《Unholy King - Son of Satan》


 Prologue

    The flames had reached the throne room, though they advanced quite slowly due to the walls and floor being made of stone and marble. A man clad in many kinds of royal materials- mostly covered by his scarlet and fur outlined robe- still resided in the room, slouched on a beautiful decorated chair. He had no crown upon his head, however the four horns protruding from his skull dictated his position in his country. His long dark hair reached beyond his shoulders, however he had no beard to speak of.


    Beside the throne cowered a boy. He was dressed in a similar manner to the king beside him; his horns however, were almost nonexistent. Two barely poked out of the skin on his forehead. Whether or not he had any others was left to his genes, and his fate. He had black hair to match the king, however it was quite short in comparison.


    The large doors to the room opened slowly. A figure walked in. This was the Human hero, who had defeated the many generals of the demon army.


    There were no more lines of defense. This was quite simply, the end of the tyranny one could call ¡®The Great Kingdom of the Demon Lord¡¯. The falling of this castle would mark the end of the largest war in this planet''s history- The Holy War.


    ¡°It¡¯s over you know¡­¡± The hero called across the room. There was no response from the demon king. Even his expression remained stern as he stared at the human who intruded on his castle.Lb


    ¡°I take it that¡¯s your boy? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to kill him. Though I¡¯m glad to say he¡¯ll be the only child¡¯s blood who I¡¯ll have to spill. He could be a threat in the future with your blood after all...¡±


    He placed his hand upon the hilt of the sword at his hip. It was the holy sword found in the great forest of Eden. He had beaten the demons to the blade and formed the pact with the spirit of the blade and used it to wipe out the demons before him.


    It¡¯s name was Ascalon and was said to the most powerful blade in the world. There were no records of the blacksmith who made it, just the records of events detailing its monstrous power.


    ¡°That blade will not harm my child, and neither will you¡± The demon king retorted back to the boy. He didn¡¯t move from the throne in any fashion.


    ¡°Why are still sitting then? Shouldn¡¯t you stand to fight against me?¡± The hero questioned back.


    ¡°I know no magic, and wield no weapon which can defeat you while you have that blade. All I have left is the cunning mind I possess, and my one last hope at my side,¡± He told no lies. He made no moves from the throne he sat upon. There was a moment of silence between the two. The only sounds left were the distant roar of flames and the sobbing of the boy next to the throne.


    The hero looked between the two, gripping the hilt of his blade anxiously.


    ¡°Then forgive me. I must kill you, however, even I will not be as evil as to force a father to watch his son¡¯s death. I will kill you first demon king.¡±


    With those words, the hero stepped forth. He drew the holy blade from its sheath on his hip. It was a stunning blade, no- no words could describe the beauty of the blade which was now in view. It was lined and detailed with gold, and several glowing gems were embedded in the decor. The blade itself was made from an unknown silver colored metal. Several tests concluded the blade couldn¡¯t be melted even by the great forges of the dwarves.


    The hero wore a steel breastplate, on top of chainmail. He wore leather gloves, which extended quite a bit upon his forearm. His pants were a deep blue, and tucked into his steel You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    greaves. On his feet were a steeled pair of boots.


    His armour clanked as he marched across the floor towards the throne. The demon king knew the next moments would be his last and he closed his eyes.


    ¡°Do it...¡± The demon king relaxed in his chair. This was quiet compared to his usual bellowing voice.


    The hero halted in front of the throne and readied his blade. He thrusted the holy sword deep into the chest of the demon king. In the same instant, the demon king removed the throat of the hero.


    Blood of the two splurted upon each other. The hero struggled for a few moments, his grip faltering on the holy sword. after a few brief moments of confusion, and his body fell upon the demon king. In his fall he fully released the blade.


    The demon king stared at the blade for a few brief moments, and he made a small wish. Demons didn¡¯t usually make wishes, since that was considered god¡¯s domain, however this demon didn¡¯t wish upon god. He wished to something else, the power of something before him.


    Silence fully descended on the throne room. The demon king finally relaxed, signifying his last breath left his body.


    With that the pair were dead. The hero¡¯s death meant nothing, now that the demon armies had been defeated, yet none would know until the flames receded and the bodies were recovered. The same could be said of the demon king, who wielded no power, now that his country was gone. This battle was just to signify the end of the reign of the demon king, and to vanquish the evil that had threatened to end humanity.


    The boy was left alone with his tears. Many emotions filled his body- Anger, grief, sadness, worry, panic. All he could hear now was the roar of the flames, that now filled the room before him.


    He closed his eyes. Would he die here too with his father? He didn¡¯t want to die, but he also didn¡¯t want to leave his father. That said, any hope of escape was squashed by the humans that resided beyond the flames which would kill him for sure.


    He closed his eyes and thought of his father. Even in death, the man would tell no lies. The hero died before he could lay a hand on the boy. Even if he survived, there was he would be able to attain the respect and glory his father once had. He had no way to restore his father¡¯s legacy.


    In a sudden surge of curiosity, the boy rose. He turned and examined his father¡¯s corpse, and the corpse of the hero who had killed him. Blood was still draining from the two adults, albeit slowly.


    He attention was then attracted to the ever glowing blade which was embedded in his father¡¯s chest. He reached his hand out and touched his fingers to the blade. It didn¡¯t hurt.


    After realizing the holy blade wouldn¡¯t hurt him, he caressed it gently. It was beautiful still, even though it had been streaked in crimson. From the looks of things, it would seem the blade went right through the king and that it had embedded itself into the throne.


    He reached for the hilt of the blade and pulled softly. It didn¡¯t budge however. The boy pulled harder for several moments, and the blade eventually came out without warning causing the boy to fall back on his butt.


    ¡°..Woah¡­¡± The boy let out his genuine awe for the blade. It seemed to be glowing now that he had his hands on the hilt of the sword. A voice rang out.


    [What is your wish?]


    The boy was very alarmed. He glanced up to his father and the hero. They weren¡¯t the source of the noise. He looked back down to the holy sword.


    [What is your wish?]


    The sword repeated itself, glowing brighter with each word that rang out from it. The boy didn¡¯t know what to say in response.


    I-i don¡¯t have a wish¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just want to be happy again¡­


    The boy began crying again. The rolled down his face in this moment of silence. The blade did not speak again for another minute.


    [Very well...] As the boy cried, he began shining in tune with the blade, and soon disappeared in a vortex with the holy sword in hand. And then¡­

 Awakening I

    100 years after the fall of the evil and tyrannical demon king who oppressed the human race, everything was prospering for the victors. No more great war had come, and crime had seemingly halted for a short while. The hero had sacrificed himself in his final battle with the demon king, and many grieved for him, but in the center of the holy capital of Destiny- the city of which he had been birthed in- a large statue was built in his memoriam.


    That being said, the generations now were weaker than those who had been through the war. However, they could not be put to blame, since there was no greater threat looming in the distance at all times like during the times of their ancestors.


    The benefits of winning the war were great, to say the least. The demons had been put to work, and most of the slave demons today had actually fought in the war a millennia ago since the average life of a demon greatly exceeded that of humans. However, for that reason, powerful sages and priests of the humans could use magic on themselves, to delay aging.


    Many people today lived normal lives and paid their rent on due time. But invisible changes were occurring in the countries. Tensions had begun to rise among the human kingdoms again. Berizal- the country housing the holy capital- had begun to politically feud with other human nations. The Morelz Oligarchy to Berizal''s south-east was ramping up its tariffs from other nations, and the Pantheon Empire to the North- which boasted the largest army on the continent- was slowly encroaching sed armies onto the other Human nations.


