《To Live Again》


 Betrayal and Renewal.

    I gazed around the throne room for the last time seeing the eccentric display of wealth that I had gathered over the long years of my life. Woven red tapestry¡¯s with sparkling gold embroidery draped from the ceiling. Each depicting the major events of my rule. Perfectly sculpted statues were placed in key positions. All of me in various positions of conquest. As a quick interjection I would like to say that I was not vain. The statues were in no way my idea, but were placed at the insistence of my most respected retainers. Then there were the heads. Ginormous heads of the beasts that I had defeated in my time. The heads of a Hydra, a chimaera and even my father. His head in particular was a grotesque mixture of red flesh and spiralling horns.


    Was I a murderer? No, well not in our culture. It was a custom for the demons princes to attempt to kill their father once they turned two hundred years old. Well that¡¯s how it usually went anyway. My own father had attacked me on sight upon seeing me wake up. But he had been weak. A single swipe of my hand and his head was no longer attached to his shoulders. As for my own sons they were no more. It was only natural. It was upon my eldest son¡¯s attempt that I realised that instead of my father being weak it was just me who was unnaturally strong.


    I blinked back to the present. Hundreds of demons stood in a semi-circle around my dying form. It was the first time in history that a demon lord had died from old age. It was even more remarkable that the demon lord had no heir. I weaved my eyes through the crowd, seeing a multitude of familiar faces. My brother, a traitorous bastard who stood with a wide spread grin on his face. Many times during my life he had attempted a coup on my rule, however he was clever and not once had he left enough evidence for me to deal with him personally without attracting the wrath of those close to him. Claw, my most loyal retainer and closest friend knelt by my throne. His dark skin reflecting the light of the setting son outside the palace. The rest meant nothing to me. They were citizens and retainers too weak to hold my attention.


    I staggered to my feet, Claw at my heel allowing me to use him as a support. I looked out at the crowd once more before gathering my voice. ¡°Greetings my subjects¡±. Those around me knelt to the ground except for Claw who was still holding me steady. ¡°As many of you know I have reached the final moments of my life and at such a time it falls to me to name my successor¡±. However before I could continue I felt a cold touch grasping at my heart. An assassination magic that I myself often used on an unsuspecting opponent. I quickly found the source seeing it belonging to a tiny scaled demon hidden amongst the audience. With my magic I easily reversed the effect on my attacker and I watched heartlessly as he fell limply to the ground dead while the rest of the congregation leapt to their feet. However the damage was done. My body lost all feeling as Claw was forced to hold the entirety of my weight. My last thoughts before my eyes closed for the final time were of my successor. Having never named one I could only imagine the terrible consequences of the action. The room had been filled with demons, each as greedy and power hungry as the other. Even as my eyes closed I watched as the once lovely throne room was torn apart under the ferocious brawl that had begun.


    Opening my eyes was difficult. Though when I did I was greeted by flowing moonlight that bathed softly on my face. I tried to focus on my surroundings easing the blurred lines into comprehension. The first thing I noticed was the room. Nothing like the majesty of the palace but instead a modest living area made entirely from wood. No Magnificent embroideries or other works of art were in eyesight, leaving the room dull and bare.  The one window was poised perfectly to see the brilliance of a full moon. I blinked, twice. I had known the gods personally and as such had visited heaven and hell many a time during my life. This place was neither of them. But I had died right? There was no way I could have lived in that brawl. Especially considering the condition I had been in. I looked around for Claw or another of my retainers. Instead I was greeted by a welcome sight of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her face was bright, seeming to be locked in a picture of complete bliss as she met my eyes. He long flowing black hair parted cutely by a pair of small horns that protruded from her head. Her body was lithe, fit but no way muscular and to top it off skin so unmarked she may as well have been a painting. A thin tail emerged from beneath her black one piece dress and shifted back and forth with excitement.


    I had never seen her before, frowning to know that such a women had never come to my attention back at the palace. Her race of course was a succubus easily identifiable by both the tip of her tail which curved outwards like a spade, and her natural beauty. Using a small amount of magic I veiled my eyes viewing the different planes of existence hopefully allowing me to see her true form. Succubi were well known for being able to alter their appearance. A unique ability which had greatly aided me in the past. However the one before me seemed to have no need.


    I tried to sit up. Urging my body into an upright position. Though surprisingly the women placed her hand on my stomach and pushed me back down. My frown grew darker. For a women of her build to be able to push down a demon lord was unbelievable. I gazed down at my body before jumping in shock at what I saw. I was somehow inhabiting a newborns body. Complete with a single tail that wrapped around my leg. The tip was similar to the women¡¯s however instead of having a smooth tip at the end of the spade, there was a jagged edge much like a knife.


    At that moment a voice could be heard urgently ushering someone through the door. The first was a man with androgynous features yet at the same time looked both handsome and beautiful. An effect which utterly confused and slightly intrigued me. No doubt this man was loved by the ladies no matter the race. Another point of interest was a jagged tipped tail that emerged from the suit of armour he was wearing. This marked him as an incubus. The second man was an elderly demon with green skin that hunched over a small walking stick. He was a Kappa. A vampiric like demon. Not something you wanted too close to you. However the first man dragged him towards me lying helplessly on the bed. I quickly checked my magical ability and sighed in relief when I realised that my new body had retained the entirety of my past prowess in the area. In fact as I checked closer my power had almost doubled.


    I believe a quick interjection is required here. In my past body I had been world renowned as incredibly powerful. However the before mentioned power came almost entirely from my magical ability whilst physically I was quite lacklustre. To double this power meant that I could well grow into one of the greatest spell casters ever. Suddenly the kappa before me didn¡¯t seem so threatening.


    The kappa wearily stumbled towards me. Before kneeling next to the bed. He held his hands over my body and I readied a defence against any mental attack. However all he did was sigh and stand back to face the incubus. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong but to me he seems entirely normal¡±.


    The Women sitting by my side however spoke up quickly with a note a panic in her voice. ¡°But doctor, He didn¡¯t cry at all during birth¡±. Before glancing back to me with a look that stood somewhere between love and worry.


    Wait birth! What was this women talking about? But then it all clicked, my newborn body, the incubus tail, my almost human appearance, the succubus and incubus both giving me their undivided attention and the fact that I was nowhere near the castle. Holy shit, I thought to myself. I¡¯ve been reborn!


    Three months have passed. Enough for me to train my new body to walk. It was a painful process being stuck in a form with completely functional thought but with no ability to move. Something I sought to correct immediately. I have also leaned many things. The succubus and incubus were my parents. Which leads to a quick interjection. There has always been a common misconception amongst the more human races that Succubi and Incubi were entirely focussed around sexual acts. This is blatantly not true. The only difference they have with other classes of demons would be there lack of dampened emotions. So while they do have a heightened need for love and attention they are also known to be completely loyal to a single person. It is entirely common for a succubus to be in love with a single person for thousands of years. Anyhow, back to the story. My mother¡¯s name was Tear, whilst my fathers was Wrath. A name he earned from years of military service. The name they choose for me was Aare. Simple but unique. It seemed my parents had put some thought into it rather than call me by a single trait. I thought back to Claw at my old palace. On his left hand whilst almost entirely black there was a single blood red finger. I sighed knowing that his parents had not been very creative. But oh well. Demons are like that.


    I also learned harshly about our position in society. I¡¯ll put it bluntly. My parents were weak. Even though we resided nowhere near the demon capital we lived by a single code that the strongest ruled. As such my parents often worked with no pay for the demons that lived next door. A pair of Jinn to be exact. Both of whom were able to transform their body into numerous disgusting creatures. I also realised we were in the middle of a civil war. Apparently my death had caused quite a commotion. Many factions had broken from within my personal retinue and had each made a campaign to power. Being out in the country, we mainly escaped the conflict however every once in a while a tendril of turmoil came to our village. Whether it be in the form of a raided supply route or even a subjugation force. Currently our city¡¯s protective force which included my father was enough to hold any attackers at bay.


    My biggest regret in my past life had been my physical power. I had entirely relied on my magical abilities and so my first choice in my new life was to strengthen my body. As such from the moment I could walk I made it my duty to move around as much as possible. I didn¡¯t want to overdo it however and stunt my growth. But walking from room to room at this stage was enough. Much to the dismay of my parents who while delighted that I could walk so early found it hard to keep tabs on my location. I made sure not to cause undue worry to them however and instead decided not to go outside. All good things can wait I told myself. Having lived for thousands of years. Waiting came naturally.


    My parents ticked all the boxes. While I knew they were weak and being mistreated, they never once complained in front of me, instead they always seemed cheerful. Don¡¯t be fooled though, the tears of my mother could be heard from the other room as I fell asleep. I¡¯m not sure if it was because my body considered them as parents but for some reason I saw them as pillars of strength. Not physically of course but mentally unmovable. They had gained my respect. A task which only two people back in the throne room had even done.


    I was also intrigued by my new life. Never in my previous one had I received love from my parents. My mother had died during child birth. My grotesque body had torn her apart. Whilst my father lived in constant paranoia of my usurpation. As he noticed me being stronger this became the case even more. In this life I was thrilled each time they played with me, tucked me in or even read me a book. There weren¡¯t many. But they would re-read them every night until I fell asleep. I paid them back in kind by keeping silent through the night. Allowing them the sleep I knew they needed. They were hard times for them. But we made it through them. I considered helping them out with my own power of course but I did not know how they would react and I was in no way capable of looking after myself should they disown me. Don¡¯t say this wouldn¡¯t happen. Many a time in my previous life I saw fearful parents distance themselves from their children. My father was a prime example and it was only because of the staff in the palace that I survived infant hood.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Exactly a year has passed since my birth. A few things have been learned. An incubus is naturally physically weak but also incredibly fast, preferring to use speed to win a fight. I also realised that my father was an incredible swordsman having won some serious tournaments in his time, as well as being an instructor for the villages fighting force. I asked him why he bowed down to the next door neighbours and he responded that he held a pitiful amount of magic. Thus was unable to strengthen his blows enough to pierce through the skin of any demon capable of hardening it. I sighed knowing the truth behind this, but undeterred I still got my father to start teaching me the sword in his down time. He was a great teacher always complimentary of the good, and patient with the bad. In my past life I had never really swung a sword properly but I knew many that did. I can proudly say that my new father outdid any of them. It would be quite a while before he saw me as old enough to start training seriously but for now he showed me a few practice strokes with a light wooden sword.


    Today was my birthday. I hadn¡¯t been counting the days so it came as a surprise to me when my parents woke me at first light. They told me the day and we had a small celebration in my room. I was given a single piece of cake which unfortunately was all they could afford and they sung me happy birthday. Turns out my parents were good singers. Not that that countered for much in this community. However upon me finishing my small slice the mood turned sour, and before long my mother burst into tears. Seeing my face my father quickly explained the situation. ¡°The neighbours have seen you walking around kiddo¡±. His face showing the sadness he felt. ¡°They think you are old enough to work. You see, they have a child of their own, and they think you should start early as preparation for him.¡±


    I nodded my understanding. Not once in my new life had I directly talked to my parents in fear of revealing my knowledge. Instead I used gestures and signals to make myself understood. It made it easier that demons had the ability to slightly feel another¡¯s emotions so I was generally able to get by. Once my father had asked me. ¡°Hey kiddo, can you speak¡± He asked it innocently enough but both my mother and father stoped what they were doing when I nodded my head in response. ¡°Can you speak for us¡±? This time he was slow and deliberate. I shook my head once again in response. My parents seemed to be understanding and there was no more talk on the matter.


    My Father walked me down the road holding onto my hand tightly in fear of what was to happen. Reaching the Jinn¡¯s house he looked me straight in the eye and told me to be brave before knocking on the heavy door. Unlike our house there¡¯s was multiple stories, with giant stone gargoyles perched on the roof. Like ours however the house was made entirely from wood. It seemed as if these jinn were only a step or two above us.


    The door opened ominously with faint wisps of red smoke prizing through the cracks in the wood. Before me stood a tall man with shoulders twice my own width. Muscles bulged from beneath his green tunic and he held a large axe over his shoulder. I saw my father shake and take a step back. Not to act out of place I copied him before veiling my eyes with magic. What I saw in front of me was nothing like the giant man but instead a small child perhaps four years old. He smirked self-importantly before glaring at my father. ¡°Fuck off¡±, he said simply. The voice had been heavily modified with magic and what came out was a terrifying rumble that matched the hulking man I had seen previously. My father didn¡¯t move instead looked down at me and with a silent prearranged gesture asked if I was ok. I nodded back, I wiggled my lip attempting to act afraid though in reality the boy in front of me whilst scary to my father was but a worm to me. I had killed thousands of his type as collateral damage when fighting those who were stronger. My Father gave me one last look with an emotion I didn¡¯t recognise before disappearing up the road with more than a few glances back to me, each with a face laced with more and more despair. The boy at the door grabbed me by my tunic and pulled me inside. I found myself in a room with two more Jinn¡¯s. All three had light sand coloured hair and a freckled face. None of them looked menacing, instead they were all thin and seemingly malnourished. The boy made me stand in the centre of the room and suddenly all attention was on me.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name boy¡±? The father boomed. His appearance probably matched the voice though I couldn¡¯t be bothered to check.


    ¡°Aare¡±. I replied in what I thought was a whimper. I was surprised by my voice. Being the first time I had ever used it since being reborn. It was crystal clear. I had heard the type of voice before in my previous life. From beings so full of magical power that it crept into their voice without command. It was unnatural and had the family which faced me now known what I knew. They would have sent me straight home and moved as far away as they could.


    ¡°Aare.¡± The mother was speaking this time, a sadistic smile on her face. ¡°I believe we are going to be very well acquainted, this here,¡± she said pointing to her son ¡°Is Vel. You will listen to all he has to say from now on¡±. To Vel now she continued. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it out Vel¡±.


    ¡°I was just about to mother¡±. The boy said. This time in his excitement he forgot to modify his voice. However with a quick nod from his mother he continued in his before mentioned threatening tone. ¡°Aare, take of your clothes¡±


    I was startled by this, I knew what he was doing. It was a common tactic as a first command. As the act of taking of your clothes could be seen as an act that removed ones dignity. For a four year old demon to be asking this of another meant this was prearranged by the family. Realising this my anger grew. ¡°May I ask a question¡±? The family didn¡¯t answer so I took it as consent. I continued raising my voice slightly. ¡°Did you do this to my family, no more importantly did you do this to my mother.¡± I knew my eyes would reveal my anger so I lowered them to the floor.


    Most likely the other family say this as a sign of weakness and continued in a mocking tone. ¡°Of course we did¡±.


    I directed my next question to the father. ¡°What else did you do to her¡± My voice was trembling with fury now. The idea of my loving, caring mother going through this torture almost made me lose control.


    ¡°You will learn when you get older¡± The man had a glint in his eye now, a terrible look I had often seen in my soldiers eyes after capturing a town. I knew what men with power did to powerless women. Especially the attractive ones. My Incubi emotions poured to the surface and I felt a tear drift down my cheek. Perhaps it was the child in me that heard of his parents suffering. Or perhaps it was my own feelings. Never before had I felt such warmth that my new parents had shown me. It all made sense now. The crying at night, the despair of leaving me here and the look my father had given me before walking away. It all made sense.


    ¡°How dare you¡± I whispered.


    The other family stopped laughing. ¡°What was that you little brat¡±? The father growled, looking as if I had just slapped him.


    I talked with force now. ¡°You who are merely bugs, you desolate, pathetic excuses for demons. How dare those who are so weak harm those close to me¡±. The other family started to rise. ¡°Sit¡± I stated simply, the words were laced with enough magic to control an entire battalion of human soldiers. The Jinn¡¯s slammed back into their seats. ¡°Don¡¯t move, stepping on a bug but not crushing it requires a considerable amount of effort¡±. I spoke calmly, though each word made the family shudder uncontrollably. They began to grasp the situation and their reactions varied. The parents opened their eyes in shock whilst the child began to cry loudly, opposite to his visage before.


    ¡°You all deserve to die, wait, no dying is too easy a way for you. You should suffer, suffer for all you have done¡±. I waved my hand and the two adults started to scream, bloodcurdling screams only made by those in such agony that they would embrace death. I¡¯m not sure if many have heard this sound but I certainly had, many a time they were caused by me. I left the youngest free of pain as he was only a product of his elders. Even his actions towards me were most likely a scheme concocted by his parents.  No all he had done was be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Fear would be enough for him. I twisted my hand and the screaming ceased. As the whimpers of the family facing me stopped I quickly turned and left the house but not before calling over my shoulder. ¡°If any of you come near my family again or if any of what happened here is revealed I will hunt you down one by one and rip your throats from your mouths¡±.


    The result was leaving the two Jinn¡¯s on the edge of insanity. My previous life sometimes left me in situations where certain individuals needed to be quelled. It was nice to know when to stop. I left them with basic cognitive functions and a desire to raise their child. However they were changed. If they were ever able to speak again, which I doubted, their voice would be layered with such resignation that only pity would arise from those who heard it. Perhaps you may think me cruel to leave them with such a fate. I know I certainly berated myself as I left. I had let my emotions rule me. I was smarter than that. Perhaps I had gained more than just the body of the child but its emotions as well. I would never know. All I did knew was that this was the world I lived in. Acts such as this were carried out every day. So at that moment I decided. I will rise to the top. I had been there before and with no system of rule currently in place I could do it again. I looked up at the sky. It had been less than twenty minutes since I had entered the Jinn¡¯s house but my view had changed. The sky looked a lot bigger now.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Previous Chapter[/url]</td><td width="25%">Back to Main Page</a></td><td width="25%">Next Chapter</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 Acceptance and Impossibility (Chp 2)

    So apparently I''m supposed to write something before I submit a chapter.


    The first thing, is thank you for all the encouragement. It was damn hard to write some of this and i''m sure others could have pulled it off better but some of the positive reviews and comments kept me going so cheers!


    My grammar has always been criticised so if you see any errors please tell me and I''ll edit this as soon as possible.


    One thing that is slightly frustrating are types of demons that i haven''t used. So far each one is based slightly off real legend and mythology but I am beginning to run out of things to be scary. (perhaps to some of you they are funny) But if any of you think of a "demon" that I haven''t included please just comment below. That would be fantastic


    Anyway here is the second chapter. I hope you enjoy it.


    --------------------------


    CHAPTER 2


    The door of our house seemed to loom above me. Perhaps because of my short body, but more likely due to the absolute dread I felt in my stomach. I wasn¡¯t good with dread as it wasn¡¯t a feeling I was used to having. I believe the last time I felt it was on my eldest child¡¯s two hundredth birthday. Even then it was more a feeling of excitement, anticipating the fight to come. No, this moment, right here, standing in front of my own house about to confront two of the weakest demons I had ever met. This was where I felt ¡°dread¡± for the first time. I felt enlightened at the feeling but I hardened my heart before stepping into a situation I had never dealt with before. The room was bright. Naturally lit as the sun¡¯s light cascaded in through the window. The once familiar glare from the polished floorboards no longer had the playful feeling, but now reflected the light back into my eyes. Much like an interrogation back in my old life.


