotherhood has not told us anything. Weve been monitoring you for some time, you see. But I assure you, we mean you no harm. You are here as our guest of honor, and we take our honor seriously out here. There shall be no bloodshed today. Well, except for one. The one we wish you to kill. They await in just the other room, he said, idly fondling the chain that connected to his demon ves neck. The demon womans eyes contained not a trace of life. It was as if Reth had beaten her identity out of her, leaving a broken husk behind.


    Once again, Vir forced his boiling blood under control, relying on every ounce of training he had to keep his face from betraying his anger.


    Why? Why would you fly me all the way out here to kill someone you already have in your custody?


    Lord Rethughed. Well, consider it a token of good will. Should you do this for us, we shall know you as a brother. Youll have earned our trust. Further missions will be avable, should youplete this contract. Not to mention a seric coin and immediate promotion to Shadow. Weve already seen to the preparations.


    Virs eyes widened before he could stop himself. A <em>Seric </em>coin? And a promotion? All for killing someone who was likely bound in chains?


    <em>Whats going on here?</em>


    No deal is this good, he replied. What are you really after?


    Reth cracked a smile. Your suspicion is healthy, but unwarranted, friend. Come, let us relocate to the prisoners chambers. We shall talk more there.


    The slender, mustached man rose, yanking on his ves cor. She yelped in pain, and Vir nearly activated <em>Dance.</em>


    <em>Not yet.</em>


    shes of Bakuras hold flooded his mind. Back then, he was powerless to do anything about those ves plight. Hed ground his teeth and swallowed his emotions. But now?


    Vir was no longer the same person he was back then. Now, he had the power to do something about this.


    Brotherhood standing be damned to ash! So what if the Order hunted him? Let them try. If he could kill Reth and free his ves, hell have done some real good for this world. Maybe demons were a species of evil people. He didnt know. But no matter what crimes they were guilty of, no one deserved such treatment.


    Vir silently followed Reth and his dozen guards through the narrow castle halls. Gone was any trace of conflict or anxiousness. What remained was the stone cold mask of a killer. Even now, he mapped the path theyd taken,yering it on top of what he already knew. Already calcting his escape path.


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    <em>Riyan was right. The first time was the hardest.</em>


    It never became easier to live with the fact that hed killed men before, but the act itself came more naturally. A skill that hed honed over his prior encounters. A skill he wished he never had.


    Reth stopped before a wooden door nked by a pair of guards in full te and armed with poleaxes, who stepped aside in tandem to admit their lord. They neither spoke nor acknowledged the group.


    <em>Theyre well trained. </em>Vir expected the others to be just as disciplined. He made a note not to underestimate them, despite theirck of prana.


    Inside the low, rectangr stone room, he found only a single upant. A scrawny gray individual whod had his head and hands bound in a wooden pillory, and whose ankles were chained together.


    A gray-skinned demon with red eyes, just like Vir. Another Ashborn.


    I think people call these things Ashborn? Lord Reth said, keeping his distance from the filthy demon. Truly disgusting.


    What was this mans crime? Vir asked, buying time toe up with a n. Killing the guards wasnt especially problematic, but killing them while keeping the demon safe as well? That was trickier.


    His <em>crime? </em>Hes a demon! Cant you see that? And a filthy one, at that. Doesnt he deserve to die?


    You wouldnt kill him merely for being a demon. You keep a demon ve by your side, so clearly, youre not killing them.


    Vir couldnt help it. Anger seeped into his voice.


    <em>Not yet! </em>He had to keep his cool if this was to work.


    But does it matter? Reth said, giving Vir a piercing look. Your contract is to kill. Why worry about who, or what crimes theyvemitted? The rewards are surely worth ignoring any of these minor details?


    Those <em>minor details </em>are important to some of us, Reth, Vir replied. Some of us have <em>morals, </em>though I doubt youve heard of it.


    Vir expected the man to anger, but instead, Reth merelyughed. I may have heard of such frivolous things, yes. But tell me, Apramor, do you apply morals to insects? To Prana Rats? No. You kill them without batting an eye, dont you? So it is with demons.


    Vir stared at Reth. For the first time in his life, he felt he might actually enjoy killing someone.


    You there, Reth said, read out this ones list of crimes.


    Yes, my lord, an armored guard said, unfurling a piece of parchment.


    The crimes are as follows. One count of thievery.


    Vir waited for the man to continue, thinking there must surely be more. But when the guard put away his parchment, Vir could remain silent no longer.