    Even though the lands to the far east which had been conquered by the Alliance of Nations, the areas were still highly uncivilized. This area was deemed no-man''s land. The territories were distributed to the several nations within the alliance, and only a small few had been able to effectively make use of the lands still inhabited by many bands of demons.


    The times have definitely been changing since the demons were struck down. This was the time when Humans began to become the ''Demons'' themselves. Corruption between noble and royal families was now a common sight. Human slave trade had recently been discovered in a few noble families in the kingdom.


    Though things had been looking down in the large cities, the many villages outside major cities were starting their golden age. Production was now at its highest and any signs of the destruction that occurred a millennia ago were now almost completely gone. In fact, most of the villages that had been destroyed, were more prosperous than they had once been a long time ago.


    That said, there were a few ghost villages that had been completely wiped out. Nobody had moved back or finished construction on these villages, which led to them being a common sight during long distance travels on the outskirts of the nations.


    The several nonhuman races had recovered a long time ago and were now mostly maintaining their former levels of activity. Though when the Dwarf king died two centuries ago, his three sons began a short civil war which led to the splitting of the nation in the mountains. The brother born second had died towards the end of the war after being overcome by the two other factions.


    A pang of unexpected guilt came over the other brothers and they came to an agreement that their new two nations would then ally themselves, though they would remain separate. These Nations were the Thovion kingdom to the North, and the Danian kingdom to the south. The names of the kingdoms were just the names of the brothers. One could simply say the dwarves had bad naming sense. They both came together and built a monument on the border in memoriam of the middle brother. This became a hot tourist spot for travelers from all nations, dwarves, elves, humans and the like.


    The Elves had their own nation, though it wasn''t as civilized as other nations. It was on the western side of the Forest of Eden. The hero once had to pass several trials from the Elf Mother in order to peacefully make his way to the resting place of the legendary holy sword. The Elf Mother was still alive in this age, though she was reaching the end of the elf life cycle due to her age of 872. Most Elves died at the age of 400 or sometime before. Elf Mothers generally died at the ages of 900 or around that.


    The elf nation consisted of several tribes and they generally kept to themselves unless they had to trade with another tribe. Once a year the Elf Mother organized a ceremony to keep the peace between the tribes. There were many kinds of food, and each tribe gave gifts to each other and the Elf Mother.


    The elves had possession of the holy sword before the war, but when the hero died, the sword was lost to this day. None knew of why it was lost or where to look for it. But since then,


    The dark elves lived in the eastern edge of the forest, and they once sided with the demons in The Holy War. They were shunned by other races, though they were left alone since the end of the war. There were no specific regions that were recognized by other nations as more than ''territory''. No other races lived in groups or the like.


    Despite the large amounts of peace, they would all be plunged into war within a century. All of the oracles showed signs of demon uprisings led by a new demon king which led to unrest between the higher ups of the nations, yet no demons knew of any demon which would be one such demon king. A very few amount of demons revealed information regarding children of the former demon king, yet their locations were widely unknown, and they all believed they had died when the great castle of the former demon king had collapsed due to incredibly poor structural integrity from the fire that ravaged it in the ''final battle'' of The Holy War. All of them except the youngest- Beelzebub, who was a mute. He was a slave in the outskirts of Destiny to wealthy noble.


    Though the oracles showed a new demon king, they also showed a new hero would take up his sword against the evil king. None of the oracles could quite see any possibilities which would end the war before it began, and they also couldn''t tell the outcomes of the war either. Because this news would surely bring panic everywhere, only those who led noble families or had Royal blood were allowed to know of such things. The nations thus began their new struggle to find any who shared blood with the former hero who slew the former demon king.


    They had no specific way of finding this hero, but they would try to find such a man who held the blood of the former hero. They held no doubts the demon armies could be stopped and that moral would be high; IF they had the hero on their side, otherwise the war would rage on for a long time before completion.


    Of course, finding this man was not a high priority, since the noble families had other matters to attend to. Notions of ''demon armies'' attacking had no meaning to them after all. Royals felt this was another matter though, and tried somewhat to find their hero, but to no avail. After a few failed searches, they moved on to other more pressing matters, still occasionally inquiring for information.


    They all felt that this hero would rise up to protect them when the time came so they all eventually completely gave up on finding him. The dwarves felt the same, and though the Elf Mother pressured the human nations to find him- they paid her no mind. The hot months had ended, and the coldest months of the recorded year, 1219, were only just beginning.


    <hr>


    [Wake up...]


    There was no response.


    [Wake up!]


    "Mmmh¡­" Why is it so bright?


    "What¡­ Where am I?" A black haired man opened his eyes covering them with his hands. His hair was long, and his body was frail. His only noticeable trait was the two small horns proudly sprouted from his forehead. His clothes were dirty, shredded or burned, and were barely hanging on to his body. On his right index finger lay an engraved ring. He was an adult imp, a generally weaker species from the class of demons, though his particular class resembled that of humans- with the exception of the horns on his forehead.


    [Mmm? Good. Now that you are awake, tell me your name.]


    A voice resounded in the man''s head. What was it? He opened his eyes the best he could in the beaming sun and he looked beside him. There was no person, but a particularly big sword beside him. It seemed to glow in the sunlight. It was very beautiful, even the imp could not deny this fact. He drew his attention from the blade and onto where it lies. He realized he was in a small clearing in the forest. The leaves and branches around him whistled as the wind blew through.


    "I-My name? It''s¡­ My name is Satan Nyx Furcas Bael; everyone always called me ''Prince Nyx'' though¡­ Who are you?" He felt a tightness on his body as he stumbled through his thoughts. Satan was a common name among, though most demons only held one name. Only those born of great power could hold more than one name.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    [I am the spirit of the holy blade beside you. You may call me Aleecia- perhaps I should changeth form so that you may understand what has occurred.]


    The Sword seemed to glow brighter before the Imp. Upon seeing this he quickly struggled to sit up and back away from the sword. All demons knew that holy swords would be their demise should they be struck by it, hence the reason the prince backed away.


    He tightly shut his eyes and averted his head when it seemed the sword had grown brighter than even the sun above him. His arms instinctually followed suit, rising to protect his head. He waited for several seconds- biting his lip in fear that pain would come. No pain reached Nyx- instead, he heard a voice.


    "Is this grander? Canst thou eyes not yet look upon me, prince?" It was a beautiful and young, yet proper and ancestral voice. Nyx peeked between his arms. Before him was no longer a sword. There was a rather childish looking girl, in a pure white, stainless- almost see through- gown. She was very pale, almost pure white with the fairest skin, and was no more than five feet tall. Her hair was golden and her eyes contained a few shades of silver, speckled with a light blue. Her eyes could be misinterpreted as diamonds if they were the only part of her that was visible.


    "W-woah," Nyx seriously thought his eyes were playing tricks upon him. Strangely, no woman he laid his eyes upon in the past had looked as pretty as the little girl before him. Many of the women his father brought about had a strange vibe around them and wore strange garments. Even Nyx''s lovely little sister Levi stood no ground with this child in terms of beauty.


    "Hmm¡­" Aleecia seemed to think for a moment, further drawing the man''s attention to her. Her lips seemed too soft to be able to speak words to Nyx. "T''would seemeth that thy body has grown frail from rest in purgatory¡­" Nyx looked to his body.


    Frail? I look a lot larger than I remember looking, but I am pretty skinny... What happened to me? And what does she mean by purgatory?