    Some of you may ask why I would shine light into the eyes of those I was interrogating. The answer was simple. It was disorientating. However demons had usually built a certain natural resistance to this, so the light I had used was quite a bit stronger. Perhaps enough to singe the retina. But never more. You would be surprised on how many demons would kill themselves with their own magic upon losing their ability to see.


    Anyhow. Here I was, standing in my own living room which for some reason no longer felt familiar. When both of my parents came from the kitchen. Faces ashen with what I expected to be fury. I needn¡¯t have worried. Suddenly I was embraced. Wholesomely within two sets of arms. The soft loving pair from my mother, and the muscled protective pair from my father.


    If you ask me how that night went there is not much I could tell you. There was a lot of crying of course, from all parties. Soft winged words were whispered into my ear. My Mother kept telling me she was sorry. Again and again until even I had started to cry. I¡¯m not sure how I felt here. It was definitely a positive feeling. One that made even my bones feel light, it seemed to seep into my blood invigorating me with what I considered the epitome of happiness. Security, warmth and love. All three emotions were two much for my child like body. I no longer cared who these emotions belonged to. I had accepted my life. I was me, I was this child.


    We stayed that way for what must have been a whole day. Not once did they ask me what happened, instead letting me decide what I would share. Of course I said nothing, however my father at one point had told me that if I ever needed someone to talk to, he was there. I nodded and then we all fell asleep. In my parent¡¯s bed of course, making another first in both this life, and the last.


    Almost four years have passed since I was reincarnated. In regards to the Jinn next door, they moved shortly after my visit. I can¡¯t say I was surprised. My parents had given me a look. A look which spoke the unsaid words. The Jinn hadn¡¯t called upon our family again. Their suspicions were augmented by them moving so shortly afterwards. A few things changed. But I can¡¯t say they were negative. My father from that moment no longer held back on my sword training, and either my new body was able to absorb information like a sponge or the patients of a being like myself made me learn incredibly fast. My father said it was his genes that made me a natural. I figured that could also be a part of it.


    Apparently there was a preferred style of the sword for each race. The humans for example placed a large amount of emphasis on a more natural form. Using the opponent¡¯s often superior strength against them. The demons used a form entirely dependent on the first stroke. Pushing it beyond our normal limits in swirling arcs or whistling lunges. I asked my father what to do if the first stroke didn¡¯t kill them. As every time I tried I was left woefully undefended against my father¡¯s parry.


    ¡°That kiddo, is when you hopefully die painlessly.¡± My Father had joked at this but a slightly raised eyebrow told me there was a fragment of truth in the words. I grimaced before continuing the lessons. Only stopping when my Mother called me inside. Which led to another interesting lesson. It hadn¡¯t taken long before my parents had noticed my prowess in the realm of magic.


    Apparently those with large reserves of magical essence would emit an almost unnoticeable veil of energy. This troubled me. In my past life I had never worried about hiding my power. I intend to correct this fault, my mother told me about meditation to increase my ability to control my power. In this fashion and given enough time I should be able to mask it well enough.


    Regardless of how they found out, my mother made it her duty to bring out my abilities of an incubus. Mainly it was illusion work. Changing my appearance or erasing my presence all together. Apparently different incubi were able to do this to certain levels. As for me? Well I was absolutely rubbish at the former. Capping my own ability at the point where I could hide my tail or horns. As for the second I mastered the art of invisibility on the third try. Causing my mother to jump in excitement, completely forgetting my formally dismal performance and running off to tell my father I was a genius. I later learned that my mother had been unable to even slightly mask her presence until she was over three hundred years old. My Father could do neither and seemed to stare in open jealousy when my mother brought him over. After a quick demonstration however I realised that what I thought was jealousy was actually pride, and with a beaming smile offered to hire me a tutor.


    That made me pause. A tutor, while the idea was attractive I obviously couldn¡¯t show them my true strength. So to hire one would only limit my alone time in which I could actually practice to improve. Perhaps I could learn something from the best. Though it would seem pretentious for a three year old to be asking for a top tier tutor reserved for the masters of magic or royalty. I shook my head in response. Which seemed to amuse my father who walked away whistling to himself.


    Speaking of whistling, my parents had taken to it after the ceased calls from the Jinn. Like their singing they were actually pretty good, often learning complex tunes from the other in seconds and joining in with little harmonies right in front of me. At first I thought it was annoying, though over time I was swept up in their pace. Currently I¡¯m always whistling. My parents seeing me copying their actions organised a few melodies that we performed as a triplet. What could I say? I was enjoying myself.


    Another event worth mentioning was my mother getting a job. With more time on her hands since our neighbours moved, she began to craft beautiful gem styled cut stones. Before filling them with her magical essence. Making the dull rock eventually turn translucent and glow in a certain colour. Currently she could make blue, green and red stones. The effect varied between them, but they each had slight attributes. The red stones for example were able to heat a room to a nice temperature during winter. Each could also be used as an emergency magic reserve. All in all they were pretty handy and we ended up selling them to interested neighbours.


    But more about me. Over the years I was slowly but fairly given more freedom. Leading up to my forth birthday my parents had allowed me to walk around the village unaided. From what I saw it was a small place. With perhaps only a few hundred demons living here altogether. The majority were Succubi and Incubi though there was the occasional Jinn. One person worth mentioning was the chief of the village. An overly large Archdemon. I often saw him walking around the popular areas such as the town square or the market. But there was something about him that I didn¡¯t like. He was a ginormous male with the lower half of a bull. His face on the whole seemed kind though he had a habit of constantly stroking his lower arm. A nervous tick of sorts. I didn¡¯t know what he had to be nervous of but I didn¡¯t like him. So as such I tried to avoid him.


    The marketplace however intrigued me immensely. Line upon line of temporary shops were constructed each morning as demons came to sell their wares. It seems our village is quite famous for the items we produce and so there is always a large line of merchants streaming through our humble gates. Surprisingly however I identified a few humans who were animatedly squabbling over the prices. I know that back in the palace a human would have been killed on sight, and on habit I almost slaughtered the first one who suddenly appeared beside me. I managed to hold myself back however and confronted my mother when I returned home.


    I still refused to speak but I managed to ask my question fluently enough with the help of a stick and a patch of dirt. The question was why there were humans in our village. My mother had laughed before beginning to explain that the village tried to segregate itself from the disputes of the capital. After all, the ideals of a nation are certainly not always the ideals of the people. Especially in areas such as ours which prided themselves on their trade. For our village in particular we could not survive without the income provided to us by the humans.


    My mother laughed any of my further questions off before changing the direction of the conversation. ¡°Aare, today some friends of your Father are visiting¡±. I nodded wondering where she was going with this. My mother hesitated slightly before continuing. Yes~ I urged, my link with my mother pushing her forward. ¡°And I know you¡¯re happy, but I¡¯ve never seen you playing with children your own age¡±. Shit I thought. Now completely against any idea my mother was about to put forward. My mother probably sensed my annoyance and continued quickly. ¡°It¡¯s not that we are tired with you Aare, it¡¯s just¡­..Well they have a daughter with the same problem so we thought we would introduce you.


    My heart froze. I hoped my face wasn¡¯t as sour as I thought it was though when my mother¡¯s face dropped I knew it was probably worse. My parents had brought up the idea of company before but I had shaken my head in rejection to the idea. It had been enough for them then, but something told me it wouldn¡¯t be this time.


    Later that day I waited tensely in the living room dressed in my father¡¯s best approximation of presentable. A pale green waistcoat is all I need to say for you to understand what I mean. To not waste anymore time I was reading one of the many books my father kept on the more intricate points in sword play. Though when I heard the sounds of knocking on the door I put it down and bolted upright.


    I quick interjection here If I may. Even during my past life I had spent the majority of my infant hood in the company of adults. Even when I grew up children were generally kept out of my way. I had hoped it was because they didn¡¯t want them to bother me while I worked, though I subtle message from claw had told me that my reputation regarding companionship was appalling. So here I was. About to talk to something the age of a grandson, a being which I had never spoken to before and to top it off, a female. Of course I¡®d had a wife during my previous life. Though it was an unhappily arranged marriage and she tended to keep her distance. Especially after the death of her final son. She hadn¡¯t even shown up in the throne room during my final hours.


    The door opened. Slowly, really slowly, far slower than I remembered it anyway, and in stepped another family. The parents were the same races as my own, though it was the daughter which blew me away. I had often head that the son or daughter of a succubus and an incubus where well regarded as being the most attractive existences ever seen on earth. As for how I looked? I could tell you, but I couldn¡¯t care less about my own appearance, perhaps it was the child in me?  Regardless the girl in front of me was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Blond hair that curled down to her shoulder blades which drifted lightly over her raised cheekbones, highlighting the dazzling features of her face. Her eyes where a crystal blue and seemed to be able to drag unsuspecting watchers down into their depths. I could continue but honestly words would not do justice to what stood before me. Use your imagination and then know that what I was seeing was better.


    Looking back on what I just told you I understand I have some explaining to do. Firstly, I fully understand the implications of my age. However my child like emotions had nothing to do with the acceptance or rejection of my reality that my brained willed itself to hold. Perhaps you may find it odd to find someone like me admiring someone like her. All things considered it is weird. But then, what¡¯s more important. The body? Or the mind? If this was weird would I need to find someone else my actual age before finding a soul mate? Imagine me trying to court a few thousand year old demon. Personally I don¡¯t believe any of them are without discrepancy on what you may consider basic formality. So I digress please leave out your sorry speeches or hideous remarks. This is my life not yours.


    Basically the evening went as follows. The parents got the two of us and placed us in the middle of the room. Before backing off to a respectful distance and stood their gawking and whispering animatedly amongst themselves. Good on you mum.


    ¡°H-h-hello, my name is L-Lye¡± The succubus stuttered out. Seemingly as nervous as me.


    I turned to our parents, they were too far to hear our words but I caught a few squeals of ¡°how cute¡± and ¡°she¡¯s adorable¡±. I nodded in response. There was no danger in replying verbally as the parents were so far away. But then I froze. What do I say? Should I be kind, should I impress? I frowned turning to hide my expression from the parents. Who I assure you let out a few giggles at my expense.


    I thought quickly, surely there was something I could say. I though back to what my past father would say when he met a new women. I know this may not have been the best idea but it¡¯s all I had so stay with me. I straightened up pulling down my waistcoat to make myself more presentable. ¡°Lye¡± I said commandingly. She cocked her head, recognising her name.


    I continued in a laid back tone. ¡°Sit¡±. There was no magic in the word but there might as well have been. As Lye, hearing a voice of authority practically fell to the ground. She sat bolt upright, her tail swaying happily and she arced her back eager to be praised. ¡°Good girl¡± I whispered, patting her head softly.  She swayed in happiness practically jumping up and down. She was a good girl, happy to do as she was told. Overall I was pretty happy with my performance I decided before grinning towards the adults.


    However they weren¡¯t laughing anymore. In fact, all they did was stand there with their mouths hanging open. I beamed, evidently they were as proud as I was at my performance. I had been worried. Evidently I didn¡¯t need to be. Dealing with children was easy!


    The family left soon after and my mother and father didn¡¯t say anything for a while. The just sat there looking at me. I didn¡¯t see Lye again for a long time. I¡¯m not sure why but I was disappointed. I had felt a strange bond to the girl. Oh well. I shrugged, relaxing my shoulders which were stiff from standing to attention. It gave me more time for other matters.


    I was glad for the extra time. As a few weeks after my forth birthday, turmoil arrived at the gates of our city. Apparently the fighting near the capital had gotten worse.


    The first warning arrived as a group of soldiers. All demons of high ranking seeking shelter within our village. There were only eight of them in the first wave. Though by one week after the first group twenty five demons had sought shelter behind our walls. I noticed grimly that the quality of their inhabiting force far exceeded our own, and it didn¡¯t come as a surprise to me when they starting abusing their power. Stories stacked up endlessly of meals refusing to be paid for, market place fees waived and them even taking advantage of our medical facilities for their wounded.


    There was also the increased danger in the streets. The original inhabitants now refused to go out alone leaving the streets bare, whilst a few racial executions kept the humans coming to our village. I could go into detail concerning the sudden deaths of the humans, but demons of the capital were never overly understanding of the race in general. As such many of the dead were mutilated beyond recognition. I refuse to go into too much depth on the matter but be sure to know that after the seventh, humans were suddenly vacant from our streets.


    The consequences of their absences weren¡¯t immediate. However in the following weeks the incoming supply of food decreased. It worsened as the occupying soldiers claimed a good majority of it for reasons that were, and I quote ¡°capital related¡±. As a result I watched as the families nearby began to thin. Small slivers of fat disappearing from their stomachs every week. Of course I kept my own family alive by nourishing our food with magic. Keeping us that slight bit more satisfied. However I couldn¡¯t overdo it. If other families saw that we alone were staying healthy then questions would begin. Question for known reasons I couldn¡¯t answer.


    On the sixth week after the co-habitation the soldiers appeared at our door. They demanded to speak with Tear, so I rushed up behind her. Should any of them lay a hand on her I swear it would be the last thing they did. To my surprise however they were merely curious about the stones that she had been continuing to make. Winter was upon us and the air was becoming cold, frost lingered on our breath and our hands would often shake uncontrollably. They said in no uncertain words that if she didn¡¯t hand them a certain number each day, they would take them by force. Not that we had any to take by force but they did leave the comment that there wouldn¡¯t be much of a house left after their search.


    Back in the living room we sat. My Father holding my mother tightly. Whispering words I couldn¡¯t make out into her ear. I was told to go to bed shortly afterwards, though not before seeing my mother¡¯s pale face as she said goodnight. I hesitated slightly. The only time I had seen that face before was during my first birthday.


    It kind of clicked then. While my mother was in her own right a respectable magician. She did not have the almost infinite supply of magic that I did. I know from my past life how much energy it took to enchant an item. I also know how much energy it took to make one as translucent and beautiful as my mum did. Doing some quick calculations in my head I decided that my mother could probably ¨Cgiven enough time- create four in a day with her reserves. Perhaps six at a stretch. It also became painstakingly obvious that the quota of ten the military had given her was beyond impossible.


    I lay in bed listening to the cries of anguish. Tears of my own caressed my cheeks before the nights end. For the first time in my life I felt utterly helpless. I will admit I almost lost myself that night. I could probably have gotten away with it. Turning invisible, cutting the soldiers necks as they slept. But at what cost. In the minds of the villages it would have just traded one enemy for an unknown one. Plus we all know the paranoia they would have received would have far outweighed the suffering they were coping with currently. Perhaps another time as a last resort. But before then all other possibilities must be exhausted.


    The next morning I woke early. Gathering myself downstairs I saw my Mother already at work at the table. Next to her sat three coloured stones and the perspiration was evident on her face. My father sat next to her with his head in his hands. His anger showed on his face. But the way he kept his gaze down you could tell that it was directed at himself. For being weak, for being unable to stop them, for not being able to help her.


    I for one grabbed a plain rock from the roadside and sat next to my mum. Watching how she worked. To start she coated her finger in magic, before painstakingly etching the rock into a desired shape. Then she just sat there with the rock between her hands. It seemed as though all she did was pour magic directly into the stone however if you looked closely you could she had to spread the force equally. Not too slowly otherwise the magic would settle and the rock would become unusable, but not to quickly or the rock would shatter. It was heart rending to watch as my mother, minutes from completing her forth, pushed slightly too eagerly, and could only watch as the stone crumbled in her hands. Her crying at that stage was contagious. Only to stop abruptly as she fell unconscious, wasted from her efforts.


    My father carried her to the bedroom. I didn¡¯t try to hear what was going on. They deserved the privacy. I focussed entirely on the stone before me. I didn¡¯t bother etching the stone into a shape but instead willed it to copy my mothers. This part was easy. The stone instantly morphed into the shape of the gem before falling back into my hand.


    The next part was harder. I counted ruining twenty seven stones in a row. It was near impossible for someone with my pool of magic to mediate a perfect flow. I had continued my meditation sessions with my mother and along with my magical aptitude I had a near perfect control, though apparently no matter what I did the stone refused to shine.


    I kept at it however with each attempt making the stone last slightly longer before fracturing. But still in wasn¡¯t until several hours had passed when I completed the first one to an acceptable level.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The soldiers came again that night.  At the time my mother was still asleep hopefully curled up in bed. The exhaustion would probably keep her that way until tomorrow morning. My father was still with my mother and still showed no intention of coming out. Luckily I sense the demons coming and before they could knock on the door and alert my parents I ran out to meet them. Grabbing the seven gems I had made along with the three of my mothers. It had been a labouring process. One which had lasted right up until moments before the employers arrive. I say the word employers lightly as we received no payment whatsoever for our service. I barely contained my snarl as the burly lead demon waited at the gate for me to reach him.


    The demon who stood before me was the same as the one who had threatened us this morning. However this time around I was no longer trapped out of view so as I moved to meet him I appraised him for the first time. Around three metres tall he stood calmly with no hint of weariness or uncertainty. He was covered in blue skin that while I watched seemed to swirl and move almost as if it were alive. He had no facial features except for a mouth that usually sat covered though it parted a layer of skin whenever it opened. The sight disgusted me. As with the skin moving constantly a new patch would be torn each time allowing small flows of blood to roll down his chin, falling ominously to the ground. I gulped slightly, the Demon was called a Nickar. Even in my past life I had been cautious around them. Basically they were water spirits, capable of both manipulating there body in ways others could only dream whilst simultaneously granting them great reserves of physical strength. What scared me the most however was their almost complete invulnerability to offensive magic.


    Definitely something I wanted to avoid fighting if I could. However they were known to also have a lack of intelligence that led them to let their guards down at crucial moments. Unbeknownst to him this was one of them.


    I bowed my head low while presenting the gems to his outstretched grasp. He stood still for a moment before leaning down to take the gems from my hands. It didn¡¯t take long though with the brush of contact between our hands I had inserted an almost untraceable amount of magic into his nervous system. It wouldn¡¯t interfere with his body directly and so it wouldn¡¯t trigger both his magical defence and his notice.


    It would take a while but overnight the sliver would work its way up the Nickar¡¯s arm and lodge itself in the brain. Hopefully if everything went well it would cloud our family and the gems he collected from his memories. I would find out tomorrow if it was successful or not. Either way I would make another batch to be sure.


    A week has past and with each passing day the veil of terror slowly lifted itself off my family. The Nickar never returned. Leading me to believe that my magic had worked. I explained silently to my parents that I had given them the three elemental stones (christened by my Father) and the demons had left angrily. Thankfully my parents seemed to believe me perhaps thinking that the threat had been fake. I knew better. In my past life I had banned the Nickars from the palace. Their seeming inability to swear an allegiance was all too well known. This one was no different, and his threat would have been carried out without any semblance of doubt. Even if for only the fun of it. I kept a straight face though. My knowledge kept behind sealed lips.


    The situation however only got worse. Another faction had located the position of the hiding soldiers. At first they had offered a peaceful compromise, saying that if we sent out the soldier are own lives would be secured. ¡°What a stupid thing to say¡± My father had told us over dinner. ¡°They hold us at knife point. How the hell could we send them out¡±?  Needless to say there wasn¡¯t much talk that night.


    At last the faction decided their demands would never be carried through so with no delay they lay siege to our village. Preventing what little trade we had left. Their aim was to starve out the soldiers hiding amongst us.