    Thats it? You would kill a man for thievery? What did he steal?


    A <em>demon, </em>friend, Reth replied. Careful how you speak. Some may think you a demon sympathizer, after all.


    <em>Right. Wouldnt want that, would we, </em>Vir said sarcastically, but if Reth noticed, he didnt show it.


    This man stole a loaf of bread, the armored guard replied. To think he dare steal from us humans. Despicable.


    Vir fell silent. Alright. Fine. Ill do it.


    Reth cocked a brow. Excellent, he said. Please. Whenever you are ready.


    Vir nodded, taking slow steps to the prisoner as he retrieved his katar. The demon looked up at him, his eyes wide with fear.


    Thankfully, the gallery stood near the entrance, some distance away from the prisoner. Ensuring no one overheard, Vir crouched slightly and whispered to the prisoner.


    Dont move. Im going to cut your bindings. Then Im going to kill everyone in this room. tten yourself against the ground and dont move. Understand? Blink thrice if you do.


    The prisoner acknowledged.


    There was no turning back now. No room for hesitation. Vir prepared himself and raised his katar, <em>Empowering </em>the de. In another moment, the room would turn into a bloodbath. Not one he''d enter into by choice, but he refused tomit such an atrocity. That wasn''t the kind of person he was, nor was it the person he ever wanted to be.


    He swung his de.


    With ease that surprised him, he bisected the pillory, freeing its upant. Then he was gone, having sunk into the shadows before anyone could react.


    Lunging out of an armored guards shadow, he mmed his de into the mans neck with a <em>Prana ded, Empowered </em>strike.


    The guard didnt even know what hit him. His head crashed against a wall and he slumped over. Whether unconscious or dead, Vir didn''t know. He couldn''t bring himself to care, <em>Leaping </em>to his next target like a machine, he brought the full force of his de down upon his enemy.


    ENOUGH! Reth roared, stunning everyone in the room.


    <em>Does he really think that''ll stop me?</em>


    Vir paid the man no mind, continuing onto the next opponent. This one put up more of a struggle, blocking Vir''s blows.


    <em>No choice. I''ll have to kill him.</em>


    Vir charged <em>Empower </em>and shot prana out of his arm, wreathing his de. He swung... but his aim was off. Rather, someone had mmed into him from behind, throwing him off bnce and disrupting the arc of his attack, which passed harmlessly by the guard.


    Using his momentum as he fell, Vir wrenched the de to the one who''d tackled him, then stopped.


    Because grabbing his ankles was none other than the gray demon prisoner. Vir''s mind ran in circles, confused.


    Stop, friend! It was a test! the gray demon prisoner roared, pleading with Vir. A <em>test!</em>


    Vir nced at Reth, then did a double take.


    A stream of people flooded into the room, armed to the teeth with maces, polearms, and battleaxes. Except Each and every one had red skin. These were no emaciated prisoners, eithertheir healthy muscles bulged and they wore steel and wielded seric. They moved in formation, as only an elite squad could. They took up positions all around the room, surrounding Vir.


    Commanding them was a being the likes of which Vir had never before seen. A gangly, deformed gray demon with overlyrge arms and wisps of patchy white hair.


    By Janak himself, you are <em>quick!</em> Reth said with an exasperated look.


    You think you have me surrounded? Vir said, <em>Leaping </em>away.


    Vir looked back to the gray demon to find him chatting amicably with a demon whod stormed into the room.


    I, uh. Im sorry. No, truly. Wait. WAIT! Please dont! I didnt mean to!?


    It was not the prisoner who delivered those words, but Reth.


    Whats more, the one he addressed was none other than his female ve, who calmly unsped the cor around her neck and then proceeded to punch the man in his face. <em>Hard.</em>


    You allowed this farce tost far too long, Reth! I <em>told </em>you this was a bad idea. You! Get that guard some medical attention! she ordered. And you! Stop dawdling!


    Healers rushed to the guard Vir had downed and removed his helm. And under that armor was yet another red demon.


    One by one, the guards in the room removed their helms in suit.


    Youre all demons? Vir asked. He felt as though reality had yed some cruel prank on him. His sanity was quickly breaking down.


    <em>What in all the realms</em>


    Friend, a thousand apologies for putting you through that, Reth said in a voice far deeper and with less airs than the one hed used until now.


    What is the meaning of this? Vir asked, his katar ready to cut anyone who approached.


    Congrattions, Apramor. You passed. Wee home, brother.