    Nyx thought to himself, inspecting his body. His long bangs interfered and he struggled to fix them. His the rest of his hair seemed to almost make its way down to his elbows. His royal outfit was in tatters, and what remained was constricting his frame.


    My clothes are really tight¡­ I need to change. How long was I asleep?


    "Umm, is there a change of clothes around here?" Nyx stretched his ligaments and met solid resistance. He struggled to stand and found his legs were barely able to support his weight. Aleecia paid his struggles no heed and continued to think.


    "Nyx is it?" Aleecia drew his eyes once more. "Ther is not a change of robes round this area- This area beeth the Forest of Eden." Her lips moved but Nyx struggled to understand.


    "The Forest of Eden? Why am I here?" Nyx asked in confusion to the little girl. She paid little heed.


    "We art here for I have madeth it so. Would thy perchance prefer freefall? Perhaps buried alive might suit thy tastes more grandly. We art close t''mine pedestal so I may have ample rest after a millennium in purgatory." She explained. Nyx was starting to understand her.


    "And who are you?" Nyx looked at her in question.


    "Nevermind that. What dost thy remember? Can you remember your wish to me?"


    Nyx perked his eyes open. He didn''t remember a wish per se, but he remembered his father''s corpse in his throne. Everything must have been destroyed back at the castle¡­


    "Thy eyes showeth that thee doth not recall. Then I wilt remind thee of''t the events." Aleecia took several steps towards the Prince. He paid attention to her every step. Her gown fluttered and her hair swayed slightly as another gust of wind rushed by. Her toes didn''t seem to get dirty by the moist dirt and grass.


    "Canst thee bend ov''r to match thy bodily length?" She asked of him. He hesitated slightly but performed the requested action. He bent his knees and arched his back, placing his hands on his knees. He looked her in the eyes, now face to face. She brought her left hand up in a strange position in front of his forehead.


    "Tada!" She flicked him between the eyes. Memories flowed into his head. The hero storming the castle and defeating plenty of monstrous and demonic guards sworn to protect his majesty, the Demon King. His father''s final retaliation, claiming the life of the hero threatening his child. The beautiful sword soaked in blood. His own desperate plea for happiness and peace.


    ''I-I don''t have a wish¡­ I don''t know. I just want to be happy again¡­''


    Nyx remembered it all now. Questions flooded in next, and he grew confused and saddened. He tried to work a few things out but he couldn''t match any pieces together. Aleecia took her opportunity and continued on.


    "Now that thee recall thy wish, what would thou has''t me doth to accomplish it? What would maketh thee joyous again?"


    "I''m not sure¡­ I think I will definitely be happy if I could be with my family in peace."


    Nyx didn''t know how to live on his own like this. It was too sudden a change for sure. His father and mother were gone now, and who knows what happened to his siblings. His younger sister ''Levi'' Aurora Bael, his younger brother Lucifer Amon Bael, and lastly his baby brother, Beelzebub Valefor Astaroth Bael. How were they faring at this point in time in the world?


    "Oh? Doth thee mean to taketh me as thy wife then? Hehe, how quaint!"


    "Wha- No! That''s not what I meant!" Nyx stood back to his fullest height, wobbling slightly, and turned to face the trees behind him. His hands brought themselves to a face that was most surely tinted red. Seeing him like this brought a bitter joy to the spirit.


    "I jest, good prince. Thou means resurrecting thy''s corpse father, no?"


    Nyx nodded, taking his hands from his face, though he was still focused away from her.


    "While the former is most assuredly in mine power, fear me that thither is no magic to revive the dead as no more than exsufflicate husks. Those bunch would be''est what you call... zombies, methinks thee calleth those undeath. Thy is certain that living with zombies is not a way for thee to gain the happiness thou desires."


    A small moment of silence was brought between the two of them. A gust of wind bristled through the trees was all that was heard. These moments were suddenly interrupted as Nyx turned back to face her, or at least the ground beneath her feet. Aleecia frowned but stayed silent seeing his watery eyes give life to a downpour on his cheeks. He was still a child at heart, though his body had aged quite some time. Grief was but one emotion this ''child'' has gone through in these moments with her. He must have been too shocked earlier to cry.


    She was unsure of what to do for him- She never needed to comfort a child before. Of course, all of her wielders experienced some sort of pain and grief, but they focused on getting revenge rather than getting some other form of emotional relief, so she never bothered- in addition, it never interfered with the wishes she granted them. But revenge had already been had by the prince''s own father, taking the anger from his sorrow. The demon prince took the pain in a way that none of her other wielders had before. Nyx was just going through the motions.


    Sure, the hero who wielded her before was valiant and strong, but he wished not for freedom or peace for the races of the continent. He sought to avenge his loved ones who were taken away from him by the demons. One could argue that there is nothing wrong with his reasoning, but it turned his soul black with hate. That was the way things were with Humans.


    "Can I ask you something?" Nyx''s lonely voice filled the air.


    "Hmm? Of course, little one. Ask away."


    "My father, he¡­ he died while staring at you right?"


    "Yes, he did."


    "He seemed so focused... Did he, by chance, make a wish as I did?"


    " He could no longer speaketh words from his dry lips, but he indeed made a wish upon me- a wish nobody has ever wished to me. Twas the very first time a demon wished upon thyself."


    "The first one?" Nyx''s father was the first to do many things, with his abstract thoughts that put him a league above his competitors.


    Aleecia nodded. "And thou would turn to be the second to wish upon thyself." She smiled with a warm radiance.


    "May I..." Nyx hesitated. "May I ask what that wish was?"


    "Sadly, wishes art a private matter. If''t be true that thy telleth someone thy wish, methinks it might not cometh true, Prince Nyx."


    Nyx smiled, though his eyes were still puffy and flowing. His father didn''t usually talk to him, but he was a proud man and Nyx respected him for it. He remembered some of the words that his father told him when he was barely old enough to talk.


    He told his boy, ''Listen up. The world is not a happy place. I''m not sure it will ever be. But I want to make a place for you, a place where everybody can coexist, without hatred or malice. That is my goal in life. I want you to have a strong goal too. Make it your sole desire to succeed where I have failed. I believe in you, always,''


    Nyx wiped away his tears, though he still couldn''t stop crying.


    "Making a world where everybody can be happy, not just oneself¡­" The girl tilted her head at Nyx''s words. Nyx understood that though it seemed selfless, it was a very selfish desire. Nyx didn''t want to outshine his father, though he also wanted to make his dreams come true.


    How strange of me¡­


    "A-Aleecia? I think I know the best way for me to be happy is now," The Imp turned to her.


    "What would that perchance be, dearest Nyx?"


    "I want to unite all of the world. A wholesome and final sign of everlasting peace for demons... No, all of the races that exist on this world."


    "You silly boy," Aleecia laughed. Nyx was taken aback, staggering and blushing again. "Pick the wish thine can actually give, say, a joyous death. Thy has thee''s father''s wish to grant as well, you know."


    It only took a few moments of consideration for Nyx to reply. He wiped the last of his tears away and smiled widely. "Then, if you will. When I get old and it is my time to pass on, I had better be happy,"


    "Then it shallt be that which I grant thee." She returned the smile the prince gave her. They remained happy for around half an hour before Aleecia decided to lead the way to her resting place.


    -The pedestal for the holy sword.

 Awakening II

    The scenery followed the clear sky and the great amount of trees. The two wandered seemingly aimlessly


    "We''re lost aren''t we?" Nyx has a funny look on his face as he followed the little girl through the forest. She looked confused too.


    "Well you buffoon, I kept to the pedestal! Wherefor would I waste mine time frolicking in the forest with the faeries!? Mine mana has yet to refill, and warping from purgatory proposes great risk. Thou art lucky thee didn''t find himself falling from the heavens, or buried in the dirt."