    Their idea worked. Too well. The soldiers drafted our entire fighting force to leave the walls alongside them.  My father included. They also conscripted a number of the villagers. Focussing on those who had created trouble for them whilst they were there. I did however notice that the Archdemon escaped the conscription, even though he should have been the strongest in the village. I shrugged. Perhaps a coincidence? ¡°Unlikely¡± I said softly to no one in particular.


    We were told to stay inside our houses. The battle would apparently start after dark. A human army would no doubt wait for daylight before commencing an organised assault. However the majority of the demons held a certain degree of night vision. Making assaults at this time just as practical. I heard my mother draw a long breath as the ferocious sounds of multiple battle horns sounded in the distance accompanied by jeers and battle cries too far away to make out. Then, almost immediately all sound evaporated into a terrible silence. A silence that chilled all who lay in fear throughout the village. We all knew that the silence marked the point in which the two armies ceased threats and other pretences before beginning to prepare a multitude of spells that they would throw at the other side.


    We waited. For what seemed like hours, though the sound of my mother¡¯s sharp inhales of breath told me that it was mealy seconds. Then there were screams. Terrible twisted screams, deafening explosions and shouts of panic. For all those who have never witnessed a battle between demons, mark my words. It is a catastrophe for both sides.


    The noise also acted as my signal to move. I held my mother close before whispering in her ear. ¡°Sleep¡±. Entwined with magic, the effect was immediate. Her eyes opened suddenly, a reflex at her inability to move before falling limply across her bed. Her eyes were lifeless, but they still stared accusingly up at me. I groaned, this was the first time I had used magic on my new parents and it hurt me far more than I was expecting.


    I pushed it from my mind however. Spinning around to the door that would lead me outside, lead me to the battle. I didn¡¯t waste a moment. I knew that invisibility would be hopeless, as the higher ranking demons with the ability to search the other planes of existence would spot me from a mile off. So to compensate for my lack of anonymity I urged my magic to my fingertips. Fire danced out of my hand, swirling to form a blank red mask. It slipped easily onto my face, as fire encircled my head to cover it in its entirety. I threw my arms to the side and watched with satisfaction as a cloak of fire sprawled down from my neck hiding my small form.


    It wasn¡¯t long before I reached the amazingly open and unguarded gates of the city. Apparently the soldiers hadn¡¯t cared for the safety of the village, instead they had dragged them all to the battle grounds. I felt a moment of relief as I slipped through the gate, careful to watch for any prying eyes and for the first time in this life, left the city. Had I had time to view the surroundings I would have noticed that the village had been perched on a hill, I would have seen the great expanse of grassland spotted with lakes that reflecting the moons light and a forest with outrageously tall trees to my right. But I didn¡¯t care for that. All I saw was the gathering of two armies.


    There were no formations, no rules of battle. Just hundreds of small skirmishes spread out across the field. With a quick analysis I noticed our own soldiers where equipped with a black plate armour lined with red patterns that showed both rank and nobility. As for the enemy, they stood out in stark contrast, each wearing an identical suit of bone white chain armour.


    It wasn¡¯t much of a contest. Our soldiers where almost entirely composed of trembling citizens, while the enemy consisted of what looked like a professional force. Where each demon lumbered across the battlefield weathering the spells that our army threw at them.


    At this moment I chose to intervene. Magic pooled within me, threatening to explode as I gathered it to optimise its effect. In all my years of life I had never gathered such power within me. The closest was during the my final years when there had been a rebellion at the slave quarters. The goblins had somehow gotten the idea that being ruled over wasn¡¯t a good thing. They were right of course but Goblins had never been the smartest of folk. Someone had given them the idea and all the leads had pointed to my brother. Just another injustice I didn¡¯t pin him for. I had watched the goblins as they had stumbled into our city brandishing crude weapons in what they must have thought was a threatening fashion. I had simply raised a hand and entombed all five hundred of them in ice. That had been the end of it. This time it was different. My magic threatened to breach the surface, desperate to consume me. Eagerly grasping at my life force. Though I held it steady, with control I was proud of. To begin I placed both palms on the ground, instantly merging my subconscious.


    I believe this requires an explanation. With a certain level of magical affinity it becomes possible to merge a section of your being into an element. This ability explains how certain creatures are capable of dissolving their bodies into smoke or fire. In my case I transferred a part of myself into the ground.


    The effects of this ability differ depending on your affinity, those who had a great bond with nature were capable of disintegrating into dust and rematerialize anywhere they chose, effectively teleportation. I can¡¯t say that I was ever good enough to completely dematerialise myself however I had dabbled enough to use a technique the elves called ¡°true sight¡±. As my hands made contact with the earth my vision extended. After entering this state so many times I have lost the ability to describe how it works. However if you were to imagine your self being everywhere but nowhere at the same time you would be getting pretty close to how I feel.


    I saw each enemy, I saw each ally. I watched them fight and momentarily I was detached from the battle. I saw each spell, where it originated, where it landed and whom it killed. I heard each footstep resounding heavily on the now compact earth, trampled by hundreds of feet. I felt the lifeless bodies fall to the ground, heard their last grunts of pain, and watched them release what I knew would be their final breath. Justifiably it was common for those who experienced the ¡°true sight¡± to never again be satisfied with reality. With the sudden sharpening of your senses It felt intoxicating. There were even stories of demons who lost themselves in it. Leaving behind both corporeality and reasoning and merging with the chosen element. How did I react? I won¡¯t lie and say I wasn¡¯t tempted. This state made me closer to myself in my old life. Making everything around me, even that which I held dear fade into insignificance.


    This worried me slightly. In my old life what was around me had always seemed pointless to begin with, and with my dulled emotions I didn¡¯t feel the lust that most felt for true sight. As an incubus my feelings amplified its effect, and it threatened to tear away my memories and objective. I felt my face darken as I fought to stay focussed on the battle.


    After entering this state I truly realised how bad a situation our troops were in. Most were wounded, some with thick gashes across their stomachs and others with entire limbs mangled from what could have either been a hammer or an especially nasty spell. A few still fought valiantly, though the rest backed into the centre of the pack, trying to escape the fighting by hiding amongst their own men. As for the soldiers who had caused our suffering, only four were left standing. I recognised one immediately as the Nickar who¡¯s mouth still opened disgustingly in what could only have been a laugh. For a split second I watched impressed as he swept giant fists in terrifying arcs that literally crushed demon upon demon, caving in armour and completely pulverising any that stood beside him into an atrocious puddle of innards and shattered bone. I shuddered softly as the Nickar brought a solid fist down upon a helpless imp. Which in turn literally exploded. Whilst the idea of an Imp exploding may come across as a humorous spectacle to a few. This occasion marked the end to any comedy I would make henceforth concerning the situation. Great chunks of red skin were brutally torn apart by the force of the impact alone. The spine was dislodged and entirely knocked loose from the poor creature becoming stuck to the Blue monstrosities hand upon retraction. Blood and mulched bone marrow acted as a natural adhesive to the Nickar¡¯s fist. Who upon seeing it, unceremoniously and uncharacteristically, pinched the spine delicately from the back of his hand and threw it to the side.


    I also saw my father. One of the few still fighting and perhaps the only one unwounded. I watched entranced as he weaved in and out of the fray landing dazzling strikes upon any unprepared enemy. He moved like a tropical storm, never in the same place for a second. Instead he spun with blinding movements that left enemies confused before almost magically moving onto the next one. Sometimes his sword would find unprotected skin, where he would press his assault and deal a few extra blows. Though more often than not, the skin he encountered was hardened and he was forced to move to the next enemy more to save his own life than find a new foe.


    All this had occurred in the few seconds it had taken me to regain my original standing posture. My face broke into an insane smile as I realised I could finally cut loose, release the emotions that had built within me for so long. In my haste I called out to the battlefield by amplifying my voice, allowing it to flow down the hill like an unstoppable torrent. I filled the words with magic, making it reverberate in their minds, shattering their thoughts and ideas. Forcing those who fought to momentarily forget where they were and grant me their undivided attention.


    ¡°To those who stand beneath me, shake in despair¡±. I paused as the activity before me slowed and one by one the faces all looked up to me in a mixture of awe and fear. ¡°I speak to those who share their own wars sparked through their incompetence¡±, my voice began to rise in volume ¡°I speak to those who have taken advantage of us whilst being mealy parasitic insects relying on us to survive your own ineptitude¡±. Again I stopped as I rose my arms to the sky, yet not once breaking eye contact with the battle. ¡°Return to nothing like the bugs you are.¡± A spiral of black energy circled above my outstretched arms, the centrifugal force pulling small tendrils from the swirling mass. ¡°Step¡­.¡± I said dramatically, ¡°¡­..Into oblivion¡±!


    A shockwave was emitted from the energy above me, large enough to encompass the entirety of the village and of course the battle grounds as well. Nothing changed in the initial explosion and those on the battlefield bellow just stared up at me in confusion as such a ridiculous amount of energy had apparently just passed them by. I smiled knowing the damage was still to come and just silently waited. Upon reaching the edge of its expansion I recalled the shockwave, and for a single second I alone became the centre of existence itself. As the shock wave flew back to me, my vision warped as the world seemed to collapse in on itself with me at the middle. I blinked and normality returned, everything as it had been, except for one thing. Both the sieging army and soldiers who had shaken our village had simple vanished. Wiped from existence. Well not really wiped from existence I corrected myself. But they were liquefied at an atomic level, turned into quark-gluon plasma. Which to put in perspective was what existed before the big bang. So for all intents and purposes it was as close as possible from wiping them from existence that I was going to achieve.


    I sighed. It had taken a lot out of me, but all in all the task had been wrapped up easily. I smiled, preparing to walk back to the village when something shattered my image of an easy victory.


    A giant roar. I turned, horrified that someone had survived such an intense attack. I made out the figure raising from the ground in absolute frustration and fury. The Nickar¡¯s natural resistance had seen him through and apparently unharmed he once again focussed his eyes on me. I grasped for my reservoirs of power desperately looking for something to defend myself as the blue skin monster charged up the hill towards me. I found it nearly dry having consumed almost everything in my last attack.


    I was shocked at how fast the Nickar ran. Having gone down on all fours it was bounding up the hills, its obscene mouth dangling open and yelling what I could only imagine as obscene curses in a language I couldn¡¯t understand. I leapt to the side, focussing the remaining magic into my legs. I ended up dodging the terrifying creature but at the same time heard a sickening crunch in my left arm as I hit the ground. With a dismissive gesture I numbed the pain, leaving potential healing for later. For now I focussed any power I still had into the fight.


    The creature turned its head, seemingly wondering how I had evaded its fist. Though only momentarily confused it turned and one again raced towards me. I realised that it hadn¡¯t escaped entirely unhurt from my previous attack as terrible burns and dissolved pieces of skin hung loosely of its hulking body, letting off the terrible smell of burnt flesh.


    As a quick defence I pointed desperately to the ground, watching as several spikes at least five metres long and wickedly sharp erupted from the intended area, placing themselves between myself and the aggressor. The Nickar didn¡¯t even blink, well I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t have blinked if it had any eyes, and instead just walked straight through the spikes. Even though they fully pierced the lumbering behemoth the Nickar¡¯s body just flowed around it leaving it unharmed.


    ¡°So it¡¯s immune to magical and physical attacks¡± I moaned slightly to myself as I lunged to the side again. Once again hearing the crunch from my already unusable arm. ¡°Then how about a mental one¡±. I held out my good hand, fingers splayed. I closed my eyes and scrunched up my face in concentration.


    The world went black. All except for several bands of light, floating serenely in the distance. I willed them towards me and as my hand made contact I found myself in the mind of the Nickar.


    It was red, a terrible blood red depicting the raw emotions of anger and pain. I sent out a series of pulses attempting to shatter his sanity, a similar form of mental domination that I had used on the Jinns. However this time, I didn¡¯t hold back. In my concentration I bit my lip allowing the blood to freely flow, I tasted the metallic substance as it flowed over my tongue though I tried to ignore it. In the background I could hear the Nickar¡¯s wails. I attempted to drown out the sound with more pulses, desperately trying to kill the beast before¡­.


    My eyes flung open as I was abruptly shoved back into reality. It had succeeded in pushing me out of its mind and now was free to move as it wished. The Nickar turned to face me, it¡¯s terrifying mouth twisting into the most horrific smile I had ever witnessed in this life or the last. It knew it had won. I had exhausted my magical reserve, I had played all my tricks. Its resistance to magic and its fluid like body made it near impenetrable, in hindsight I should have used a more direct form of magic as my first attack and then dealt with the small fries afterwards. But it¡¯s so easy to say that isn¡¯t it. So easy to realise your faults after you have made them. I fell to my knees, losing my will to fight. I had been so damned close. The Nickars mind had been tough but not invincible. I had only been forced out at the very end, two more, no perhaps one more push and I would have won.


    I looked up at the sky. It now looked larger than ever and seemed to reflect all the things I could have done to prevent this final moment. But as the beast came closer to me I felt a soft tug. Like a piece of me had finally returned. It came from the Nickar, a small almost unnoticeable attraction that drew my attention even when death loomed in the air.


    Then it clicked. The sliver of magic I had used to cloud the beast¡¯s memories. It still lay there actively removing my house from any of its thoughts. I grinned in appreciation as I realised that it still hadn¡¯t been discovered. ¡°Fuck you AND your resistances¡± I mocked before clicking my fingers. Knowing too well that the sliver inside his mind had detonated in a way that showed every ounce of knowledge and skill that I gained over the thousands of years in which I have lived.


    The grin stayed on the creatures face as rigor mortis set in. A natural phenomenon that a body went through upon death. I laid back on the ground as I heard the survivors running up the hill towards me. It was about a minute before I had the strength to move my body. Though by the time the soldiers reached the Nickar. I was long gone. Masking my presence as I walked back through the gates.


    The streets were still empty. Even though the sounds of battle had long ceased no one dared open their doors in fear of finding the enemy on their doorstep. I limped home, slowly mending my fractured arm on the way. It was painful though by the time I arrived I had made myself relatively presentable as well as having dissipated my mask and cape. I¡¯m like a hero I thought to myself happily as I lay back on my bed.


    Though jokes aside. ¡°I¡¯m home¡± I whispered, before anticlimactically fainting.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Previous Chapter</a></td><td width="25%">Back to Main Page</a></td><td width="25%">Next Chapter</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 Loss and Gain (Chp 3)

    Once again, thank you to all of you who have encouraged me and rated this work. Especially those who made a review.


    Its really helpful to know where you can improve, and what to work on for next time.


    Well its the time at the end of the year and i will be going on schoolies on Saturday. So i will not be updating for a good couple of weeks.


    Because of the above reason i did slightly rush the editing stage. There should be no terrible errors though if you see any problems dont be afraid to alert me and ill edit. Cheers


    Please leave a comment with your thoughts


    I hope you enjoy the update.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    CHAPTER 3


    As one, three hundred pairs of eyes all squinted desperately, trying to make out the faces they knew. The survivors from last night¡¯s battle were only now limping back through the gates. Having spent several hours burying the dead, the village had plenty of time to congregate and applaud those who made it back. However more importantly were the families who were ensuring their own loved ones had returned. It was a terrifying sight. Where in the same place, cries of joy mixed with wails of pain, joining together to make great symphonies of emotion.


    My Mother was one such individual, sweeping the crowd before she laid eyes on my father. Whereupon she gave a shriek of happiness and leapt into his arms. I was more subdued knowing full well that he had survived the night. But still I trotted over and gave him a hug. ¡°I was so worried¡± My mother whispered. Father however held no light in his eyes. He just smiled grimly before telling us to walk back to the house.


    We did as we were told though not before looking back and seeing a sight that would always stay with me. My father, had walked up to two women by the side of the gate. Still desperately searching for someone amongst the survivors. From a distance I barely made them out but the younger girl was definitely Lye, so I could only assume the women standing next to her was her mother.


    Moments after my father began talking to them the women screamed. Even from across the courtyard we heard it. A wail of despair. Not from physical pain, but a scream of loss. ¡°Oh dear god¡±. My mother exclaimed almost turning back to comfort the pair. Though deciding they would need their space we walked on, trying to ignore what we heard behind us. Which of course was impossible.


    That night I was shaken from my sleep. My mother stood above me, staring straight into my eyes as she spoke clearly. ¡°Down in the living room, five minutes.¡± By now I was completely awake, blood pumping with worry. They couldn¡¯t have known it was me right? I certainly didn¡¯t leave any traces. I had implanted false memories into my Mum so there should be no worries there right? I rushed down expecting the worst, and preparing any logical defence I could think of against my actions last night. Though what I saw surprised me. Lye stood by the door, still in her nightgown and an absolute wreck. Her once adorable features were bloated from the salty tears that showed no sign of receding. I don¡¯t think she noticed my entrance, instead she buried her face into my mother¡¯s stomach,


    Here¡¯s the story, apparently dad had gone to check on Lye¡¯s family after the loss of her father. Only to find the mother had committed suicide earlier that day. Lye had been just sitting there pocking the body and begging her to wake up, too young to understand the finality of death. Not an attractive image but that¡¯s how my dad recited it. Thinking back on the issue, I¡¯m not sure why I was told. I had barely turned four years old myself. Perhaps I seemed mature for my age?


    So here she was, in the living room of our house now an orphan through and through. We spent the majority of that night sitting in silence though I¡¯m sure my parent¡¯s brains where working overtime over where we could keep her. On her part the little girl began to calm down before mercifully falling sleep. Her breath was still laboured though and her body jerked jarringly every few seconds.


    After what must have been a few hours my mother bundled the girl in her arms before looking at the two of us. ¡°You too go back to bed, we can¡¯t have the girl wake on her own. Not after something so cruel.¡±


    My father nodded at me. ¡°Off we go kiddo¡± and then back to Tear, ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning, if you need anything just yell¡±. Mum didn¡¯t answer, instead looking down at the girl in her arms with a gaze of such pity and sorrow. I just got out of there, the atmosphere was terrible.


    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Just over seven years have passed since my reincarnation and Lye is now a part of the family. We have become close as well, very close. Though I digress, in a brotherly/sisterly sought of way. She now activity takes part in the lessons from my parents, to the excitement of my mother, who sees her as the daughter she never had, and to the annoyance of my father who groans each time she picks up a sword.


    With a quick interjection I would like to say that originally my father had been very patient with the girl. Though it had soon become glaringly obvious that Lye¡¯s talents and focus were almost entirely focussed upon the magical aspect of her training. Already Lye was able to completely change her appearance into anything slightly resembling a human. As for masking her presence, she was able to achieve a basic level where you wouldn¡¯t immediately notice she was in the same room as you.


    Lye has also began running each morning with me. Our track was twice around the village. Of course seeing as I had worked on my fitness since birth she couldn¡¯t keep up. Though whenever she fell slightly behind she would sprout a pair of wings on her back and race ahead. When it came to transformation the best I could do was still only hiding my tail and horns but I wasn¡¯t put off. After seeing how useful Lye¡¯s wings were I was determined to reach the same level.


    Lye had also begun to craft elemental stones with my mum. Spending long hours sitting at the table together. It seems that her magic pool was slightly larger than the average demons, though she blatantly refused to learn any magic that could harm another. Perhaps this was smart seeing as she had only recently stopped crying for her father at night.


    As for me, I have also changed significantly.  I have started to notice certain aspects that are beyond my explanation. The first is that each time I have used magic of any kind my reserves have become larger. This is odd, never before had I heard of an individual¡¯s energy pool changing in size. Usually you were stuck at a certain level from birth.


    There was that, and the quality had become purer each day. For example. Had I once wanted to levitate a stone, with the same effort I would now find it flying way up into clouds, never to be seen by me again. Startled, I have been doubling the time I spent in meditation each night, for while magic gain of any sought is a good thing, it would be troublesome should it become too large to control with precision.


    Physically I was becoming stronger. As mentioned before I had been jogging with Lye, and then I would spend the afternoon locked in swordplay with my father. I had recently discovered that he used a mixture of multiple styles. His first strike was that of a demon style, whilst his footwork was that of the elves, and his defence was that of the Humans. It was disorientating as his wooden sword would swing from out of nowhere, moments before he was behind you with yet another withering assault.


    Though just because I was losing, doesn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t getting better. No, my father aside, I was becoming well known as a prodigy and often guards would ask to spar with me before they went up against my father. Even with my seven year old body, I could proudly say I beat a few of them. Though never without the backhanded comments, saying something like ¡°If it was a real fight, your sword would never defeat me¡±. It was true I thought to myself. My sword would never have defeated them, instead they would be dead long before I locked myself in close combat. I never corrected them though. I felt no need to prove myself to beings of their level.


    I also began talking properly with Lye. After the first year I could manage to hold a conversation, and soon Lye became the only person I could talk to normally. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I could have conversed with my parents¡¯ just fine but out of fear that the magic in my voice would be recognised I held back.


    One particular event however deserves repeating. A few weeks after Lye had come to live with us, a friend of hers had come to visit. A large shedim type demon, with long red feathers that protruded from the back of his neck and wisped down to his feet. His head was that of an eagle, giving him a regal appearance that did not match his hunched posture. On his back were two red feathered wings, the defining characteristic of a shedim. The boy¡¯s name was, wait for it, Red, leading me to believe that his mother wasn¡¯t all too intelligent.


    I later found that intelligence evidently didn¡¯t run in the family, as poor Red seemed to like nothing better than to do everything Lye asked of him. At first I had though it was just him, trying to win her attention, though it became blatantly obvious when he started ¡°obeying¡± me as well that it was just his incapability of thinking for himself. However as far as demons went he was a friendly individual, with his apparent stupidity leading him to perform great acts of loyalty at the expense of himself. To be honest I ended up enjoying his company more than I should have, and after the first few weeks of our meeting I was happily calling him my friend.


    He later turned into a training partner for me and Lye. In terms of fitness he was around my level, though he truly showed his worth in strength. We once staged a mock arm-wrestle between my whole family (including Lye) against him alone. He beat us easily, even with my father cheating by using both his hands. I can¡¯t say our ego hit an all-time high after that, however my father did offer to train Red in the sword along with me. At first Red was unsure saying that he had been training with a spear before he met us. Though my dad had mealy laughed it off. Saying that he was ¡°brilliant at both¡±. My mother didn¡¯t talk to my dad that night, saying he was too old to be showing off to children.


    However it turned out Dad was just as good as his word. Perhaps even better. Within a week Red was coming over each day to improve his stance and grab pointers. One area that needed fixing was Red¡¯s tendency to slash with the spear. Of course, Father had originally tried to correct him though when it seemed to be an inbred habit with a low chance of correction, my father compromised by purchasing a cheap halberd that Red could use when he came over.


    Red immediately gained a great affinity with the halberd and by the time of his fifth birthday, our family had decided to give it to him as a gift. Now that we were seven he was known after me as the prodigy of martial arts in the village. Where we differed however was the soldiers were never able to say they would win in a real fight. As Red¡¯s natural strength easily overpowered any magical strengthening they could perform.


    ¡°You two might be able to leave on your coming of age early¡± My mother giggled to us over dinner having watched the most recent spar.


    As a new concept to me I delved deeper. Apparently when a demon aged into his first decade he would have to fend for himself for a year without any help from other demons. I wondered why I hadn¡¯t participated in such a ritual in my last life, though my father had added gleefully that it was a trial organised for members of this village. From what my parents had told me it had not been a pleasant experience for them. My mother had charmed her way into a human household earning her keep in ways that apparently I wasn¡¯t old enough to know about, and my father had sold himself as a sword for hire. Often ordered by greedy human generals to spear point their charges. However they each relished the idea of me proving myself to the world as apparently your accomplishments during this period directly affected your social standing on return.


    I can¡¯t say I was overly thrilled with the idea of leaving comfort for isolation, though unfortunately there seemed no way out of it. Perhaps as a slight respite, Red and Lye would be turning ten soon after myself and a small loophole meant we would be able to interact during this period.


    Another problem has come to my attention. At seven years old I was introduced to our financial situation, as well as being included in the village council meetings. The latter deserves immediate attention so that¡¯s what I will first address. Several factions of the capital have approached our village. Each demanding that we change our ideals on neutrality. After the apparent complete destruction of the late faction¡¯s army, our village has been a topic of fear. So like all other hungry bureaucrats, they threaten us with their military power into become their ally. ¡°Because that¡¯s always worked in the past¡± I told Lye who sat bored to tears as the Archdemon explained the circumstances. She didn¡¯t hear me, instead continuing to play with her sandals as she counted the seconds before we would resume my mother¡¯s transformation classes.


    While our village still sat on the fence all three outside factions had seemingly come to an agreement in that they could all demand annual tributes, which when stacked together, covered half our yearly earnings, even after our income had increased to its original value at the conclusion of the siege three years ago. What this meant was that our taxes increased to pay for any shortcomings.


    My parents, already struggling to put food on the table had to take up second jobs. My father began making weapons, albeit poor ones. Using the city¡¯s public furnace. However with his natural knack for all that was military, he was improving at a speed I had thought reserved for those with private tutors. Overall this new job was convenient for me. I would take my meditations sessions there, humming to the repetitive sounds of the hammer. My father also took it upon himself to nurture my ability to appraise an object. Occasionally disturbing me from my trance to wave a newly completed weapon in my face. ¡°Ok kiddo, how much for this¡±?


    I held up three fingers, indicating three bronze coins. I suppose an interjection is necessary here for those who aren¡¯t familiar to our currency, it works as follows: One gold coin is worth one hundred silver coins, and one silver coin is worth ten bronze coins. A bronze coin, if spent wisely would generally be enough to feed our family for a day. So overall I was being pretty generous to the wonky disgrace of a blade in front of me.


    My mother had gone into a more educational trade. She taught the younger demons botany at the local primary school, which I had luckily avoided thanks to my parents lack of money. I didn¡¯t visit there once, though Lye would often go and sit in on the classes. Chatting on for hours about how certain plants could let you breathe under water or run without becoming tired. I suppose for Lye who had never been to school the idea was exhilarating. Though for me it just seemed tiresome.


    A week after the village meeting I spared with Red. Both of us deciding to use real weapons until a winner drew blood from the other. I grimaced, tightly holding the sword in front of me. It felt heavy in my hands, and the evening sun brought sweat to my palm applying a slippery film onto the weapon. I didn¡¯t worry though, Red would have the same issue. Talking of Red he stood before me, holding his Halberd above his head, eyes intend on me, waiting to begin.


    I made the first move. Almost falling to the ground as I lowered my centre of gravity, barely saving myself from an embarrassing finish in the dirt as I leapt forward. My already forward facing momentum coupled with an Incubus¡¯ insane innate speed had my within the Shedims guard in a heartbeat. This strike perfectly embodied the demon sword style and held everything I had achieved in the past seven years. Speed wise it was perfect, flittering in and out of my own vision, which unaugmented with magic was unable to see it. It regards to its power it momentarily broke my limits, threatening to cut though the armour that covered Red¡¯s neck, and finally its direction flowed in a graceful wave, constantly adapting to Red¡¯s attempts to escape or parry.


    However parry it he did and my sword skittered along the cobbled stone as it flew from my hand. Grasping the initiative Red came after me, with a mixture of brutal lunges and blinding strokes. However I was fast, diving over his halberd before breaking into a roll that left me standing right next to my discarded sword. Using my toes I flicked the sword back into my hand moments before Red¡¯s next blow thundered down from the sky.


    Allowing his force to work against him I angled my blade to deflect his halberd to the side, sprouting sparks were the two weapons met. Slightly over swinging, Red¡¯s halberd sunk into the ground and before he could yank it out I was once again inside his guard. Moving into a terrifying uppercut that came millimetres from parting his chin.


    Unfazed he quickly leaned backwards, moving out of my blades path before (with a great feat of strength) dislodging the halberd from the ground. However not before I had placed a sturdy foot on the mid-section of the shaft, rolling with the force that flipped me upside down into a perfectly straight form, parallel to Red. Our eyes locked less than a metre apart, both burning with a desire to win.  I swung a backhanded horizontal slice that if left for a single moment more would have torn out his eyes, though before it could connect Red let go of his halberd and caught my arm in mid-air. A smile of triumph washed across his face in the second before he tugged down on my arm, dislocating the joint entirely and smashing my face against the cobblestone where I passed out. Though not before I saw Red give a cheer and high five my father whose face was a mix of both happiness for Red and worry for me.


    I can¡¯t say I enjoyed the feeling of being beaten by a brat but what can I say, without augmenting myself with magic, his natural strength and coordination were just overpowering. Being knocked out in the middle of combat was also a new feeling for me. It wasn¡¯t particularly pleasant, it¡¯s like falling asleep but you wake up feeling as though you have been awake for days.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.Talking of waking up it was relatively painless. My fractured skull and dislocated arm had apparently been healed by my mother whilst keeping me in a magically induced coma. So besides the headache I felt pretty good.


    That night Red joined us for dinner. Graciously he didn¡¯t say a word about my defeat. In fact he never spoke of it again. I made a mental note to thank him later.


    Over dinner the family talked about the next council meeting. I would include Red but in reality he just sat there eating, occasionally having the decency to pause and pretend to look interested. We had originally decided to choose a faction to side with at the next meet having all had a look at the facts. However it seemed as though the Archdemon had called it off, not only that but since then he had barricaded himself in the town hall refusing to speak to anyone yet shouting the two words ¡°too late¡±! At anyone he sensed passing by.


    This was nothing unusual, our burly lead demon often shut himself away. Normally we wouldn¡¯t have minded though with the continued demands for tribute we were beginning to fall into debt. Once that happened our economy would collapse and we would have no choice but to listen to whoever could pay us out.


    Little did we know that this dinner foreshadowed a much larger event the very next day.


    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    We woke to the sounds of trumpets. Peaceful ones to be sure, but the numbers far exceeded anything I had ever heard. We raced to the gates to find a crowd already gathering in small huddles. It was like walking into a morgue. Heads were bowed in resignation and the faces around me had turned ashen with shock. My Father elbowed his way to the front of the crowd and I used my small size to squeeze in behind him.


    In my time I have mounted several crusades. Each with a ¡°righteous cause¡± that drew thousands of soldiers to my side. What stood before me may not have matched them in quality but in quantity they would have stood toe to toe. Ranks upon ranks of soldiers lined up at the bottom of the hill. Five men had broken from the mix and were walking up to meets us, though the rest stood in perfect formation, showing their discipline.


    The five men upon reaching the top of the hill, yelled out in large voices, nonsensical mutterings enhanced by a great deal of magic. I had used these tactics before. You didn¡¯t need the best speakers to threaten the opposing force, just a display of raw power. The enemy used this well, by washing our courage with noise until we stood here shivering like lambs. After their impressive display a single demon stepped forwards. He stood in a regal posture, head held high though slightly averting his gaze as if we were not worthy of being looked upon. He spoke in a crystal clear voice, nothing like the senseless ramble his guards had made. This was a man of real power, I thought to myself.


    ¡°To this humble village of Ka¡¯tar.¡± The demon said, calmly though his voice reached all of us as if he were whispering into our ears. ¡°At this moment you stand before your betters from the capital.¡± If you hadn¡¯t realised, Ka¡¯tar is the name of our village. ¡°In a movement of our kindness we bring you a choice before we enact our final ultimatum. I Velko, from the Holy faction grant you one last chance to join with us in a declaration of friendship. You have ten minutes to fetch the joint alliance forms we handed to you in our last session. Otherwise we will be forced to have you silenced.¡± That said, the five demons turned on their heels, and without even a glance over their shoulders, casually walked down to their army, still unmoving at the bottom of the hill. Leaving us, standing in absolute silence. So quietly in fact that you could hear the cries from the town hall. Hundreds of metres away, still acting as a barricade for a reclusive Archdemon, an Archdemon who as far as we knew, was still holding the joint alliance forms.


    Panic set in before the congregation marched its way up to the town hall, banging fists of fury against the heavy set iron doors. ¡°Leave¡±! An outraged cry came from inside. ¡°Leave before it¡¯s too late¡±. Though the crowd barely listened, intent on breaking down the doors that separated them from their papers of salvation.


    At long last a certain demon, who I had often spared with, returned from a quick expedition to fetch a sledgehammer and after those around him retreated to a safe distance he began to swing at the door. Flying shards of twisted iron flew with every strike and by the demon¡¯s third hit, the door began to buckle, curving inwards as the iron shrieked with its abuse. I¡¯m not sure which broke first, the door or the lock holding it in place. Though it didn¡¯t matter as hundreds of demons forced their way through the now unbarred entrance. What stood before use was a brilliantly furnished room with an extended ceiling. Winding staircases on either side of the hall led up to an encircling balcony that gave easy access to a ginormous library. In the centre of the room sat the Archdemon. Sitting in a foetal position that showed no sign of hostility. All Nine feet of rippling muscle curled up like a toddler. I felt disgusted that such a creature was the head of our village


    ¡°Where are the papers¡±, my dad called out now at the front of the crowd. Several demons called their assent, as well as hurling abuse at the spineless coward before them. Though all noise stopped as the tear creased face rose from his palms


    ¡°You fools, I told you to leave.¡±


    My father was now the unspoken leader of this communication and he continued in a mellow voice that he often used on me when I didn¡¯t understand something. ¡°We will leave, but first we need the papers. Can you do that for us?¡± My father outstretched his hand encouragingly.


    ¡°You fools¡± The demon repeated, gazing up at my Father in disgust. ¡°There never were any papers.¡±


    The villagers flinched. ¡°What do you mean¡±? One asked tentatively.


    ¡°What the fuck do you think I mean¡±! The demon retorted, yelling now. ¡°Those capital bastards never wanted peace. I know the soldiers who survived three years ago know what I¡¯m talking about. There is someone in this damn pit of a village capable of slaughtering hundreds of soldiers in a single spell. Who in their right fucking mind would leave someone like this alone¡±!


    ¡°How long have you known about this¡±. My Father said, stock still in horror.


    ¡°Six years,¡± the archdemon continued. ¡°It came then, something insanely powerful came to this village.¡± He pointed at my dad in recognition. ¡°You should know exactly what I¡¯m talking about! Your neighbours, those Jinn were the first victims.¡± I jumped visibly, how he knew about this? ¡°Their kid came to me! He wouldn¡¯t tell me what caused it. So full of fucking terror.¡± The demon grimaced horribly before continuing. ¡°I had to deal with his parents, get them away from the village. You know what happened to them. They were tortured. So badly that areas of their brains were completely dissolved! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH POWER THAT TAKES! The soldiers should know. It was the same person I tell you.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us¡±? My father whispered, shaking with fury.


    ¡°BECAUSE HE''S STILL HERE WATCHING US! WHO COULD I TRUST¡±!


    The people froze, eventually one found his voice to ask the question we were all thinking ¡°Then why would they lie about the papers, unless¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°The gates¡± my father concluded. ¡°We left them unbarred and unguarded¡± We turned as one, just as a muffled blast came from within our streets.


    ¡°Shit¡± The guards mumbled before running to the blast. Dying cries came from the direction and an overflow of magical essence swamped the village. I followed my Father who had grabbed my hand at the start of the pandemonium. He pulled me towards our house, constantly shouting out Tear''s name as if it would make us find her sooner.


    Enemy soldiers filled the streets, evidently they had been here before us, blood stained bodies littered the streets marking their passing. The smell of death stained the air and my Father wrapped his sleeve around my mouth and nose to hide me from the stench. I saw tears in his eyes moments before he wiped them away. They were probably people he knew. We ran dodging in and out of streets to avoid the enemy routes.


    After what seemed like an eternity. We arrived at our house, our beautiful house. It may have been a modest building with only a single floor and several rooms. But it was our home, where I had grown up for the past seven years. Now it lay there, a picture of ruin. The windows were all cracked, if not broken completely and the door which had been locked from the inside, thrown to the side, having been torn off by a greater demon.


    ¡°TEAR¡±! My father yelled. He ran inside, no longer holding onto my arm, but drawing the sword at his waist. I followed close on his heels. The livingroom was empty, showing no signs of conflict except for an upturned rug. My father led into the kitchen. With me only a step behind. The step saved me. I had activated no magical defence, and had it been me standing where my dad had been I would have been killed by the first attack.


    My dad was faster though, He dodged the first scything talon that swung from the ceiling managing to swirl around the blade and pierce blindly up at the roof above. What fell down was one of the vilest demons I had ever seen. A terrifying arachnid hybrid that frothed at the mouth. A large Chitin plate covered his back and sprouted eight legs. Four were used for walking with small hooks on each toe to grab onto a wall or ceiling.  The others housed terrible talons that curved into cruel barbed endings.


    It was three more of the talons that swung from the ceiling only to pierce into my father¡¯s back. He died instantly as the three talons protruded from the centre of his chest, having travelled straight through his heart.


    I could only stare in disbelief as one of the first people who had ever cared for me hung lifelessly before me.  I glanced up at the ceiling, at least a dozen of these creatures hung from their hooked feet, and now three of these creatures held my father suspended moments before they each tore out their bladed limbs. My Fathers corpse fell limp to the ground, blood oozing from fatal wounds. His once proud face now lay twisted beyond recognition in both surprise and pain. I had seen this look before, though never on a person I loved. My heart cracked, mental pain seared through my mind as my father¡¯s face stared up at me accusingly. My vision turned red, not with blood but with sheer unadulterated fury. The last thing I remember of that moment was calling on a magic so fierce that it was banned all throughout my rule. I blacked out, my subconscious taking over.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    I regained consciousness to find myself in a pool of blood. The arachnid hybrids lay around me. Though which part belong to which one I could no longer tell. Chunks of flesh and bone no larger than my thumb were all that remained of them. The house lay in a similar state, splinters no larger than the flesh were piled up high in a circle around my father¡¯s body which was surprisingly untouched through the massacre. I waved my hand and my father¡¯s body sank into the ground, giving him a temporary burial. I hoped to come back and finish the proper rites of passing, though, Lye and my mother could still be out there, So gritting my teeth and blinking the tears from my eyes I pushed on, rising over the crest of splinters I had created.


    I ran through the streets. Soldiers were around every corner, though I was no longer hiding my strength. In hind sight that had gotten me nowhere. I had now retaken my position as an unstoppable force of nature. As such I simply waved my hand and the demons in front of me would fall, unable to breath. I left them to die painfully, I was not in the mood for mercy, or senseless pity.