    Aleecia just kept walking as Nyx pouted behind her. He had considerably less hair than before, since he had used her as a blade to cut it. It was far from a perfect cut though, It was shaggy and uneven.


    Nyx didn''t know how to use magic since he wasn''t taught as a child, though he was always told he had great potential. He was never able to see or feel it himself because of an incident when he was younger.


    He followed the aimless girl who would occasionally stop and change directions. Her gown got stuck on sticks every now and then leading to her further frustration. Nyx didn''t quite have that problem since he was much taller. His short cape was in too rough a condition to catch any twigs in its mitts.


    A few animals were to be seen along their bumpy path. Deer and elk, bunnies, foxes and a few wolves. All bore witness and seemingly tilted their heads at the girl he followed. After they paid their respect, they looked to Nyx and scattered.


    The path began to grow into fruition as a dirt trail began to lead a straight shot through the trees. Nyx heard a scoff from in front of him. "Just as I toldeth thee," Her stride grew more lax as she led in a familiar direction. The end was still too far out to be seen.


    Things became quiet now that they were on the trail. Occasionally the trees would shake or the bushes would rustle out of place, but Nyx didn''t notice. He felt a strange sense of foreboding. He could point out what was causing it though. He settled on the conclusion that it was because demons were out of place this far into the forest of Eden.


    If anything, Nyx was becoming more and more awkward now that there was no conversation between the two. He thought of a few things to say and would open his mouth to speak but the words wouldn''t come out. In the back of his mind, he didn''t want to disturb the sole sound of footsteps between the two.


    "Nyx." Aleecia spoke without so much as glancing at him.


    "Ah! Er- yes?" He responded slightly startled. His chain of thought from before subsided.


    "What doth thee recall of the former ''Holy'' War?" She said the word as if it meant hellish background..


    "Well¡­ Not much." Nyx let on. "I remember my father talking with several strong looking demons about their¡­ retaliation I think... on the humans. Something about ''they attacked us with no good intention'' stuff." He didn''t know too much in regards to her question.


    "Hmm¡­ So be it. Then how doest thy heart judge the feeble race of man?" She asked another question.


    "Well, I can''t say i''m particularly fond of them. The only human i''ve ever met is the one that killed my father¡­ but surely they aren''t all like that right?" Aleecia thought the prince was naive after his words. Surely there are exceptions, but close to no humans actually give out kindness with no strings attached.


    "But besides all that I think they''re kind of mean for attacking us out of the blue and destroying our kingdom." This reinforced her belief that he was still a child.


    "Nyx. Doest thee recall the amount of time thy spent adrift in the purgatory?" She asked him.


    "I umm¡­ I don''t know, but it must have been a while right?"


    "Time is shackled in your realm. T''moveth much slower than what I am hath used to. While mine body rests hither, mine mind und soul wilt oft visit that lodging to rest. T''moveth like a hare to this turtle thee calls Panthea," Nyx understood the explanation. "Spose I shall just outright telleth thee. You''ve been in thither for about one thousand years-"


    "W-What?! One thousand?!" Nyx yelled.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Keep it down fool!" Aleecia shouted. "Thee wast unstable, and something hath kept me from foregoing to your realm once we arrived thither. T''was as tho the world itself didn''t want thou to return. Tooketh all I hadst to keep thy body from withering beyond the age of 250."


    "I was 19 before¡­ So now I guess i''m 1019 then? Huh¡­ this is weird for sure."


    Demons, especially weaker breeds possessed the inane ability of an extremely long life span. Most demons lived into their 400''s or in uncommon cases, their 500''s. Nyx''s own father lived to be the age of 666- though he could have lived much longer. The lifespan decreases as the race of demon becomes more powerful on average- excluding that of Great Demons and True Daemons because their incredible magic power halted the aging process.


    Imps and Faeries have lifespans that match each other, which is why much folklore will depict Imps and Faeries often meddling in each other''s business. The practice is uncommon today though, since most demons are enslaved or dead from the war.


    Demons seldom produce offspring since they prefer living a more ''free'' lifestyle, and recent times have put their species at risk, and though there are many different specific kinds of demons, they are categorized as one whole species do their unique ability to reproduce with practically any race. This is a key trait to demons alongside their long lifespans.


    Because demons age so slowly, they are also very slow to mature. Hence the reason Nyx still took the form of a child at his impish age of 19 of the Human Panthean years. Of course, this much knowledge was easily provided to the children at the castle. Nyx''s father put the boy through several classes a day because of his belief that "Knowledge is the key to all locks". Since imps like the former Demon King and Nyx lived a long lifespan, they could amass a great amount of wisdom and spells- which is why demons who have negative karma can be tricky to deal with.


    The trail came to a silence yet again, with only the rustling of wind to occasionally make its way across the forest and the pitter-patter of the steps they took. The day was coming to it''s close. The trees began to look the same. He couldn''t understand why or what but Nyx kept feeling a sense of Deja Vu from his surroundings.


    He looked once more to the girl in front of him with a squint. Was she leading him in circles? He frowned at the idea. To his surprise, Aleecia came to a full halt in front of him- he almost tripped over himself trying to stop before bumping into her. Did she have eyes in the back of her head too? Nyx''s mother said she always knew when Nyx had done a wrongdoing behind her back because she ''had eyes on the back of her head''.


    Aleecia pointed into the trees and shouted. "Release thee of this foul magic this moment!" She stomped her foot as she finished. Nyx followed her finger but to no avail. Was the spirit mad? She must be hallucinating something. To his surprise, another voice reached his ears from the tree Aleecia pointed to.


    The tree branches shifted. "No demons are allowed to come to the forest of the Elf-Mother, go back the way you came!" The silky voice revealed a blonde girl perched on a branch. She was as still as a statue, and blended in quite well with the tree she was connected to.


    "That woman? This forest is thine own. I am the Holy Sword Ascalon, fool, and I shallt not speaketh of''t again. Let thine and her companion pass to her own home." Aleecia leaked a shrill voice out to the tree girl.


    Ascalon...? Is she not just called Aleecia? Nyx thought in this peculiar situation.


    "I must ask of you to prove your identity. T''has been about a century since the blade has appeared," A look of discontent appeared on Aleecia''s pale face. She took a moment to herself to think before speaking again.


    "A century... thee speaketh? Then I bid mine forgiveness. Tis to be expected aft a century I suppose," Aleecia sighed and turned to Nyx. She put her hand forth- offering her hand to the demon beside her. "If thou will, Prince," She said softy. The elvish girl twitched her ears.


    Nyx put forth his own hand, taking the slender fingers into his palm.


    She... Her hand is so soft. It''s as smooth as the silk mother used to pour her love into making, no, her hand is as soft as mother''s hand was¡­


    Nyx had a soft longing for his mother for a moment before fully grasping Aleecia''s hand. She closed her eyes and showed a pure smile. It seemed as though she were glowing a golden radiance. It took Nyx some odd seconds to realize she was legitimately glowing. And then her thoughts rushed into his mind.


    "Listen prince- I require your mana to transform again. Just repeat out loud after me, please,"


    She had an accent. She spoke the way he himself spoke to her. He thought quickly and settled on that he would make note to ask later. He repeated what she had told him.


    "Return to gold and jewels, as the blessed blade that I wield¡­ Quince Stage Magic [Spirit Transformation]..." He said the words although unsure of the ritual. The petite blond released a great radiance of the sun. Nyx staggered and closed his eyes, along with the elf, but he didn''t falter his grip. Shortly after, the light faded. His arm felt heavy, causing him to open his eyes once again.