    I arrived at the town hall barricaded from the inside as hundreds of demons fought to make their way in. Pounding on one half of the Iron Gate and the other half that must have been a makeshift wooden barrier. I just kept running, jumping over the ring of demons before willing a hole in the wall. I flipped gracefully through, landing on the other side before casually filling the hole with a barrier of pure energy, moments before two imps attempted to follow me in. I took a second to adjust to the dim light but when I did I saw huddled families who after recognising me relaxed slightly. The wooded barrier at the door was an upturned table that was being held in place by several demons straining against the demons outside. I quickly recognised Red leaning against the table doing his part despite his age. When he saw me he gave a slight nod, seemingly undeterred by my sudden entrance. He knew that wasn¡¯t important right now.


    I secured the table with magic, before raising my voice to call out to those who were hiding in the hall. ¡°To those who want to survive, do exactly as I say. I don¡¯t give a shit if you don¡¯t believe me, but I¡¯m sure as hell not going to explain what¡¯s going on. You either follow me or you stay, here.¡± I had their attention now. At the word survive I saw a flicker of hope appear in the eyes of the demons closest to me.


    ¡°But first, are Tear or Lye here¡±. I called out desperately hoping they would appear on the balcony above me. But to no avail. I had realised on the way here that searching the whole town would be impossible. Sure I had made it to the hall easily enough, though that was relatively early in the invasion. Every second more demons would pour through our gates and eventually strong demons would replace the cannon fodder they had sent beforehand. No. If they were not here I must expect the worse and move on. As a Demon I can¡¯t say I was overly religious however I sent a quick prayer to my surviving family. I hoped I would meet them on the outside, though at this stage it seemed rather unlikely. So this prayer would act more as a goodbye than a safeguard. I would perform the proper rites for them later, though with the limited time available this was the best I could do.


    As heartless as it may seem I pushed them from my mind. What mattered now was that I got those around me to safety. I visualised the village in my mind. The main gates were placed facing northwest down the hill. I was currently inside the town hall which had the back of the building leaning on the wall itself. I were to break through we would be facing northeast and at the cusp of the forest. We would be seen by demons outside the wall, but if I could minimise our exposure only a few should follow, which would greatly increase our chances of survival. Especially when we compared it to our current situation.


    A thunderclap and a bright flash of magic jolted me back to the present. All eyes were on me, all waiting for a decision. There was no more time to think as I strode purposely towards the back of the hall.


    I placed my hand against the wooden wall. Feeling its cold and smooth exterior. I welled the magic in my palm before pressing forward. Two things happened at once, each sparked by a single spell. The first was the wall in front of me sunk into the ground before covering itself up giving us a clear run to the forest. Which in its own right was our salvation. The second thing was a narrow trench deep enough for the tallest demon among us to run through without being seen. This wouldn¡¯t be enough to escape unnoticed though it would give us a fighting chance.


    I didn¡¯t need to tell those huddled in the hall what to do. As soon as they saw the escape route they bolted for the forest, no longer caring about anyone but themselves. The Archdemon slinked past me, while eyeing me wearily. ¡°You caused this¡± he said to me, before fleeing through the trench.


    I sighed, about to follow him through when I noticed a single figure standing unmoving behind me. Red stood there stoically. Eyeing me critically. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you running¡± I asked him, communicating directly with him through my voice for the first time.


    ¡°You,¡± he started, pointing at me ¡°friend¡±.


    ¡°Where are you parents¡±?


    ¡°Outside¡± He said pointing.


    ¡°You know we can¡¯t go back for them don¡¯t you¡±?


    ¡°Yes¡± he stated simply. I noticed him shaking, but the natural discipline of a Shedim along with his dulled emotions calmed him to the point of reasoning. Looking back on it, he may not have understood the implications of leaving his mother behind. He was only seven after all.


    I nodded, content with his answer. ¡°Where do you plan to go¡±?


    ¡°Follow you¡±. He replied in broken English. I immediately felt a surge of kinship with the tall demon. Though wasting no more time I just nodded in response and jumped into the trench. Before breaking into a sprint. Having sped myself with magic I easily overtook the lead demons who were now leaving the cover of the trench starting the real trial.


    ¡°Keep on my heels¡±! I shouted back to Red who was barely keeping up, his wings flapped desperately to propel him forward. What I didn¡¯t tell him was that only a few of us were going to escape. Most would be killed by the pursuing army, cut down from behind. As if confirming my suspicions a horn in the distance sounded, moments before the left wing of the factions army broke off to chase us down.


    I never saw what happened to those behind us. I felt sorry of course, though all in all there was nothing I could have done to save them all. Instead I focussed my entire being into escaping with Red.


    We ran for two days straight. Fear pushing us through exhaustion, and almost cried in relief when we saw a human city cresting the horizon. Allowed ourselves to slow to a walk, I went through our options. We would need to lie low for a while and this seemed like the perfect place to do so.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Previous Chapter</a></td><td width="25%">Back to Main Page</a></td><td width="25%">Next Chapter</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 Reception and Deception (Chp 4)

    Slightly shorter this time.


    Looking around the site I realised that my chapters are absurdly long.


    One last thing. How do I make a link to the next paragraph at the bottom of the page? (Would appreciate help here :3)


    Anyway, here is the chapter. Hope you enjoy it.


    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Upon catching sight of the human city we allowed ourselves the first sighs of safety and relief. It took a few hours though eventually we made our way to the fringe of its borders where the surrounding landscape was full of farmland for miles on end, so naturally we made it a priority to avoid the farmers that we would often see stumbling towards us who were sometimes friendly, other times hostile. Finally we made it to the city itself.


    A towering wall stretched out over the horizon as we arrived at the gates. Though by far the most noticeable features were the two grand white spires that reared before me, blocking out the sun as they stood like great tears in the sky itself. These towers had long acted as a symbol of both salvation for humans, and terror for demons. The city that faced me was the great Tesuit, named after its founder. I knew it from my last life as it was one of the few cities that had always held strong against my crusades. Because of the city¡¯s record for being impenetrable, these towers had gained an impressive reputation and were purposely made to be seen for miles so to boost the morale of any soldier about to face a demon army.


    Of course today there was no demon army, so the grand gates lay open before us to cross the threshold with the steady stream of caravans entering and leaving the city. Red and I had already decided to lie low here, though our original appearances were a problem. Being an Incubus, I easily fixed this for myself by shrinking any of my non-human endowments though Red¡¯s situation was slightly more complex. To hide his most obvious features such as his wings and bird-like limbs, we stole a coverall robe from the back of a cart. Nothing fancy, but made well enough so not to attract the attention of every soldier in the city. To hide his face which took the form of a noble eagle I put in place a small illusion spell. Nothing that wouldn¡¯t be uncovered by a skilled magic user, but I prepared for this by making Red¡¯s temporary face horribly disfigured. The details of which I won¡¯t bore you with, but rest assured that the average human wouldn¡¯t look twice. Too disgusted by what they would see. Certainly they wouldn¡¯t look long enough to cast any true sight spell.


    Surprisingly Red didn¡¯t at all mind his new look, apparently things as insignificant as ¡°form¡± were beneath him. In my past life I had known a few demons who did not care for the material but usually these beings were older and surer of their own actual capability. For Red to be so despondent at such an age was a pretty mean feat.


    The guards at the gate acted as I had thought they would. They waved me past quickly and surrounded Red¡¯s covered form suspiciously. With a barked command they ordered him to lift his head, though one quick glimpse of my illusion ended the inspection as it made the guards cringe before they quickly averting their eyes, evidently in a manner that they thought would be polite. I have never understood this. When humans gaze upon disfigured others they try to quickly avert their gaze so as not to stare. They consider this to be polite, but often this insistence can be far more noticeable than an open stare. Red later informed me that he could see every glance others made when they thought he wasn¡¯t looking. As a result even Red was quiet for the night. I can only imagine the reaction of one who cared about their appearance.


    One thing that did escape my planning however were people looking at me. Having become a being who didn¡¯t care about his appearance myself, I hadn¡¯t noticed that I had grown rather attractive. How so I couldn¡¯t say, but enough to gain the attention of multiple females through the streets, some who were beautiful themselves. It was weird to know that a seven year old could have this effect though I guess I was a similar case to Lye, where even I had faltered upon meeting her. At first I didn¡¯t mind though it became annoying when we asked a group of kids for directions who could only stare open mouthed at me until finally the leader of the group pointed us in the direction of a nearby inn. Before turning the corner I summoned my blank red mask from a spinning flame and placed it over my head. Of course this attracted a few glances though nowhere near the number as before.


    Finally we arrived the inn pointed out to us by the human children. It wasn¡¯t much, just a two floored wooden house with no windows or outside decoration. Mealy a simple sign labelled, ¡°The grey rabbit¡±. This was good though. I certainly wanted to move somewhere more comfortable but for now it would be best to stay somewhere which wouldn¡¯t attract attention. However this can be difficult when you have the appearance of a seven year old.


    As we entered a musky smell filled the air, torturing my hypersensitive nose and causing my eyes to water.  The room was filled with round wooden tables though less filled with people, maybe ten altogether.


    I left Red at the door telling him to keep his eyes down. A slight nod of agreement was all I needed before I confidently paced across the room towards the old lady sitting behind the bar. The women waved her hands slowly making the dirtied mugs containing remnants of alcohol, glide through the air, from the water filled sink to the shelves where they fitted themselves in an organised fashion. I barely looked twice at such a common display of magic though many around the room clapped openly at her performance.


    I frowned, I had known the level of magic in the human kingdom was far outclassed by demons, but not to this extent. I didn¡¯t matter though, it just meant I needn¡¯t have worried about Reds facade being revealed by the common guards. Better to be safe than sorry I thought to myself, Red¡¯s figure would stay this way for a while more at least.


    Though before mentioning different races and their affinity to magic I believe I have some explaining to do. The lowest ranked would be the races that relied purely of brute force such as the Goblins, Hobgoblins or Orcs. Humans placed slightly above them, having a great understanding though lacking the magic pool required for the more complicated magic. Humanoid counterparts, such as the Elves or Dwarves were next, with the intelligence to grasp the concept and the pool to activate it. Dwarves are a special case however, while they have no magic themselves they are able to channel it through runes and glyphs that act as a sort of power source. They are very secretive with this technique however and as of yet no other race is capable of doing so.


    Talking of races the Heteromorphic races, meaning races that are part human and part animal come next in the ladder of magical dominance. This is because they are magical creatures, able to tap into the supply that binds their two parts together. Demons are placed above them as with a long lifespan for exploring the possibilities, they can use their naturally high magic pools in a sort of trial and error to improve. Celestials come next, the very apostles of the Gods who use power granted to them by a single benefactor. The ultimate users of magic are the Gods themselves. I have met a few in my time and the power that each of them possesses is staggering, with single spells capable of levelling entire continents. However enough of the explanation and on with what¡¯s actually happening.


    The women behind the bar, noticed me approaching and ceased the movements of her hands, allowing the unfinished mugs to drift onto the bench. I whistled appreciatively at her display. It was always a good idea to complement someone before you ask them for a favour. She smiled at me confirming my thoughts before saying a few simple words. ¡°Why the mask¡±?


    ¡°Personal reasons¡± I replied, cocking my head to the side slightly. I had still been unable to modify my voice so it came out crystal clear, heavily filtered with magic, fortunately this meant nothing to the women.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little young to be here alone¡±? She asked quizzically.


    I shook my head in response, refusing to join her in mindless chatter. Instead I said, ¡°Twenty nights please¡±.


    My directness made her chuckle slightly before placing a heavy arm on my shoulder. ¡°That will be a silver and two bronze coins, do you have that kind of money¡±? She had a grip on my arm now, had I been a normal child I would have been unable to get loose. But I wasn¡¯t an ordinary child. Instead I just waved a hand under her nose. Instantly forcing my will inside her mind.


    ¡°Will this be enough¡±? I asked, layering my voice with more magic than usual while holding out an empty hand. Her Eyes sparkled before greedily grabbing whatever she thought she saw in my hand. After perhaps several minutes of gazing in wonder at her empty hands she once again noticed my presence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough change for something so valuable¡±. She spoke softly still not entirely grasping her situation.


    ¡°How much do you have¡±?


    ¡°Only five silvers¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That will be fine¡± I cut her off mid-sentence and held out my hand expectantly. Within moments the cold feeling of metal embedded itself in my palm, and finally. With a quick signal to Red, we ascended the stairs and for the first time in days, fell asleep.


    Twenty nights passed quickly. I never intended to stay in the run down inn for long and set out each day looked for a more permanent abode. I only paused briefly to eat, sleep and occasionally spar with Red, whose difficulty of moving around without attracting attention was becoming more than limiting.


    The Inn keeper stayed out of our way, seemingly terrified that I would take back whatever ¡°treasure¡± I had given her. Either way things were going well. In this manner it wasn¡¯t long before I had a desirable home picked out. An enormous mansion built directly next to both the barracks and the first of the two grand spires. It belonged to a women in her early forties who made a living as an influential senator. Her husband was also well known as a Hero sent from the Human capital. The pros of such a place was that it gave me a direct link to both the city¡¯s army and politics. The cons were that a Hero was bound to some level of telepathic defence so forcing my way into their lives could prove difficult. It also required me to know that I could do it on the first try. I knew that if I messed up, the entire city would be at my neck in minutes. I asked Red if he thought it was a good idea but he just replied instantly. ¡°I trust you, so I¡¯ll follow¡±. We both smiled then, knowing that we could possibly be the only ones that cared for each other. For me it was one thing, but next to me was a seven year old capable of discarding everything in order to live. At that moment he gained my uttermost respect. Something only my parents had achieved in this life.


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


    With that decided we would go to the manor tomorrow night.


    ----------------------------------------------Change of view---------------------------------------------


    Shirley woke in a cold sweat. Her body lay sprawled across the bed having writhed out of her expensive but beautifully warm sheets. She didn¡¯t know why but she felt terrible, like waking from a bad dream. At ten years old she could still count the days between now and her last nightmare, though this time was different. A terrifying icy sensation ran down her spine, causing her to arch her back and leap out of bed, before striding across her room to tear open the curtains covering the single window.


    Light blurred her vision, the sun¡¯s rays simultaneously warming her front and erasing the former feeling of icy dread. Though what relieved Shirley the most was the great white spire situated right outside her window. For ten years she had looked upon it as a marvel of human engineering, seeking the protective feeling that it emitted. Her Father would say that it was the city¡¯s soldiers that won their battles but Shirley knew that it was the walls that the soldiers hid behind that made them safe, and these spires symbolised the security those wall gave them.


    Shirley blinked, it should have been early in the morning though it seemed as though the sun was setting, marking the end of the day. After perhaps ten minutes of anxious observation Shirley confirmed her suspicion. She remembered going to sleep the night before and nothing had seemed wrong then, though if what she actually saw was true it meant that she had slept for the entire day. ¡°Why didn¡¯t mum wake me¡± She groaned exasperatedly. Fortunately it was a public holiday so she hadn¡¯t missed any prearranged events, but it was still annoying that an entire day had just gone past without her knowing.


    Opening the door, Shirley made her way through her home becoming increasingly baffled as the normally crowded areas were completely bare. No one, servant or family was present in the living area, any of the four kitchens, the great hall, the stairwells or even the library. As a last resort Shirley made her way to her parent¡¯s room. Earlier that year she had been banned from entering, the result of a sudden effort from her parents to make her grow up.  But that didn¡¯t mean anything to her now, she just leaned against the wide rimmed wooden door before hearing its hinges crying at the applied pressure. Inside she saw her parents, a picture of serenity curled up in each other¡¯s arms.


    It took almost twenty minutes to wake them up as apparently they had suffered a similar fate to her. The result was that both woke with their nerves in tatters, similar to Shirley¡¯s when she had woken up. The reactions varied, the mother unsure of the situation immediately dropped into a silence, trying to rationalise the unusual house wide absence. Which was a stark comparison when compared to her father who jumped up and drew a long sword from the base of the bed.


    Shirley felt her Father was over-reacting. So they had overslept, who cares. But the look in his eyes told her not to say anything. ¡°Honey¡±, the father whispered into Shirley¡¯s ear, ¡°open the window now¡±. His usually upbeat tone had darkened into not quite a panicked one but close to it. Shirley complied without complaint, unlatching the studded window and made to push it open, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Dad¡±! She was worried now, what was happening.


    For his part her dad just stood there, standing stock still in the centre of the room. ¡°Who¡¯s there¡±! He shouted suddenly. The lack of movement and emotion that accompanied his scream made both women in the room flinch.


    A complete absence of sound was all the answer he received and it stayed this way for several minutes before muffled footsteps resounded from downstairs. The family froze as they came close before finally the door for the second time that night creaked open. The father gave a gasp of alarm as a demon child stepped through, allowed the door to slam shut behind him.


    It stood tall, His eagle head cocked slightly as if looking at those beneath him, red feathers covered any skin that was visible under his grey robe. ¡°You woke early¡±. The demon said simply. ¡°Should have dealt with you earlier¡±.


    Though Shirley¡¯s father wasn¡¯t listening. Before the Shedim in front of him even finished his sentence he was flying across the room, his sword becoming the deadly thrust that had marked him as a hero in the capital. Countless humans had been felled by this attack, some demons as well, such was the power and before him stood but a child. A demon true, yet still a child. Something like this should have been an easy victory. Yet what happened next was beyond the family¡¯s calculations. The demon caught the blade mid-trust, simply plucking the sword from the air, and with all its superior strength ripped it from the hero¡¯s grasp, before throwing it across the room. Allowing it to fall to the wooden floorboards with a sickening thud.


    Despite being momentarily surprised the Hero didn¡¯t flinch. Instead with an impressive flurry, two blades appeared in his grasp before his long sword had even left the demons hand. The brawl continued with the blades darting in and out of the Shedims guard, causing light wounds where the sharp edges would slice through its hardened skin. The demon was on the defensive now, seemingly surprised that the small knives could actually cut his flesh, it was like he had never seen an enchanted weapon before.


    The two clashed, each showing the other countless attacks, parries and guards. Though eventually through a mixture of experience and the simple fact that he was armed the hero won. An opening was all the Father needed before he slipped the small dagger up into the demons armpit and severed the tendon. Without any control of his arm the demon could only watch as it was spun behind his back and his face was pushed roughly into the floorboards.


    ¡°Why are you here¡±! The Hero¡¯s composure was gone now, replaced only by fury at the demon beneath him.


    ¡°To live¡± The reply was without emotion, just blindly stating the fact.


    ¡°Bullshit, if so then why attack the home of a soldier¡±.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t attack, you did. We just wanted to live¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s we? Why did you come here¡±?


    ¡°Because he told me too¡±.


    ¡°WHO IS HE¡±!