    The beautiful sword he had seen earlier was within his grasp, though it seemed sharper than before. It shimmered in the sun, refracting light in many different directions due to the complex decor. Nyx stared at it for what seemed like forever.


    [Then, canst mine party maketh our way to mine pedestal?]


    The elf fell out of the tree. Nyx was too shocked to react to her falling and before he realized he should help, she was on her feet again.


    "My humblest apologies! You may pass as you wish!" She turned and ran into the woods at a strange angle and tripped. She froze mid air. Nyx was taken aback by the sight.


    He was instantly overwhelmed by a crushing demonic pressure.

 Holy blood

    "What is your business for entering the city, sir?" A man clad in shabby iron armor held a pen and a clipboard. He bore no helm, showing his extravagant brunette hair and mustache. At his waist hung a rapier and a dagger, along with several other basic goods, such as the flask of whiskey he never let separately from his person.


    A man stood in front of him with a less inspiring outfit. He was dirty and tan from long hours in the sun, and the cart behind him stood to show he was a farmer. His dirty blonde hair was trimmed short and his eyes were a light green. The gloves on his hands were tough and smeared with mud, showing that they had been serving their purpose in recent times.


    Behind him on the carriage was an average sized girl with black hair. There was a small braid made from her bangs off to the side of her forehead. She wore a dress that was clean and basic- albeit it was shabby compared to other dresses you could see on the bodies of noble women or princesses.


    "I''m here to drop off Count Devvon''s share of the harvest, sir." He replied with clear distaste in his voice.


    "And may I have your name for the record, sir?" The knight asked. He looked up from his clipboard holding his inked pen to the paper in anticipation.


    "Castiel Sol,"


    "Very well, you may pass. Hurry along please," The knight signaled to the other knights. Castiel returned to his cart alongside the girl and cracked the reigns. The two horses leading the cart began a trot to the gates of Destiny. The armed guards seemed content with their passing. The walls surrounding the city were hundreds of feet tall and took a few decades to build. Castiel acknowledged the beautiful craftsmanship as he passed through the gates. He eventually turned in the wrong direction and made eye contact with the fierce stare of the raven-haired girl seated to his right.


    "Could you have taken any longer?" She flicked him between the eyes.


    "Agh!" Castiel flipped his head back in a comical manner. He rubbed his forehead where she hit him. "I was going as fast as I could! You''re so mean, Emelia!" He was honest with his words.


    "Sheesh. I told you to just call me Emma," The Raven haired girl corrected him. "Besides, I''m exhausted. We''ve already spent a whole two days just to get here. While you drop the crop off, I''m going to head to the inn m''kay?" Her request for approval was rhetorical.


    "Whatever, it''s not like me saying ''no'' would change anything."


    "Doesn''t mean you can''t just be nice and say ''yes''. Besides, I''m your older sister¡­ Why am I asking you anyways," She sighed and rested her head on her arm. The bumpy ride through the city''s paved road wasn''t the most pleasant, but it was a much-desired change from the possibility of getting stuck in the muddy roads that lead to the city from their village.


    The pair were greeted by the sight of the start of the outer city market. Hundreds of people gathered on the roads to test their luck haggling with the street vendors. There were many kinds of goods that the two saw- jewelry, clothes, food, and drink- just to name a few. Castiel considered himself lucky he didn''t see any of the slaves here that were commonly used to do dirty work for humans because of the slavery seals cast upon them.


    The demons were often deformed from constant abuse and broken mentally. Castiel shivered when he thought of them, drawing strange looks from Emma.


    Most of the buildings on this edge of the city were small and you could get a great view of the distant center of the holy capital. Occasionally you would pass by a larger building which would be your inns or specialty shops.


    The hustle of the city was something Castiel and Emma definitely weren''t used to, however they had made this trip enough time to know exactly what to expect. The horses trotted on, drawing them closer to the residence of the Count''s mansion home.


    The count was in charge of all of the outer areas of the city, so he drew up the taxes and rent for the area, collected it all, and sent over the royal''s share to the Castle in the center of Destiny. He had told Castiel many times that he had often found the center of the city boring, so he remained in a more ghetto area of the city.


    Castiel heard the count had purchased a rare specimen demon as of late and was hoping he could check it out. While he generally disliked demons because of their deformities, he had heard this one was in pristine condition and was from a handsome lineage.


    Emma jumped off the cart and fluttered her way over to her favorite inn. It was on the route to the Count''s so Castiel had no qualms when she got off. He breathed a sigh of relief now that she was off the cart.


    From here on the count''s place wasn''t far off now. Castiel bided his time and collected his thoughts before he got to his residence.


    The majestic building came into view. The road split upon reaching it, each side winding around the sides of the property. The building itself was huge, very wide from Castiel''s view, and barely shorter than it was wide. The building was built using styles from other kingdoms, both now and from the past. Six humongous pillars in a semicircle fashion held up the upper stories extending over the courtyard.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The guards opened the gate in expectation of this familiar guest and led the cart onto the property. He was brought through the pillars and just before the door where he would enter. A merchant would usually come and inspect and transport the good from the cart to somewhere unknown to Castiel. He himself would talk with the count about politics and the like while the process went on. This was a partial reason Castiel went to visit so often- the Count could be considered the man''s best friend.


    The guards opened the double doors to the grand hallway. A red carpet drew Castiel inside, showing him the grandeur of the building. Above him were large chandeliers lit with undying flame, so the light they produced would never cease. Castiel could see past the chandeliers to the many floors- this time he counted 5 including the first.


    Normally a count couldn''t have this much property, but the count lived in the commoners'' area that the nobles hated, so when he purchased and built his property, the other nobles had no words against him.


    A balding, gray haired, middle aged butler greeted Castiel. He remembered this particular butler, for it was Count Devvon''s personal butler, Cain Thaddeus Beagle. His suit was a sleek black, and his bowtie shined white. He lit up with joy upon seeing the dirty blonde.


    "Master Sol! It''s been quite the while since I''ve last seen you!"


    "Cain! It''s a pleasure to see you again, let alone be able to step foot in this mansion many more times than the regular commoner would ever be able to." Castiel was just as delighted to see the old man.


    "You must be here for the delivery- allow me to lead you to the count, after that, I will make sure your goods are collected before I return to you and the count''s side." Cain gestured for Castiel to follow him as he began walking. "He is in his study as usual, though he is with the new demon slave he purchased," The butler informed him.


    "I was wondering about the demon¡­ What can you tell me about it?" Castiel asked, making sure to capture the details..


    "It''s a high imp. The count bought him because he was said to be related to the late demon king."


    "A son? Or would he be a nephew of some kind?" Castiel was surprised at the news. The demon king was said to be monstrously more powerful than any demon one could encounter in today''s age.


    He was said to even have slain a Daemon- a monster who could live forever if untouched, and powerful enough to crush an entire army by themselves. The battle leveled an entire mountain- Heaven''s peak in the land of demons. It was a shame to see it''s destruction considering the former beauty it held.


    "Supposedly his son. I believe he is to turn 101 this coming snowfall." Cain commented.


    "Woah¡­" A son of the demon king could rival his father''s strength, which could be problematic- though there were no public statements of there being children of sed demon king. All demons would die before they would betray the late demon king and reveal information about him, though it''s been a century since his death.


    "However, for reasons unknown, this imp is entirely powerless. He''s never used it once while in possession to our knowledge." Cain seemed disappointed by his own words. This disappointment flowed into Castiel as well.