    ¡°That would be me¡±. The voice came from the door and the family spun around each searching for the new voice. By the door, which now lay wide open, somehow opened without a trace of sound stood a child. He looked like a doll, petite and crafted to perfection. His face had androgynous features, yet somehow they made him look both handsome and beautiful at the same time. Shirley found she couldn¡¯t drag her eyes from his gaze but it didn¡¯t seem to matter. His voice still rang in the air, echoing inside her mind seemingly telling her to relax. It was a light voice that had something like an ethereal tinge to it. His eyes were a piercing blue that captured your attention and stood out in stark contrast to his eerie black hair that swept half way down his back. ¡°Please forgive our intrusion but I beg you to understand that we had no choice¡±. His tone was that of an elder, attempting to explain something to a youngling. Yet his voice showed to hints of sympathy or pity. ¡°My name is Aare and my companion that the Hero is stepping on is Red. You should remember that by the way, as we will most likely become very close over the next few years, do you have any questions? Or should we just get down to business¡±.


    The Heroes attitude changed here. The Shedim had been dangerous that was no lie, but the demon in front of them had the air of something far worse. He thought about jumping in like he had earlier but his instincts told him he wouldn¡¯t have lasted very long. The Hero trusted his instincts, they had saved his life many a time before and he wasn¡¯t going to ignore them now. However should the demon attack he would have to fight. After all, there was no running with his family in the room with him.


    Seeing the sweat rolling down the Hero¡¯s chin Aare gave a small chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t be so tense, no harm will come to anyone in this room, in fact I would be surprised if any of you even remembered this little incident come tomorrow.¡± The Child smiled and waved his hand through the air which shimmered in his trail. Both women fell to the floor instantly, knocked cold by the simple gesture. The hero, however stood standing for a few seconds. Conscious enough to realise that the top class mental defences he had installed into his mind over the decades were being ¨Calmost casually- ripped apart by this¡­.. Thing. How something so powerful had slipped undetected through their walls scared him. Though with that thought he dropped to the ground, in a similar fashion to his family.


    Two hours had passed before Shirley woke again. She didn¡¯t remember the events earlier that day. In fact, nothing seemed amiss to her as she woke up to the smell of dinner. Her favourite stew, boiling in the kitchen placed her into a trance that made her walk down the stairs. Her mother stood over the pot, wooden spoon in hand as she tasted the stew while her Father idled next to her going through his plans for the week. Another member in the room was a small child sitting at the table waiting patiently for the food he would soon be served. ¡°Smells great Mum¡±! Shirley said, augmenting the praise with a little spin that made her nightgown flutter in a circle around her.


    Upon her entry the boy looked up, and gave a smile that would have melted the hearts of all who saw it. ¡°Morning sister¡±, he said calmly ¡°did you sleep well¡±?


    Shirley stopped in her tracks for a second. ¡°Aare, how many times have I told you to call me Shirley¡±? Her cheeks puffed out slightly showing her annoyance.


    In response the boy chuckled softly as if he had a private joke with himself. ¡°Oh course Shirley¡±. He mocked openly. Though if one looked closely a bead of sweat could be seen lancing its way down Aare¡¯s neck, and coupled with a small sigh a careful observer could have sworn a huge weight had been lifted from the boy¡¯s shoulders.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Previous Chapter</a></td><td width="25%">Back to Main Page</a></td><td width="25%">Next Chapter</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 Possibility and Finality (Chp 5)

    Top 50! Thanks to all who voted, I''m not sure what the criteria is as mine is not as highly rated as some of the stories below me? Anyway, just came across it which was nice :3


    Cheers for the positive and instructive things said in the last paragraph. Yes I did read all of them, but I thought it would be best to respond to them all as one here.


    Sorry to those who wanted action but this one is generally explaining the new setting.


    A large amount of explanation was needed here for several topics so sorry in advance to that :3


    Hope you like it.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Three years have passed since I came to live in the human city of Tesuit. Overall the experience has been enlightening. In my past life I saw humans as a subspecies. Weak; both physically and mentally, consisting of beings generally not worth my time. However upon staying in this city I have realised that they are highly inquisitive, always pondering an unknown answer to some unexplained phenomenon. Most often it was for self-gain, but none the less it led them to great discovery and understanding. Also they were obsessed with recognition for their achievements and would happily spend hours explaining their latest great discoveries and masterpieces.


    This worked in my favour, as it allowed me to learn a great deal, both about the various races including the humans themselves, and also the magic they possessed. I have also picked up their terminology. The magic pool inside me was called mana, and the style of magic I used was called Force of will.


    There are three kinds of ¡°force¡±. Force of will, Force of voiceless incantation and the force of recitation. Will users materialised their thoughts and desires, their magic is generally the most flexible as their thoughts could at any time change the spell they were casting. Voiceless incantation users were generally the fastest. Able to shorten the steps required to cast a spell.  Lastly there are the Reciters, who chanted pre-arranged spells. Their magic was the most powerful as the words focussed their mana and mind.


    I also learnt about the human way of life. Due to their short lives, responsibility was placed upon them at an early age and I found myself dragged along to both the senate meetings with my new mother who was named Celestia, and battalion training with my father who was called Victor. Most children would be bored to tears in my position, but I found it fascinating as I was shown a clash of the greatest minds with the former, and a clash of the greatest muscles with the latter. Upon seeing my eagerness to attend they stopped forcing me and instead asked if I would like to join them. I never refused however this was a courtesy that was not extended to my sister.


    I imagine many of you are wondering what happened to Red. Well that can be explained easily enough. Due to his features he is unable to walk around the house without arising suspicion from the many servants or the family itself. So I had him join the ranks of the guards, patrolling the mansion. The guards were allowed to dress in full plate armour which in Red¡¯s case included a helmet that perfectly covered his face. After a few months I brought up the idea of Red acting as my personal guard to my Mother, who agreed instantly that it would be fine. Or as instantly as it took for me to forcefully change her mind.


    My two new parents generally treated me well. Both were busy and with Shirley going through some of the more important years of her life they had little time to spend with me alone, generally leaving my wellbeing to an elderly but kind maid named Diana. This gave me freedom though so I didn¡¯t protest, also it allowed me to distance myself emotionally from them. Being in the body of an incubus I couldn¡¯t allow my residential feelings to become too attached to them. But while my new parents faded into the background of my life, the same couldn¡¯t be said about Shirley. Being the elder sister she loved to dote on me. Going out of her way for the simple pleasantries such as surprise hugs and sneaking extra desserts from the pantry when she thought her Father wasn¡¯t looking. She wasn¡¯t a great thief though, and she ended up getting caught nine times out of ten but still she never mentioned my name and just took whatever punishment she got.


    I would have liked to spend the past three years improving my magic and sparing with Red though as the son of a famous senator I was expected to go to a fancy private school, reserved for the elite, or the descendants of the powerful. I won¡¯t go into extreme detail of my school events as most of them were uninteresting and meaningless. However a few points deserve mentioning. At first I was put in a class filled with other people my age, though by the third day the teachers realised that I shouldn¡¯t have been there. Demons are naturally more intelligent than humans, and with their extended lives, they were made to comprehend and remember things far more frequently that the average human. After the second week of moving in with my new family I had already skipped three years of schooling. I stress that I would have skipped more had my father not stopped me, saying that to leapfrog Shirley¡¯s class would be an insult that could only breed worry and envy.


    He needn¡¯t have worried however, Shirley screamed in excitement when I was introduced to the class and the rest of the day consisted of showing me around to her friends. In hindsight however maybe staying a year below her would have been a better alternative. As Celestia often encouraged me to help Shirley complete the projects that I had finished myself in class. Coupled with Shirley¡¯s natural laziness and her tendency to hand things in at the last minute meant that I spent a great deal of my nights towards the end of the week finishing her homework for her.


    Oh, and there was also a bully at some point, a large kid who thought that me getting too close to his ¨Cand I quote- ¡°darling Shirley¡± was ¡°pretentious¡± of a ¡°young brat¡± like me, needless to say, I didn¡¯t take this statement too well. I¡¯m not going to say how I resolved the issue, though a week later he was in the hospital, holding an expulsion letter from the school. Regardless of how I did it the problem was solved.


    However, just because I went to school, didn¡¯t mean that I never had time for just me and Red. We made up for the hours we spent separated by engaging in the most intense sparring of my life, armed of course, with red equipped with a halberd I stole from the Hero¡¯s private armoury and me with a sword I received for my birthday. Nothing special as I wasn¡¯t expected to use it in actual combat, but enough to hold its own. Red apparently had been spurred on after losing to Victor and had used his new comrades in the guard¡¯s squad to stage great duals. Him against the entire remaining squad. The result was nothing close to a fair fight, with Red winning in a matter of seconds. He also now far outclassed me, and at the end of every practice session I was forced to fix the broken bones and torn ligaments that would inevitably blight my body.


    During my visits to the senate I learned about the city as a whole. Apparently the farmland outside the walls, was only enough to feed the occupants inside. Augmented by the entire city being focussed on a military ideal there was no export at all from the city. Instead, it was funded by the capital for being on the fringe of the demon border so that in the case of the invasion it would be able to push back any army. This intrigued me. There was never such organisation in the Demon kingdom during my rule. Each city was to be self-sufficient and would rely on its own garrisoned force. I also wondered how the capital expected to populate a city funded entirely by the welfare of the capital. I asked my mother who replied that all who occupied the city were exempt from taxes and other such fund raising schemes. It made sense I thought. Those who were unable to pay the upkeep of their lives back in the capital would come here to pick up arms and start anew. An all-around solid system.


    One last loose end however still lays unchecked. Lye and Tear are still missing. Seemingly they vanished from the village. Twice I have travelled back with Red to the ruins. Searching amongst the rubble of our old home for any signs of where they disappeared too. The corpses of the demons still lay untouched, rotting in the dry heat of the sun, long since becoming carrion for the birds who still feasted in the area. I recognised a few of them, and while I performed the funeral rites of for each missing member of my family I still believe they are out there somewhere. So while I know I can¡¯t yet actively look for them I hope to come across them some day.


    Jumping to the present, I was awoken to the sound of singing. The room was light, the curtains having been suddenly thrown open by an energetic Shirley. Light cascaded into the room, blinding my vision temporarily as I fought to make out my surroundings. My birthday was one of the few moments in which my family came together as one. So today I saw them all sitting at the foot of my bed, joining Shirley in a merry tune. I couldn¡¯t say my heart wasn¡¯t warmed by the scene but a tear still slid down my cheek as I thought back to my previous and better years.


    In front of me now stood a pile of presents, each expensive enough to ease the guilt off my parents for basically leaving me to my own devices throughout the year. Though if offered I would have happily given them away to go back to the day before the demon invasion of our little village. My new parents had long since realised that I wasn¡¯t excited by the toys that would occupy the minds of other children my age, so instead they gave me great tomes containing the magic and knowledge of the Human empire.


    Most of it was garbage, filled with propaganda about how the Human race was the most righteous and strongest of all the races. However in each book there would be a hidden gem of knowledge. Whether it be a new spell, or a technique to purify my mana pool. I tried them all out of course and after a few weeks I learnt to hide the magical induced tone of my voice. It was hard but all I had to do was layer my voice with a veil of magic that flowed in the opposite direction to my natural secretion of mana. By doing so the magic would bounce of each other and dissipate, leaving a more childlike and innocent voice. Happy with the result I repeated it until it became almost natural.


    In Tesuit¡¯s Society, when a child reaches ten years of age a great number of opportunities become open to him. Firstly, the child is expected to join a local military training session at least twice a week, after a period the child would need to choose a corps within the army that they wished to join. Based on their aptitude the corps would choose whether they accepted the child or not. In my case I would do both this and attend a military academy with Shirley (normally a child would begin here at thirteen years of age, but I had skipped a few years so naturally I was going there too). Which trained children in the tactics and arts of war.


    Secondly, the child would be expected to have their natural magic levels evaluated and ranked according to a human system, I will explain this later though should he rank high enough, he will be required to begin an apprenticeship with a talented mage.


    Thirdly, the child would be considered old enough to become involved in the senate. Usually trusted with a section of the city¡¯s finance for a probation period, this opportunity however was only offered to some, should they be deemed ready by the elders of the city and be taken under the wing of an already experienced senator, ready to risk their own career on the child¡¯s success. My Mother offered to be my advisor. Another thing that Shirley was emitted from. No animosity was brought about from this however. Having never excelled in school Shirley wished to join the military core of the city far more than -what she called- ¡°messing around in pointless politics¡±.


    Lastly a ten year old child was considered old enough to be set up in an arranged marriage.


    I can¡¯t say I was too thrilled about the last one. I hoped that it would take a while before my mother found someone willing to marry me. Though it seemed as though many were eager to make a family alliance with the son of an influential senator. So much like Shirley, my bride to be, was decided almost instantly. However, unlike Shirley I had no intention of being ¡°sold off¡± for the gain of my parents, especially parents who I had distanced myself from. I looked around for ways to avoid my fate and surprisingly enough they were everywhere. Most required me to reach the pinnacle of a certain aspect in society which allowed me to withhold my own marriage on the claim that I had other things to worry about.


    For example I could become a Lieutenant Colonel of the army ¨Cleader of three thousand men- or a director of the senate, the position my mother currently held. Unfortunately I was destined to marry two weeks from now so that sort of option was unfeasible. Two ways did catch my eye though. Firstly, the specialist corps in the army forbid sexual interaction with the opposite gender and as an extension, marriage as well. The second was to become a ¡°Possessed¡±. A path a mage took when looking to specialise in mental domination. A Possessed required an ethereal familiar to bond with their soul. Often leaving them with a weakened consciousness that rendered them unable to commit to marriage. As such they were exempted. To be honest I didn¡¯t much like the idea of allowing a familiar inside my mind, though in order to avoid the chains of marriage the sacrifice would be well worth it.


    It was the next day when I surreptitiously asked my mother to take me to my magical evaluation. She glared frostily at me. She knew I had no interest in her marriage plans and was right to assume I had thought of a way to dodge them.


    However with no reason not to take me she hesitantly walked me across the city to a large circular tent perhaps with a radius of fifty metres erected by two giant poles that reminded me of a circus tent. However instead of the bright inviting colours, it consisted of a dark mesmerising purple that faded between different shades as I watched.


    ¡°Aare, I¡¯m not allowed past this point, so you¡¯ll need to find your own way inside. Don¡¯t disappoint me¡±. During the last bit her voice once again took on a frosty overtone similar to the look she had given me earlier. So without so much as a good luck, I walked through the flaps in the tents material that marked the entrance. Inside was different to how I expected it. Rows upon rows of wooden benches were uniformly lined up, each with an examiner fixed painstakingly still on a chair. All looking as though they had spent several days unmoving, their faces were illuminated by bright lights that fizzled around the room as children showed off their greatest magic in order to attempt to convince the markers to raise their estimated latent magic levels. I grimaced, for many human children this would be an important time. A time where you discovered if you could make it as a mage. It was cruel for someone to be able to take away a child¡¯s future based purely on a number on their marking sheet.


    I caught the eye of a male examiner who waved me over, pointing out a seat so that I could sit opposite him. He sat stoically in his chair, his clothes showed a military neatness while his black hair had been cropped to a one inch cut. I never really warmed to the guy as he impassively asked me if I was ready to be graded. I froze for a moment here, I wanted to appear strong enough so that I could be accepted into an apprenticeship but I didn¡¯t want to make a scene inside the cramped tent. So I nodded after sealing about ninety five percent of my mana pool, honestly ninety five percent should put me at the lower end of the human spectrum right?


    The man immediately set to work. Dipping both his index finger and middle finger on his right hand into a bowl of liquid that I couldn¡¯t identify before pressing them coolly against my temple. Closing his eyes he started to chant, soft words that I was unable to make out, though the effect was immediate. I sat there wondering what he could see as a soft glow came from the skin at the contact point.


    The two of us sat still for at least five minutes before the man withdrew his hand. Almost immediately however the hand was back reaching for mine. My first thought was to withdraw it but that would be considered foolish if this was just another part of the evaluation so I just let him take my hand. He shook it vigorously, his earlier despondency nowhere to be seen as his face lit up in excitement. ¡°What¡¯s your name boy¡±?


    ¡°Aare¡± I replied hesitantly. I didn¡¯t like my newfound attention.


    ¡°Ok, Aare. Do you know how we rank ones mana pool¡±?


    I nodded though I guess you all need an explanation. The ranks are as follows, from lowest to highest.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    D (Humans with no talent, and other non-magical races.)


    DD (Average human)


    DDD (Human with a large innate talent)


    C (Genius human, Average Elves and Dwarves)


    CC (Only a handful of Humans reach this stage)


    CCC (Only two humans in history have ever reached this class, The elite Elves and Dwarves)


    B (Average Heteromorphic races)


    BB


    BBB (Average Demon)


    A


    AA (Average Celestial)


    AAA


    S


    SS


    SSS (Reserved only for the gods.)


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    ¡°Ok good, well, firstly you have ranked quite highly, with a rank of¡­¡­¡± He paused slightly, ¡°¡­¡­.CC we will be expecting you to fully commit yourself to a magical apprenticeship.¡± The man said this with both an insistent and understanding tone. His pity was wasted on me. To fully commit myself would mean eight hours, six days a week. Coupled with the standard military trainings sessions, my enrolment in a military academy and my mother¡¯s insistence that I partook in the senate, my schedule was about to become very, very crowded.


    ¡°Actually, I had hoped to join the specialist corps in the army, can I not participate in just a casual apprenticeship.¡± I asked hopefully but I already knew what he was about to say.


    ¡°No, someone of your level is unable to partake in anything but a fully committed apprenticeship. Also you would not have enough time to do both that and an army corps, except perhaps the arcane corps. Anyway,¡± he held out his hand, pushing papers and a badge that stated my rank into my open palms. ¡°Here is the necessary paperwork, I expect to see you at the magical tribunal tomorrow morning, also wear the badge¡±.


    I frowned, apparently my mana pool had grown even larger, and while that was in itself a good thing, I was about to lose a lot of time because of it. I thought about leaving the city then, starting my life anew somewhere else.  But the idea was thrown from my mind almost instantly. While my personal time was about to take a plunge, Red had found himself in this new city. Not long ago he had been promoted to the captain of the mansion guards. So now he led a force of perhaps twenty men. Along with his allowance to wear a helmet where ever he went, he was now able to move around where ever and whenever he wanted. Guess I had to suck it up.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Outside the tent I found my mother talking to a few other parents, some children were there passing over their own documents, to either ecstatic replies or disappointed moans that were quickly followed with consoling. My own mother saw me approaching and instantly ignored the rest of the group. Instead focussing her full attention on the papers I held nonchalantly in my hands. As I approached another unknown parent also threw me a gaze of wonder. I ignored her for the moment and held out my papers.


    ¡°What grade¡±? My mother said simply. I watched the other parents cringe at her lack of tact.


    ¡°CC¡± I replied.


    She paused for a second, before looking down at my papers in her hand. Affirming that what I said was the truth she nodded. ¡°Well done¡±. For the first time that day she smiled. ¡°I expect you¡¯ve been told to attend the tribunal tomorrow¡±?


    ¡°Yes, I have to fully commit¡±. I said, annoyance creeping into my voice.


    She caught my dissatisfaction, ¡°I know you will be busy over the next few years Aare, but think about where you will be afterwards. Your grades lead me to believe you will triumph in the senate. Your father tells me your sword play is beginning to outdo his, and with age and strength you will beat him. Today has told us you can succeed even more so as a mage, and with an acceptance into a military academy you could become a great leader of men.¡± She waved away my concern with a flourish of her fingers before introducing me to the parent who had watched me as I had approached.


    ¡°Aare, this is Tess, the mother of Lily¡±. I shivered then, Lily was the girl I was set to marry, and while she had gone to my school, she was three grades lower after I skipped through the years so I had never actually met her face to face, and so to meet her mother without so much as a warning, was a slight shock.


    ¡°Pleased to meet you Ma¡¯am¡± I spoke quickly, and accompanied my greeting with a bow.


    ¡°Good to meet you as well Aare, Lily talks about you all the time¡±. Tess chuckled softly. I raised my eyebrow at this, this was news to me. I barely knew the girl. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look so surprised, you¡¯re quite famous even to us parents¡±. Tess continued. ¡°Not many kids are able to skip entire years and you did it three times. Annnnnnddddd¡± She gave me a quick look over before giving me a quick wink, unseen to my mother, ¡°I see another reason for my daughter¡¯s attention¡±. I didn¡¯t know how to respond to the praise so I felt relieved when Lily choose to exit the tent at that exact moment saving me as the subject was instantly dropped on her arrival.


    As Lily ran towards us I appraised her for the first time. She had a slim figure that looked surprisingly good in her red dress. Her face wasn¡¯t strikingly beautiful but instead brought the word ¡°adorable¡± to my mind. Her high cheek bones and rounded face gave her an innocent look similar to a newborns. She had shoulder length brown hair that flew behind her as she ran. To me, who contrasted her against succubus¡¯s like Tear and Lye she paled in comparison, but I wasn¡¯t surprised when the male children who stood in our little group, watched mouths agape at her entrance.


    ¡°Mum, mum¡±! Lily shouted as she ran into her mother¡¯s waiting arms. Obviously their relationship was better than mine was. ¡°I got a DDD¡± She exclaimed happily as her mother¡¯s face lit up, ¡°the examiner said I had promise and I needed to go to the tribunal tomorrow¡±!


    ¡°That¡¯s great dear¡±, Tess told her calmly while trying to prise her daughter off her. ¡°But we have company¡±, indicating me and my mother, who could only watch on silently at the overbearing display of affection.


    Lily turned happily, ¡°Sorry about that, good to meet you me name is Li~¡± She noted my presence for the first time and her voice died away. Her cheeks went a deep beetroot red and her gaze immediately found her feet. I could have saved her, but the girls discomfort was hilarious so I just watched on as she tried for at least a minute to stutter out the rest of her name. In the end she gave up and ran away. Yes I mean literally ran away. She turned on her heels and sprinted off into the distance. Her mother sighed and apologised sincerely to us before chasing after her.


    My mother just looked at me for a minute before saying, ¡°good job, now the next meeting will be in our favour¡±. She said a quick goodbye to the rest of the parents before leading the way back home.


    That night was busy. My father, after hearing my magical grade gave me resounding praises. He believed I would follow in his footsteps as a warrior and so spent the night explaining my options. Shirley also gave her sincere congratulations. Shirley herself had achieved a rank of DDD but for some reason the girl found it impossible to feel jealousy. Instead she just wrapped her arms around me in a hug I never saw coming, and we sat that way for about ten minutes.


    The next morning came quickly, my curtains had been deliberately left open so I awoke at first light. Finding my parents downstairs I sat down at the table, moments before a maid placed a scrambled egg in front of me. No one said anything. Nothing needed to be said. Today wasn¡¯t a test but they still believed I would decide the direction of my life today.


    I left quickly, putting the badge I had received yesterday on the inside of a brown coat, given to me by my father, who luckily had a better fashion sense than my last one. Without pausing I rushed out the door before Shirley had a chance to wake up and give me the ten minute lecture on how to choose carefully. No one came with me as Adults were not allowed in the tribunal for they would affect their child¡¯s choices, and so I walked the few kilometres alone. To the large amphitheatre situated on the far west side of the city.


    The amphitheatre was made from polished limestone that circled around a podium standing tall in the centre. The amphitheatre itself consisted of a step like structure that allowed hundreds of people to sit and watch the podium. After many trials the architects discovered that through a mixture of the limestone material itself, and the oddly shaped step pattern the sound of the speaker on the podium would resound clearly even at the edge furthest away. This was because the low frequency waves in their voice would be naturally filtered out by the limestone, minimising crowd background noise and when the high frequency waves reflected off the steps it would bounce back into the audience. Making the speaker even clearer.


    I arrived around fifteen minutes early, though I was surprised to find that I was one of the last to arrive. Children littered the staggered steps, sitting and waiting expectantly. Yet even though it was the first day of their career into the magical arts there was no doubting that groups were already starting to form. Those with higher grades, indicated by their badges sat sprawled out in the front row. Shooing those who scored lower than themselves away. I thought about joining them but then decided against it. They were fools who believed in their own superiority. An encounter with a Heteromorphic would knock them down a few notches. I sighed before sitting down on my own near the top. I didn¡¯t want to commit myself to a group at this early stage, as that group would have defined me.


    Activity started to buzz on the podium. Eight influential figures stepped ceremoniously onto its heights. Draped in the flowing robes of a mage. The robes differed slightly between each of them and I realised that they depicted the wearer¡¯s profession. Each man or women most likely represented their own way of magic. I waited eagerly for the tribunal to begin and as I sat in my excitement I barely noticed a group sitting down next to me.


    There were four of them, four who earlier I had noticed being shooed away by those below. Their badges showed that they all belong to the rank of DD. Apparently my thoughts didn¡¯t show on my face and the boy who sat next to me broke into a grin. ¡°Thank god¡± he said, in an exasperated tone. ¡°You know, you¡¯re the first one to not at least cringe when we walked by¡±.


    I shrugged in response. The group who had placed themselves next me consisted of two boys and two girls. The boy who sat next to me introduced himself as jack. He was a large kid, with a masculine jaw and wide shoulders. Yet his kind brown eyes belied his true character. The other boy was introduced as Oliver and he ¨Clike me- was the strong silent type with short brown hair and a freckled face, Like Lily, the word that came to mind was cute rather than handsome. He waved a greeting but besides that, sat their chewing on his thumbnail. The Girls avoided making eye contact and blushed as they said hello.


    I frowned at this. It was getting annoying now. I didn¡¯t know why, but humans placed such importance on the physical. Maybe this was why they were appalling at magic. The closest to me was named Alice, her scarlet red hair accentuated her thin but filled out figure well. At one stage she looked up and I saw her eyes, a light electric blue that darted to and fro. She was pretty. No two ways about it. The last girl was named Charlotte. She had a lithe body which was nowhere near as filled as her companion, her long black hair traced the arch in her back accentuating her features. She had a gorgeous profile with full lips, a button nose and noticeable eyelashes. If it weren¡¯t for their badges that they had put on full display, they would have gathered far more attention.


    After I introduced myself in return I was saved from continued conversation by a horn that marked the beginning of the tribunal. Noticeably the children sat straighter.  People still filtered into the amphitheatre but all attention was now on the podium. Another mage had stepped onto the platform and while he walked to the front the others behind him bowed low. I knew him from a glance, after all, John was the head of the entire magical department of Tesuit while also being one of the two rank CCC mages. Whispering erupted in the stands. Usually he didn¡¯t come to public events, let alone ones as insubstantial as a Child profession tribunal.


    ¡°Greetings to everyone gathered here today.¡± His voice rang out over the audience. Amplified not only by the amphitheatre¡¯s structure but also by a layer of magic. ¡°You are here because you have been deemed acceptable to continue in the studies of magical arts, one by one you will be called onto the stage. Where you will ask a single mage if you can join their ranks, if you are ranked C or above you may choose two. We will decide if you are eligible or not. You have been asked here because at least one will accept you. So please don¡¯t be dissatisfied if your first preference is not available to you. Now, shall we begin? We will call from the lower ranks first, please be ready to come up¡±. With that he clapped his hands and stood back. A kind smile lay on his face though the wrinkles next to his eyes made it look fake. I was too far away so I couldn¡¯t be sure, and I wasn¡¯t going to use magical sight for something so mundane.


    I believe an explanation is required here. Firstly with their pathetically short lives, humans often specialised in a single aspects of magic, allowing them to reach a level that one with a diverse mindset could never achieve. So they split magic into eight categories. First there was just the common ¡°mage¡±. They focused entirely on materialising magical attacks. Second was the ¡°elemental¡±, which is fairly self-explanatory. Third was the ¡°necromancer¡±, one who specialised in raising the dead, never the consciousness of the deceased, but an autonomous corpse that would become stronger with the caster.  Forth was the ¡°apothecary¡± who acted as a healer on the battlefield. They were also in charge of defensive spells such as anti-magic shields. Fifth was the ¡°possessed¡±. Not many people choose this path as it was like merging oneself with a corrupting demon and was generally avoided by the young ones. None the less, the mental attacks they provided were often the only way to kill certain demons like the Nickar. Sixth was the ¡°summoner¡±. People who were able to create a pact with a living creature, raising its intelligence and battle prowess with time. Seventh was the warlock. A mage who specialised in killing other mages. Often casting counter spells and blocking ones mana source. The stronger ones could even detonate another¡¯s mana pool entirely. When I read that from one of the books I received on my birthday I became highly intrigued and decided that I would learn it one day. Eighth was the ¡°alchemist¡±, who had the ability to alter the shape of metallic elements. Generally they were able to make magical tools that could be used both in and out of combat. Anyway, I have talked too much, on with the story.


    Names were slowly called, and one by one a child would walk onto the stage. The four sitting next to me ¨C being in rank DD ¨C were called up early. Also with most of their options unattainable they all become mages. About half an hour later, the names had moved into the DDD section and briefly Lily waltzed up onto the podium. It didn¡¯t come as a surprise to me when her bubbly personality choose to become a summoner. Often a summoner and their creature would become incredibly close. Lily no doubt was one of the hopefuls who wished to find a lifelong friend.


    The sun was setting when those ranked C started being called up. Yet no one¡¯s interest was fading. The group next to me had stared at me in amazement when rank C was being called upon and my name had yet been shouted. Apparently rank C is incredibly rare, and the ten kids who had their names called out all strutted up to the stage basking in the attention they received. Had it been my old life I would have killed them on the spot for such over displayed arrogance, though now I reigned in my emotions and could only grind my teeth as those called up put on a big display on which path to choose. As if the aspect of magic would be lucky to have them. Each rank C would choose two paths and sit down to a chorus of applause by their friends who hoped that by association they would also reach high places.


    As the last rank C was called up, John once again came to the front of the stage. ¡°Students, yesterday, for the first time in two years, a rank CC was found in Tesuit. So it is my pleasure to ask Aare to step up and choose a path¡±.


    All eyes were on me as I stood and walked down the aisle that led to the podium. Jack stared in open amazement as I walked past him as did Alice and Charlotte. Oliver was slightly more reserved, but even his eyebrows were raised to an apex. I didn¡¯t like this feeling, no one made a noise, no clapping like the rank C¡¯s had gotten, no whispering like the lower ranks. Only absolute silence accompanied the stares. In hindsight I should have limited my mana pool further before being tested, but that was all in the past. So grim faced I walked on, my black hair trailing behind me.


    I regretted sitting towards the back of the amphitheatre as it meant I had longer to travel but finally I began to  make my way up the stairs to the podium, making sure to plant my foot on each step to assure I didn¡¯t fall. Even thinking about it made me cringe in embarrassment. As I rose onto the podium itself John stood right beside me to shake my hand. I took his offering however the weirdest thing happened. John leaned in until his mouth lay inches from my ear, and in a voice that could only be heard by me he whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve been a bit untruthful with you Aare. In fact, you scored a little higher on the test that we told you. You see I didn¡¯t want to make a commotion so the examiner and myself are the only ones who know for now, but welcome to class CCC. As such I will be your personal Guide in the coming years. Feel free to ask for your two chosen paths, though know that no matter what you choose I will be overlooking your growth¡±.


    He pulled back and smiled letting go of my hand which I let fall limply to my side. I was stupefied, I had held back ninety five percent of my power yet still I was being judged so highly. The face I made apparently matched the emotion I should have been feeling at such an announcement and John chuckled before nudging me towards the eight mages standing in a line.


    I tore my mind back to reality. I had already long chosen my paths but still the finality of it made me hesitate. I stole my heart before making my decision. ¡°I would like to become a Warlock and a Possessed, if you would be happy to accept me¡±. A collective gasp came from behind me, though after the initial excitement the crowd once again lapsed into silence, they were hard to ignore. I was worried that for some unknown reason I would be declined. But both of the mages in question just nodded in response. Before I could leave the stage however john called out to the audience.


    ¡°To those who have been waiting, thank you for your patience, however, with the tribunal concluded you are welcome to leave. We will contact you within the week about the location and time for your first appointment. Do not be late¡±. He then turned to me, and once again in a voice only I could hear, he said ¡°Oh, and I''ve already told your parents about your¡­¡­ talents¡±. He smiled again, a genuine one this time and left the amphitheatre. The other children followed his example and noise once again filled the area as people excitedly talked about their future.


    I tried to leave unnoticed but I drew stares and questions from everyone I passed. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed when I caught the eyes of Jack¡¯s group. One look at my discomfort and he went out of his way to push through the crowd to get to me.


    ¡°Wow man, why didn¡¯t you tell us your rank, that¡¯s so cool¡±!


    Trying not to seem conceited I cocked my head slightly and put on what I hoped was an embarrassed smile. ¡°Thanks, but you say people look at you differently because of your rank¡± I said, indicating his badge, ¡°and it¡¯s the same for me¡±. I grimaced slightly before continuing. ¡°To be honest, most aren¡¯t as accepting as you are¡±.


    Jack mealy laughed in response wrapping his arm around my neck. With the difference in build it seemed almost natural. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry mate, we¡¯re cool about it¡±. He then preceded to push past our spectators and eventually with the rest of his group we found some peace and quiet in a local park. We stayed there and talked for at least an hour, mainly about how I was so lucky to be allowed to choose my path from any of the options though eventually I realised it was getting late and would need to get home so I said goodbye to my saviours and promised to meet up again.


    Both my parents screamed in excitement as I returned, my mother cast away her harsh parent fa?ade and joined my father in congratulating me. In regards to Shirley she just stood there, eyes wide in amazement, and a loony grin on her face. I don¡¯t remember much about that night except that my ego had never been stroked more.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Previous Chapter</a></td><td width="25%">Back to Main Page</a></td><td width="25%">Next Chapter</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 Education and Possession (Chp 6)

    This one took a while to write.


    Went a bit over the date I said I would post it but was caught up in Christmas celebration after all.


    Merry Christmas all.


    Hope you enjoy it.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The sun¡¯s rays burnt our foreheads as we were forced to stand in rank and file. Currently I was lost in a maelstrom of human children all repeating the same monotonous drill over and over, jabbing forwards with the long sticks we had been equipped with. This would continue until we either passed out or the Instructor became too tired of taking those who dropped to the medical centre. Luckily I had kept up my morning runs upon moving to Tesuit and with my natural demon constitution I handled the training better than most. This was even more important when the instructors started picking me out. Perhaps they saw my frail looking body as an easy target for making an example, or perhaps they had heard about my ¡°CC¡± grade in magic in which case jealousy was at work. Most likely it was a mixture of both and from the first day I alone had been required to wear my heavy chain armour during physical exertion. Still I refused to drop and give into their sadistic tendencies.


    Jack was a huge help. Often staying behind to lend a hand if I was unfairly given extra cleaning duties. Even now he stood beside me, jabbing forward with his pole at a non-existent enemy while giving me the occasional word of encouragement. Charlotte stood beside him, swaying on her feet but still keeping in time to the instructor¡¯s calls. Oliver and Alice had long since fallen and now it was just the three of us in our little group. We were now down to about a quarter of the starting number and the remaining children took desperate glances at the water bottles that would be given to us when the session was over.


    Yet still we continued, for perhaps maybe an hour more. So long that those who had passed out first, had now awoken and were crowding around the remaining few, which had dwindled down to around forty. To be honest I don¡¯t really know how many of us were left, I had long since stopped counting. I did however notice Jack still jabbing away, though even he had stopped the words of encouragement. I felt sour because the armour I was wearing had been cutting into my flesh, and now the warm blood trickled down my arm to gather in small puddles at my feet.


    The training was going for longer this time. We had long since passed the required two hours we were to spend at the local military training session and I heard unsure whispers from our spectators, who would look anxiously at our instructor, who even now was helping a limp girl to the medical tent.


    Jab, jab, jab, jab. I¡¯ve lost all feeling now, trapped in a prism of nothingness. I can barely keep my attention of the count, and I feel myself start to jab out of time. The instructor has returned, and I catch his eye as he gives a sly grin at my state. It hits me, he¡¯s waiting for me to fall. Well I won¡¯t give him the satisfaction. I grit my teeth and wrench my consciousness back to the present. Forcing myself to stay in time. Please just stay in time.


    It¡¯s another ten minutes before my rescue, and it comes in the form an uppity man who strolls self-importantly into the training fields. I see him bend slightly to talk to one of our observers who in turn points to my direction. The man quickly runs up to the instructor and with a few brief words accompanied with a glare the training is abruptly called to a halt. The remaining children fall to their knees, completely exhausted. I notice there are only fifteen of us left, jack alone stands next to me, Charlotte having collapsed at some point.


    The man who stopped the session barely breaks a beat as he sets off across the field towards me. His long strides close the distance almost instantly and with a swish of his hand, I feel the blood and sweat that caked my skin fall to the ground. He lifted me quickly to my feet. ¡°We were wondering where you had got to Aare¡±. The man glared again at the training instructor who was slinking away like a wounded cat. ¡°I guess he is the answer to your lateness¡±.


    It took me a while for me to realise what he was talking about as my mind was clouded, though suddenly it hit me. ¡°Ah, Crossford academy¡±. I exclaimed. For those who don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about, Crossford is the military academy my Mother signed me up for upon me completely my junior schooling. It started today though with my fixation on the training I had completely forgotten about it. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡±. I said sincerely.


    ¡°Nonsense, Aare. It wasn¡¯t your fault in the slightest. However you have missed the morning assembly so I will introduce myself now¡±. The man gave a small bow before he continued, reminding me of a noble or someone similarly ranked. ¡°My name is Alexander, and I will be your homeroom teacher, now come along, or you will miss the first lecture, also I need to hunt down a few other latecomers, and I assure you, most of them don¡¯t have an excuse so forgive my sour mood¡±. Alexander took off leaving me to catch up. I shrugged off the chainmail and hung it up before rushing out the gate. Jack however barred my way, a frown on his face.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to start in an academy when you turn thirteen¡±? He panted. I shrugged in reply before motioning the now distant Alexander. Noticing my inpatients Jack stepped to the side, but not before giving me a look which seemed to say that we would continue this conversation later.


    It didn¡¯t take long before we arrived at Crossford. My mother had chosen it in the knowledge that it was nearby and the walk wouldn¡¯t take too much time out of my already clustered schedule. The building itself was huge. It was three stories tall and stretched into a giant quadrangle made from gleaming white stone identical to the material of the spires that were situated nearby. Similar to my old throne room, fantastic sculptures of monsters and heroic humans were erected in the courtyard that practically screamed money. There was also a lush garden that circled the single building. With giant hedges that stopped anyone from looking into the beautiful construction and trimmed bushes that had been shaped into exotic swirls and patterns.