    "It''s always a shame when one cannot match his father. I pity this demon¡­ Did you ever catch his name?" Castiel pondered.


    "He would only tell us his name, which is Beelzebub. He says he''s the youngest of the children of the late demon king, but he doesn''t know anything about the other children."


    "He must have been but a baby when the hero destroyed the demon king''s castle- rest his soul," He said those words in respect for the man who sacrificed himself to slay the tyrant demon king.


    "Ah, enough about the silly demon, how have you been Master Sol?" Cain shifted the subject.


    "I''ve been doing just fine Cain. There has been no bad harvest this year, and there has been no crime lately in my cozy little village. What about you?"


    "Oh, just the same as always. It''s quite the pleasure, being able to serve the wonderful young count." Castiel smiled. This old man has been with the count since he was a child since he was adopted by his rich parents which are now sadly deceased. Devvon wasn''t particularly sad that they passed away, however. His business went on as usual.


    As Castiel walked on he reminisced of the times he used to play around in this mansion as a kid. He and Devvon would run around and play in these halls all the time. Castiel was an orphan like Devvon was, which is why they met in the first place. Castiel was jealous at first when Devvon got adopted, but he learned not all things were bad. While Devvon''s adoptive parents didn''t like Castiel, Cain always allowed Castiel in to play with Devvon. Sometimes Cain would even play with the boys.


    Castiel, at the age of 16 was adopted by a farming family and was sent away from the city. The trio were all sad that Castiel had to move far away, but life goes on. From there on, Castiel only heard news about his friend. Like when he had become count, and when he had decided to sponsor the orphanage that the two had grown up in.


    A few years back, however, Devvon appeared in town looking for Castiel to set up a deal. He wanted Castiel to deliver and sell his crop to Devvon instead of his current buyer for a higher price. Castiel accepted in a heartbeat, perhaps for the wrong reason though. He made much more money then he did whenever he sold to his former buyer however, so nobody complained about the pretty penny he brought in. This deal allowed the two to unite again.


    Since then Castiel planted and farmed more crops for every season, so he could have an excuse to visit the count more often


    The two abruptly stopped in front of two large doors. Cain composed himself before he turned to Castiel.


    "If I recall correctly, Beelzebub is in there. Please be cautious. He may be powerless, but he is still the son of the demon king. I''ve said the same thing to the count¡­" Cain stopped himself. "My apologies," Cain opened the door and gestured for Castiel to enter. He did so at his leisure.


    The room in front of him was dark- unusual in comparison to the rest of the estate. The light shining behind him faded into nothing as Cain shut the door behind Castiel.


    Castiel took slow steps forward, waiting for his eyes to adjust. He could see a few lit candles, but they revealed only the boxy shapes they rested upon. As he waded his way through the darkness he felt an unfamiliar gaze rest upon him. He couldn''t quite tell from where, but he felt it nonetheless.


    Castiel took a few more steps, into what he was sure was the center of the large room. He spun around slowly trying to take his surroundings.


    "Devvon? Are you there-" A scream cut through the air, and a sudden brightness exploded in the room.

 Holy Blood II

    The screech ripped through the room unrelentlessly, scaring the life out of Castiel. He fell backwards, and hit his head against the already closed door, before a voice called out to him from the blinding light.


    "Ahahahaha! My old friend! Please forgive me for my rudeness- Hahaha!" A voice rang in Castiel''s ears. He looked towards the noise to find it''s owner, Count Devvon.


    "Hah¡­ That''s a new one, I knew something was up when I entered the room, you''ve really gotten better at this Dev," Castiel sighed before shooting a smirk at the man in his desk.


    "I''ve been practicing ever since we were boy''s, you know? That was the Second Stage Magic [Greater Flash]" Castiel''s eyes readjusted from the darkness to the shimmering light around the room. He finally got a good look at his own friend.


    Similar dirty blonde hair rested on his head, though much longer and in a ponytail. His glasses couldn''t hide his tired puffy eyes. He wore a red coat with high collar, almost extending past his ears. There was a white dress shirt underneath it. He sat in his chair with his gloved fingers interlocked propping up his head. He had quite the wide smile.


    Castiel stood himself back up and brushed off his ragged clothes with his gloved hands.


    "Second Stage huh? I hear that the upper level a regular person like us could reach- Impressive my friend," He sighed before acknowledging his friend. Castiel took a quick spin around the room.


    There was another chandelier in this room. It would seem it was the main source of light. It was decorated handsomely, glittering several different colors from the magic that emanated off of it. The furniture varied around the room from pelts and leathers to colorful cloths with unique designs.


    Many paintings lined the walls, each seemed to have a great amount of creativity and love poured into each one. They each had handsome frames, glinting with the silver they contained.


    Castiel took a closer look at some of the items on his second spin and noticed something he didn''t before. A neatly dressed man balled up in a chair. Castiel was taken aback for not noticing him. He immediately knew who the man was- his face gave him away.


    A trio of horns sprouted from his forehead, the middle most one being the largest. They were considerably large, which was one was to discern a demon''s level of ability. The Imp averted his gaze, and fiddled with a ring on his finger.


    "The imp huh? You were always drawn to the demons." Castiel heard Devvon''s voice from behind him. Castiel walked up to the demon prompting Devvon to get up and follow. He stopped abruptly at the base of the chair and squatted in front of him.


    "What''s up with him?" Castiel titled his head.


    "Hmm... I''m not sure. He hasn''t done this before. Normally he just stares at me until I tell him to do something." Devvon answered.


    "Beelze, I must ask of you- What is your problem? Will you not show respect to our guest?" Devvon''s tone made the demon quick to start shivering.


    "It''s no problem, I''ll uh... leave him be. Shall we take a walk Devvon? I''d love to see and new designs you''ve implemented onto your estate." Castiel stood and suggested something straying from the demon.


    "You are honestly just a leech." Devvon sighed. "But at least you''re honest... The tour starts at the kitchen, meet me there. I haven''t moved it from the last time you were here." He made for the door. Castiel turned to follow him but hesitated for a second. He turned back Beelzebub.


    "I''m sorry for troubling you, Beelze. Excuse me."


    The words struck a chord in the demon. He stopped shaking and looked up to make eye contact with Castiel. Castiel had already turned away leaving Beelzebub alone in the room. The demon stared at the door long after he closed it.


    Castiel followed Devvon around the estate and he showed him the many rooms and renovations he was proud of. He was guided through many rooms and floors containing various luxuries that one man could not hope to enjoy by himself.


    There was the dining hall, that served the poor out of the rear end of the estate that served all kinds of food. The kitchen looked fantastic as well. He had a personal gymnasium and an armory assorted with all kinds of weapons and armors. A whole floor was dedicated for the rooms of all the maids and butlers that worked hard to keep the property clean and orderly. Another for the orphaned kids that were commonly found throughout the city.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "It''s a shame Emelia didn''t wish to enjoy this place for the night, you two would be guaranteed a free stay for the night." Devvon sighed. He let his wrinkles show for a moment.


    "She doesn''t like fancy places like this¡­ Makes her jealous she wasn''t given this kind of stuff from god or her parents." Castiel spoke from memory. The girl liked to pretend, but anything more would get to her head and she knew it.


    "We''ll, it''s getting late, I don''t want to keep you from your companion. That Emelia Marks cause a scene again like last time. It''s been good seeing you again Castiel," Devvon opened his arms. Castiel did the same and they hugged tightly.


    "Yes, it has been. I''ll look forward to seeing you again my friend." Castiel released his arms from Devvon.


    "I''ll have Cain pull up the wagon for you. I''ll escort you to the courtyard, I can''t let you go fooling around and getting lost again now can I?" Devvon grinned.


    "Hey! This place is too big, I couldn''t help getting lost in this big maze of yours!" Castiel yelled back, embarrassed of the old memory the two shared.


    They walked out of the estate and Devvon ordered the wagon be brought out. Shortly thereafter, it came. Cain and a maid rested on the seats. The horses looked to have been fed, cleaned, and brushed. They seemed pretty happy.


    "Your wagon is ready Master Sol, though it brings me sadness to see you go so soon." Cain told Castiel as he stepped down off the wagon.


    "You have no need feel sad Cain. I am glad I even got to come today. I wish you a good time while I am gone, keep Devvon in check for me until I get back please." Castiel smirked at Devvon in a quick glance before returning his gaze to Cain.


    "The same to you Master Sol. And I will keep my eye on him like always." Cain smiled.


    Castiel stepped up onto the wagon and he waved at the the three as his horses led him through the gate back into town. A chill ran down his spine as he passed the iron gates. It was slightly colder in town than it was at the estate.


    He thought to himself for a while. His slow uneventful days, all leading up to an annual visit to sell the goods he worked for. Quite uneventful in his opinion. It''s not that he persay disliked it, but he felt bored most of the time, doing the same thing every day. He resumed his focus to the road in front of him. Hed return to the thought at a later date.


    The streets were empty, with the flickering lights of the street lamps every so often. An abandoned weathered cart lied off to the side of road, damaged and seemingly unusable. Castiel paid no heed to it as he shook the reins, making sure the horses kept pace. Before he could pass it, the horses suddenly stopped. It became colder, as his vision was fuzzy.


    His brought his hands to head as a pain grew in his head. He grimaced and put pressure on his skull.


    "Funny, isn''t it¡­" A voice in front of Castiel spoke. He looked up and tried to make out the figure. He realized it immediately, his most obvious feature being the horns on his head.


    "Your Grandfather killed my father, yet here you are so powerless in front of me. Granted my father had four horns, and was the only of the imps to have such a great power. Yet here you are so much weaker than my father''s ''righteous'' murderer. God only knows what he did to my brother- he''s been missing for a long time now." Beelzebub spoke his mind as he walked around the cart.


    "What are you doing¡­ What is this?" Castiel managed to get the words out despite the massive migraine emanating through his skull.


    "Oh this? This is the Final Stage spell [Time Stop]. It''s forbidden among demons, not that I care however. It''s a surprise that it doesn''t affect you much in the first place. I suppose it''s the after affect of being the blood of a holy sword wielder." He explained. "I despise the humans you see¡­ but you keep the world running at a pace. It would be a shame to kill you all off. So I live in a sort off... selfish harmony with your kind."


    "Why are you here¡­? Talking to me like this?" Castiel was confused, the demon kept rattling on for no reason.


    "Oh yes, you remind me. My elder brother Lucifer intends on a demonic revolt. Seeing as you are a pest to my time with my ''master''," He moved his fingers in unison quoting himself. "I need you to put an end to his armies. To recover Ascalon, which is¡­ or at least should be in the Elves forest, like your great grandfather once did." He continued. He began to walk away in the direction of the manor.


    "Why should I?" Castiel asked one last confused question with a grunt. His hands had slowly been putting on more and more pressure to ease the pain through Beelzebub''s monologue.


    "Because they just burned and slaughtered your village- the first in their path. Maybe they had some fun with the women, perhaps some that you knew well? I''m not sure of the tiny details like that though, of course."


    Castiel fell off the cart and struggled to get up to run, but collapsed.


    "Sorry, but I can''t let you do that~. It would be a nuisance to my plans." Beelzebub silently casted another spell, forcing Castiel unconsious.


    "You''ll remember my words when you figure out why you see smoke in the distance on your way back. Allow me to take you back to your inn- and last but not least, sleep well my friend. You''ll need it,"

 Awakening III

    Nyx woke up in a cold sweat under the stars. He had been placed on a cold, rough slab of cement. His tattered, unfitting royal garb remained on, giving him some warmth to work with in the cold dark. He was once again in a clearing in the forest. He thought for a moment, following the treeline with his gaze. All around him were plentiful flowers of all colors and shapes, all mixing together to create a vast garden around the central concrete block that held Aleecia. There was a heavy fragrance in the air.


    After completing a circle, he turned back to the pedestal he and Aleecia had been searching for. There a glowing blade lingered, halfway submerged into its container. It took on a different form than before. The greatsword shape from before was no longer, and just a plain- with the exception of the glow- longsword remained. The hilt remained luxurious though, being the luster of gold it was, but the gems had all but disappeared.


    He drew closer to it and touched it gently. The glowing shimmered where he touched it, but the light didn''t go out. He rubbed it along its edges. It was smooth and warm. This short moment of eternal peace was cut.


    "Stop where you are."


    A single commanding voice called out from a little bit behind Nyx. He unconsciously followed the order and worries appeared in his head. A pair of boot began to click on the concrete after a moment and they drew closer and louder. Then, more followed suit, and more after them.


    "Stand up Demon," The voice was colder than the wind that flowed swiftly around his body. He stood up, partly in fear, partly in anticipation, and another reason that he could not tell quite yet.


    "Turn to face me,"


    Nyx slowly span around to meet 15 drawn longbows to his face. A gland of cold sweat dripped from his face. Behind the bows were the Elves- all before him were women. They each differed slightly, only one directly in the middle had a deep sun kissed skin. She was a Elf. Nyx swallowed at air.


    "State you name and purpose here," The Dark Elf spoke with an unchanging and clear grimace on her face. Most of her features were concealed by the darkness at this time of night She was disgusted to find a demon somewhere so sacred- Nyx could tell from her face the moment he saw her.


    "My name?" He asked feverishly; there was no response from the Elves. He took a deep breath and spoke again. "My name is Satan Nyx Furcas Bael, eldest son of the former Demon King," Nyx watched in worry as the looks on the Elves faced flickered.


    "That is a lie." The Dark Elf responded. "A high class imp would have horns of great stature, and more than two of them at that. The pair on your forehead are petty and dull," Sharp and blunt at the same time.


    "It is no lie- I promise! My reason for being here is to return the holy sword to her pedestal so that she can rest for awhile, before we depart again."


    The elves turned and mumbled to their companions, though it didn''t last long. The Dark Elf in the middle only listened to the conversation around her, not participating in any of it. She sighed slightly, keeping her grip ever strong on the drawn arrow and spoke again.


    "I would thank you for you bringing the sword back to where it belongs- However, it is not yours to have. You as a demon do not have the right to it. For trespassing on Elven ground with a stolen sacred artifact, I sentence you to execution where you stand," The other Elves seemed content with this and shifted their arrows around on the string in response.


    "Do you have any last words before I send you back to the Hell you belong in?" She said as a courtesy that the Elves were known for.


    "I can''t- won''t die here, wish hasn''t been fulfilled yet." Nyx said, worry ridden on his face. He was still a child inside.


    "Wishes are for children. Die-" She was cut off from behind her.


    "Don''t you dare shoot that demon." was a clear and strict voice in comparison to the Dark Elf''s voice. The bunch immediately obliged and twirled to kneel to the figure.


    "Elf Mother, please back away!" The Dark Elf looked up and pleaded to her overseer. Nyx struggled to make light of the situation as the figure unveiled herself. An elderly woman slowly walked forward. She had long silky hair, and she was larger than the Elves before her.


    "Fina," She said to the Dark Elf. "How many time must I remind you that violence is not always the answer to the problems that find themselves before you?" She smiled. Fina dropped her head in reluctance her.


    "What is your name child?" She asked Nyx, wading through the kneeling crowd. She called him a child even though he looked adult enough of an imp to the rest of the elves.


    "I¡­ I um... " Nyx stuttered in front of her.


    "No need to fear child," She eased Nyx. "There is no wrong in the name you were given, be proud of your family,"


    "Then trust me... unlike them," She nodded in response. He hesitated a moment in front of the higher power, but spoke nonetheless."I am Satan Nyx Furcas Bael, eldest son of the former Demon King, the Satan of the Holy War before me." He was indeed proud of his father.


    "Oh hoh?" The Elf Mother drew out the sound, before returning her face to a smile. "If you say so, then it must be true child. You seem cold, and could use a change of clothes. Would you prefer to come with us to the village for a little while, or do you perhaps want to stay with Aleecia while she rests?" She asked him in a gentle tone.


    "Elf Mother!" Fina looked up from her position again, in detest of the options given to Nyx.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Fina, do not be rude to the guest I have invited. He may decline if he so chooses to. Besides, Emmili reported him to me already on the account of him successfully altering the form of the spirit into the blade- something not many have seen in their lifetimes. If she trusts him... then so do I," Fina could not respond anymore and she once again dropped her head.


    "I um, would like it if you could repair the clothes that I wear¡­ They''re important to me. I''ll come with you if you can," Nyx asked with a shiver. The imp''s didn''t have any heat or cold resistance like most monsters.


    "Oh? We will try our best then. Please come with me then," She smiled and turned away, gesturing for him to follow. The Elven girls all dispersed at this signal, and disappeared into the trees. Fina shot Nyx a glare before she followed suit. Nyx stuck his tongue out in response.


    They made their way to the edge of the clearing and Nyx halted abruptly. He stared back at the lightly glowing pedestal for a moment.


    "Do not worry child. She will be fine. I understand she accepted you and your father''s wishes. She''s never failed to grant a wish to those who''ve deserved it before." Her smile gleamed in the light of the Aleecia. She turned and continued walking into the forest. Nyx stared at the sword for a few moments longer before catching up to the Elf Mother.


    She took him through the forest, for quite the distance. Despite her old looks, she maneuvered through the dense, unpathed forest quite well, weaving through bush and tree as though her movements were thoughtless efforts.


    Nyx struggled to keep up in turn, every branch and twig irritating his arms, every root covered in darkness beckoning him to trip at every turn he took.


    He stumbled in the darkness after the Elf Mother. He followed whatever sound she made, though they were quiet if not nonexistent. She never seemed too far away, but never within distance.


    Nyx gasped as his leg was grabbed, and he fell. He closed his eyes tight and moments after, his shoulder hit the ground.


    "Ugh!" Nyx the ground hard. It was padded with dead leaves, and thick grass. He lied on the ground in shock, before shortly regaining his senses. Whatever grabbed his leg was no longer there. However- he had lost the Elf Mother. After coming this far into the forest, there was no light, and no way to see anymore.


    Nyx slowly stood up, grasping at a nearby tree base. He shook his head to clear his mind. The vast emptiness around him went on forever. He thought for a minute before continuing on.


    "Uhm¡­ here goes nothing," Nyx grasped for a twig above him. With a small struggle, he found and broke one off of a branch. Following after, he pulled at the bark of the same tree. Nyx remembered Kopflos, his instructor in survival as a child.


    Kopflos was a headless creature, known to Humans as the ''headless horseman.'' He was a brilliant teacher, who had taught him to cleanse water, climb, hunt, basic crafting, basic cooking, and fire starting.


    Nyx placed the chunk of bark under a handful of dry leaves and inserted the stick. He rubbed the stick back and forth between his hands quickly.


    Kopflos had commonly said "Magic is a powerful tool Nyx, but it is useless when it''s user runs out of magic. One needs to be creative, and intuitive to survive even with it in the wilderness of demons. As long as the fire in your heart never goes out, you will never need to waste your magic on such a simple thing as starting a fire in the middle of nowhere,"


    Nyx smelt smoke and saw an ounce of red from within the dry leaves. He stopped spinning the twig and began to blow on the ember, and fanned the smoke. It grew hotter, and then with an ounce of luck, a small flame emerged from the leaves.


    Nyx put the twig back into the flame so it could catch the fire. It caught as well, and Nyx began searching the ground around him for a longer stick.


    He found a short distance from the original fire and brought it back after extinguishing the twig. He put the stick into the now slightly larger fire and waited a minute before bringing it out. He had made a makeshift torch, for what it was worth. He kicked some uncovered dirt onto the fire to put it out, so it didn''t burn out the Elven forest on accident.


    He looked around with the help of the fire for any kind of tracks the Elf mother left. He found where he had fallen down and slight indents to the patches of leaves going forward.


    ''Aah thank Panthea,'' He thought to himself, with an audible sigh. He didn''t want to get lost in the woods following the Elf Mother.


    He celebrated momentarily with a small victory dance before recomposing himself.


    ''I wonder why she left me behind¡­ She told me to follow closely, but I thought she would stop when I fell¡­ huh. I had better keep my eyes on the trail for now.'' He made a mental note to ask later.


    The trail led on quite the distance, and Nyx swapped stick occasionally when one ran short. He followed it across a large stream, and the trail became just a tad bit easier to follow with the water marking the path as well.


    Following the trail to it''s for a while longer, Nyx looked up to check on the current burning stick, and saw it. An overpowering blue-green luminescence was in the distance. He could see structures in the light it gave off.


    With a sigh of relief, Nyx made his way to the light. He made out a large archway, and people standing guard at its base. Behind them, he could see foreign plant life, and strange buildings. He swung the flame around, to see if the guards would notice him.


    In the distance the guards began to move erratically. One tried to draw a bow in a hurry, but let go of the arrow and it embedded itself in the dirt by her feet. The other made to run towards Nyx, she tripped after making it halfway.


    Nyx wondered for a moment if he was at the right place. These two were a stark contrast compared to the elves from before. Perhaps they were just new?


    "Uhm¡­ Hello?" Nyx walked up the one that had fallen. He extended his hand to her. "Are you alright?" She looked up at his with a flustered blush written on her face, and tears in her eyes.


    She took his hand and stood up.


    "I''m fine thank you," Her voice squeaked as she said the words. She continued to grip Nyx''s available hand as he walked her back to the archway.


    "Strange," Nyx thought, but he would soon get cut off.


    "Agh! It''s a demon!" The other Elf yelled loud enough to burst eardrums. It sent a chill down Nyx''s spine.


    "What!?" The Elf gripping his hand gripped tighter and looked up at his horns. She tried to run and ended up tripping Nyx along with herself. The flames on the stick went out as it was hurled in some odd direction.


    Nyx landed on top of the her. He tried to get up and misplaced his leg, causing him to faceplant into her face. He was pushed off with supernatural strength and she scrambled behind the other Elf, who now had her bow fully drawn, this time successfully.


    "Stop!" She yelled to Nyx. He was too dazed on his back to listen. He struggled and managed to sit up.


    "Stop moving!!" She frantically yelled again. Nyx looked up to her, drawing meaning from the words. A Dark Elf walked up and placed her hands on the two''s shoulders. They both rocketed at the sudden contact. The drawn arrow flung from the bow and struck Nyx in the abdomen. The blow made him dizzy, and he fell back. Blurs ran towards him as he fell, as the darkness in his eyes invaded his vision.