    I took a moment to admire the brilliance of what I was taking in but with Alexander¡¯s insistence I continued on. There were a number of older students on campus and each of them gave me a kind smile as I walked past, possibly thinking I was someone¡¯s younger brother. I smiled in return though eventually we came to a closed wooden door, carved into the image of an eight headed serpent. I looked quizzically at Alexander but he just gestured that I should enter.


    On the way to my room I had passed many similar doors. We were on the first floor of the building which was where the first years would study and on this floor were eight lecture halls, each with a door featuring a serpent. However, after coming from another school each student was evaluated and placed according to their results. Naturally I was in class eight, illustrated by the eight heads on the door. This came with the annoyance of Shirley whose lack of study in the previous years had landed her in class two. She didn¡¯t care that I ranked higher than her, but she did mind that she wouldn¡¯t be able to copy my homework.


    Shrugging I pushed against the door, appreciating how even though it was heavy it moved at my slightest touch. Inside was a darkened room. Fifty pairs of eyes reflected the light from outside as they turned to look at me. It was a configuration similar to the amphitheatre from the tribunal, with staggered rows containing cushioned seats and brass tables. I wondered how much my mother had paid to send me to such an institute, and what she would say when I told her I had been late on the first day.


    Quickly scanning the room I saw an empty seat on the second highest level, I made my way there before sitting down. Trying to shy away from the prying eyes and thanks to the lack of light, my late arrival didn¡¯t arise much attention. The eyes soon turned back to the front where a bespectacled man read from an open book. His voice was low and dreadfully boring. But the content was fascinating. Or at least for me it was, as my vision adjusted I saw more and more people losing focus on the professor and either falling asleep or trying to make an early friendship with their neighbour.


    Apparently the professor was reading directly from a monster almanac. He would name a monster, seemingly off the top of his head before flipping to a new page. He would then read out why it was either incredibly dangerous or helpful to a human, either as a pet, or as an ingredient to some concoction. ¡°The Hydra¡± he started monotonously, ¡°Is a terrifying serpent like monster with reptilian traits, including numerous heads and the ability to multiply its natural regeneration rate. Its strengths are that each head has its own consciousness, coupled with its ability for each head to project a myriad of different gasses or elements, it becomes a natural artillery platform. Its sharp teeth, claws and scales also act as both perfect weapons and armour making it near unbeatable in combat.


    I gulped. I knew what the old man was talking about. In my past life I had fought countless of their kind, and while their lack of magical defence made them susceptible to me personally, I knew plenty who had been killed or horrifically maimed while attempting to battle one.


    As the lesson went on I started taking notes. Fortunately a fresh notebook, quill and pot of ink had been laid out for me and I gleefully jotted down points that would have been useful in my past life. For example, not many knew that a Hydra had a crucial weakness. Often the average demon combatant would be so locked up with the heads that with natural regeneration could be restored almost instantly. That they would never think to strike elsewhere. Apparently in the human continent it was common knowledge that a large bundle of synaptic nerves gathered at the base of a Hydra¡¯s middle neck. Impalement with a bladed weapon at this point would ignite feelings of pain in so many nerve endings that a Hydra could die of shock on the spot.


    Information like this flooded the room and to my astonishment, the other children took it for granted. It alarmed me that the kids in this room where in the top class of the school, but none the less I was the only one with a book open in front of me. I sighed, there was no helping some people.


    Apparently the professor noticed this as well, and soon his words were directed at me alone, and even in the dark, his eyes would often seek out mine, as if sharing a common desire for knowledge that no one else in the room could be a part of. Even as he spoke, I realised life was coming into his words and an excitement built up within him.


    An echoing bell resounded through the school, cutting off the lecture. But still I couldn¡¯t say I was displeased. That was only the first lesson and as I picked up a timetable in front of me I saw that the day was split into three. Our first lesson had been Zoology, following it would be Militaristic examination. Where we would study past conflicts and conclude whether the choices made were the right ones or not. This notion extended to both on and off the battlefield. The third was physical education. Where we would mock small skirmishes. I won¡¯t lie, the last one intrigued me.


    My thoughts were interrupted by Alexander strolling confidently into the hall. His hand waving the class into silence. ¡°Good evening. As you all know I am Alexander and I will be guiding you all through the wonders of militaristic examination, or M.E for short. Though before we begin, I would like to inform you all that having completed your primary education elsewhere you are now under no legal obligation to finish M.E. So let¡¯s get this out of the way. If you have no intention of learning, and I see that almost all of you have left your books untouched during the last lesson then get out. You will be glad to know that I will still be paid at the end of the day. So any takers.¡± He swept his arms in an open gesture, allowing us to take up his offer, though unsurprisingly everyone just sat stock still, amazed at the teacher¡¯s declaration of despondency.


    Seeing the reaction Alexander smiled, a whole hearted and condescending smile that seemed to lash out at you. ¡°Great, let¡¯s begin then¡±. He waved, a book materialised, it slammed on the desk, and he began to read. Once again my pen swept across the page trying to take in all that was said, and while the subject matter didn¡¯t interest me as it had done in Zoology I understood its importance.


    During my previous life, or more accurately my numerous crusades. I found to my annoyance the difficulty of controlling thousands of demons, all of which thought that plans were for the weak. Instead I could only take them to the battlefield, and hope that their superior strength and magic would win the day. On the majority of occasions it did. However there were times when a witty human would completely outplay the shambling horde and through a combination of traps and manoeuvres my forces were separated, contained and sickeningly picked off. I didn¡¯t remember these times fondly but because of them I saw the importance of what was in front of me now, and so, even with the boring subject matter I tore my attention back to the present. Hoping that the bell would ring before my patients ran out.


    Surprisingly Alexander was a great teacher. He began by introducing the leaders and the forces of both sides of the conflict telling the class about their relative strengths and weaknesses before acting out the battle with a dazzling display of lights. Pausing to show areas where mistakes were made, and plans were put into play that won the battle itself. Often it was the small victories that counted. A tiny team that would pierce the flank of an enemy and before they noticed their side had broken, both compromising the moral and the position of the formations closer to the middle of the field.  I watched entranced as Alexander commanded the lights with accuracy I could only guess was flawless, and it wasn¡¯t long before the bell pulled me from state of mind. Once again I watched as the other students stopped mid-way through their conversations and pretended to have been paying attention.


    I almost cried as Alexander acted as if he didn¡¯t notice before stomping out of the room. It was strange. Here were humans parting with information that had taken generations to piece together and children, mere children couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay attention for the first class.


    I shook my head violently trying to remove the thoughts as the children with renewed vigour, surged from their seats, rushed down the aisles and filed through the doors. A petite brunette teacher was waiting patiently and as the last of us joined the throng of children she quickly turned on her heel and almost ran into the centre of the quadrangle, which consisted of a small dusty field. One thing that caught my eye however was a large circle that had been etched into the ground. Runes laced the edges and I recognised it as one half of a summoning circle. The other half which was god knows where, would be where we would take the lesson.


    The other classes were slightly later but soon they emerged from their rooms also. I didn¡¯t take me long to spot Shirley amongst class two. Already in a group of four equally attractive girls. Evidently she had been one of the many, more focussed on her social life in the school than any academic opportunities it provided.


    It didn¡¯t take long before the eight classes stood on the field, all encased by the summoning circle.


    The Brunette who had guided us spoke for the first time in one of those high voices that sound almost deliberately childlike. Coincidently a large group of people dislike these kinds of voices, calling them fake and attention seeking. I just thought it sounded cute, in a pet-like kind of way and just listened contently as she yelled out our instructions. ¡°Good evening and welcome to physical education. As you all know this is the only compulsory course so if any of you notice that a classmate is not present, please inform us to make the rest of the exercise run more smoothly¡±. She waited briefly though with apparently everyone present she continued. ¡°Very soon you will be transported to an arena to hold the first skirmish of the year. Truthfully today it will be relatively bare as we only wish to see your current battle experience, and with your lack of preparation we can¡¯t expect you to employ the tactics that we will expect later in the year¡±.


    The Brunette clicked her fingers causing the etched circle to glow white, a feature that had escaped my attention was a bright line that cut through the centre of the group. The teacher continued after indicating the line. ¡°Could you all please separate yourselves into two teams and situate yourselves on either side of the line.¡±


    I watched as the children moved autonomously, splitting down the middle to form the two sides. To my stupefaction all the boys went right and the girls went left, reminding me that the group was entirely filled with thirteen year olds. I moved to join the boys though was stopped by a rather large and completely unintimidating bully. A roll of fat that fell out from beneath his t-shirt grabbed my attention more than the face meant to frighten me did. I heard a few laughs behind the kid that consolidated my view that I was beginning to be ostracised, whether it was my age, my attentiveness in class or my small figure I didn¡¯t know. To be honest I didn¡¯t really care but the boy in front of me had the hygiene of a goblin. (Which I assure you were relatively filthy with few exceptions). Already his putrid stench was filling my nostrils and as I made to walk past him, he stepped in my way again.


    Looking up I met the boys gaze who after spitting in my face, said in a voice that reminded me of a terrible throat infection, ¡°oi, fuck¡¯n scat yeh, gotta build of wanovthem twats¡±? He indicated the other side who all sneered in response.


    I just stood there, I had never heard such a terrible attempt of communication and could only chuckle as the sorry excuse of a child in front of me. I don¡¯t think he enjoyed that and to stop a fistfight that was bound to erupt I put up my palms defensively before turning around. ¡°Yeah, ok mate, whatever you say¡±. I joined the girls who gave a few words of sympathy and glanced over to the other side which were sniggering at my situation.


    That said and done the teacher clicked her fingers, causing the circle beneath us to turn from white to red. The surroundings began to blur and spin as my body was transferred to another location. As the spinning stopped I found myself on a grassy plain. A rocky range circled the field perfectly creating a bowled oval perhaps one kilometre long. Surrounding me were the girls from Crossford. They seemed familiar with the mode of transport and they ran to a small wooden shed placed deliberately close to our summoning point. As they emerged from the other side I was slightly disappointed with the wooden weapons they were equipped with. Crude and blunt things that would be better used as firewood.


    I was even more upset when I saw those who came out just flat out run towards the boys who could be seen cresting a hill in the distance. Surely we could make some plan, that¡¯s why I came to this stupid academy was it not?


    A hand on my shoulder brought me out of my misery and I turned to find Shirley standing warily behind me.


    ¡°Sorry about before¡± She said sincerely. ¡°But at least we¡¯re together right¡±? Her voice became hopeful as she held out a practice sword for me to take. I took it from her hand with a smile and a quick nod before turning my attention towards the two crowds which had almost reached each other.


    They met at the bottom of the hill with the boys placed slightly higher. I sighed, realising that by pure chance the boys had taken the high ground which gave them a significant advantage. I also noted that both teams had sprinted into battle and even from back here I could see the panting of shoulders and limps of exhaustion. I said such to Shirley and so both of us strolled calmly to the battle. Shirley filled me in that during the assembly I had missed, the teachers had told the gathered students that anyone who was knocked out or yielded would be immediately teleported back to school where a group of medical students would heal any wounds that they were burdened with. Also during any of these exercises all magic was prohibited and would result in the student being evicted from the skirmish.


    I watched as bright white lights were emitted from the fight. Each one signalling a single child either voluntarily or forcefully being taken back to campus. What I did see was that more and more of my side was being pushed back. Their strength being sapped by the hills hexing gradient.


    Shirley being Shirley couldn¡¯t be bothered with the slow approach and by the time we were even half way to the battle she broke from my side and ran to join the fray. I watched as Shirley jumped over the clumsy strike of an exhausted child before swinging her sword down in a terrifying downwards stroke. Her target¡¯s eyes turned white as they rolled up into his head, knocked out from the sheer ferocity of the blow.


    Though by now even I had reached the battle and placing my entire body weight on the balls of my feet, I leapt forward. The first boy I came in contact with didn¡¯t see me coming. He had spent the last several minutes desperately weaving between the fights and now each breath came with a rasping desperation.


    I was low to the ground, my arm curving beneath me to unleash an uppercut from outside of his vision. My insane horizontal momentum coupled with a demons affinity for speed meant that the exhausted and inexperienced boy wouldn¡¯t have had a chance even if he had seen me coming. As such he disappeared in the burst of a white light, giving me a small space to consider my options. Though my choice was made for me, as my peripheral vision caught a spear thrust aimed at my head. I leaned back slightly, allowing the blunt stick to pass just in front of my eyes. With my free hand I caught the shaft, pulling myself up with the added momentum of kicking my legs. My minuscule weight allowed me swing up and balance precariously upside down on top of the spear while a well-timed swing, brought my sword into the boy¡¯s temple. Instantly he was enveloped in the white light and he was gone. I fell towards the ground and I allowing my body to curl into a roll that brought me to my feet.


    There were few left now. Less than twenty on the boy¡¯s side and half that on the girl¡¯s. It was now a pitiful display of two against ones that sprawled out across the hill. I joined the closest one and joined a pretty silver haired girl with a short staff against two brutes who swung giant clubs with deceptive speed. I took the first from behind. Jamming my sword in between the brute¡¯s shoulder blades and dislodging a section of his spinal cord.  He screamed in agony but the silver haired girl brought an end to his pain with a crescent kick to his solar plexus, knocking the boy out with a flash of light. The remaining brute tried to take advantage of the girls turned back, though with a flick of my hand my sword shimmered through the air and found its way to his knuckles. The youth dropped his club with a bellow and his other hand automatically reached for his wound. This time it was us who took advantage of his lack of attention and I swept the boys feet from under him as the girl brought her staff down on the boys now exposed neck once again dealing the finishing blow.


    I didn¡¯t even stop to make eye contact with the girl before moving on to the next group. Although to my astonishment I found that Shirley had reached it before me and now stood alone with a blood splattered sword. A few lights flickered around her before fizzling out, marking the battle that had taken place. Unfortunately the rest of the battle was a nightmare. Completely outnumbered the other group battles had come to a very negative conclusion.  Now standing in front of us were the sixteen boys who had overcome the melee.


    I stood beside Shirley and the girls whose name was still unknown. In front of us were pictures of hell. Each boy that stood before me carried wounds from the fray. Blood trickled freely from numerous open gashes and a number of them cradled their arms, which were bent at obscene angles and probably broken. I saw Shirley grimace at the sight, most likely thinking that they were tough to endure such pain and continue fighting. I just thought they were stupid for getting hit in the first place. One did catch my eyes as the boy who had blocked my way in the summoning circle earlier. Out of all of the remaining opponents he seemed to be the least hurt, and seeing me as one of the last three standing, completely unharmed, he narrowed his eyes and barged through his allies towards me.


    A battle field is a terrible place, people who have experienced one will often say that it is the most confusing and terrifying situation to ever be a part of. Often a combatant will become unable to differentiate friend and foe, yet somehow amidst this confusion it is easy to pick a powerful figure, as people will always look for someone to inspire and lead them. Because of this when two figures who inspire such hope meet on the battlefield it is incredibly common that a clash between them will occur, as those who watch can often not bring themselves to interfere in a battle that symbolises the core strength of two forces. I¡¯m not trying to liken a petty dispute between two boys and two heroes of war. But I am trying to say that no one found it out of place when I stood up to meet the boy in single combat.


    This time I evaluated the boy in front of me. He was tall, monstrous even. With bludging muscles that were clearly visible under his multiple layers of clothing. His face was masculine to an extreme. With his square jaw and obtruding chin he reminded me of a berserker. He had sandy coloured hair that reached down to his shoulders but kept out of his eyes by a red headband. His eyes were a dull brown which seemed to be unable to look at any one thing for an extended period of time.


    He opened his mouth to speak though with his last attempt still in my memory, I didn¡¯t have high hopes for the second time round.  Instead, before he even uttered the first syllable I was running, closing the distance between me and the behemoth. The boy, although shocked that someone as small as me would attack him, almost immediately recovered by dropping into a defensive stance. He held a long staff diagonally to his body and crouched down to minimise my target. What this entailed was an incredibly defensive stance that if he was any good would be very hard to penetrate.


    Unfortunately for him, he wasn¡¯t any good. Even as I ran I saw his hands turn white showing off a grip that was too stiff. His eyes were in the wrong place, they were more focussed on making his stance perfect than on me and his feet were facing inwards, the signs of an offensive stance that contradicted his intentions.


    I, on the other hand had practiced every day with my fathers, who in their own rights were master swordsmen, consolidated the knowledge in brutal spars with Red and had drilled it into myself through hours on a training field. So it was only natural that I finished it quickly.


    How I did it was complicated, though I was rather pleased with it, so listen closely. The first step was to drastically alter my speed. When I judged that I was close enough I broke the regular rhythm of my feet with a half step not only slowing my advance but offsetting the rhythm of my oppenent.  The second step was to confuse the opponent. Only two metres away from the boy and near striking range I both ducked down and crossed my right leg over my left, turning my body away from the boy and sliding out of his vision. This worked especially well with his attention more on his weapon than me. To him it should have seemed as though I had disappeared. At my disappearance his stance naturally relaxed a bit as his head turned to find me, what he achieved by this was to raise his head slightly over the top of his guard. My last step could now be accomplished. I was inside his fallen guard, down by his right knee and spinning to my left. I allowed the spin to carry on and like a hurricane my sword circled around me gathering momentum and weight. After creating a full arc it slammed into the boys chin. Tearing though the outer skin and into the soft sinew underneath. The strength of the blow had both the crude stick and my own weight behind it and accompanied by multiple crunches of snapping bones, actually managed to lift the boy off the ground by at least a metre before a white light enveloped him and he was gone.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    I can¡¯t say that I was particularly proud of knocking out a thirteen year old human, but it was still damn satisfying as my spin left me facing the remaining children who were all too shocked to move, or even speak. In fact, finishing the duel with a single blow had shattered their remaining moral, and in the next few minutes where the three of us finished them off, all they did was parry our blows, too afraid that a counter would leave them to the same fate. Ironically it was this state which allowed the three of us to finish the remaining fifteen unharmed and soon we stood alone on the field which now took on a feeling of peaceful tranquillity.


    It didn¡¯t take long before my surroundings started to spin, easing away my physical form as we were re summoned to the school. Which I now evaluated. To be honest I thought the first day was lacklustre. While the first two classes had been brilliantly informative, the activity which had excited me the most had been a complete let down. If the skirmish wasn¡¯t compulsory I doubted I would have turned up again. Unfortunately it was, so after a quick congratulations from the Brunette teacher who I later found out was named Chelsea, I masked my presence and ran from the exotic building avoiding a few groups of children who had made it their mission to find me, whether for revenge or to apologise I didn¡¯t know. There was one more thing I needed to do today, and it was located at the south side of Tesuit, so that¡¯s where I ran, eventually leaving the upper class districts and moving quickly through the cobblestone streets of what my mother called the slums.


    The sun was setting now, and its crimson tendrils of light were fading through the alleyways. Soon it would be too dark to navigate so I doubled my pace. As such it wasn¡¯t long before I reached an ancient temple like building made from a midnight blue stone.  It looked similar to a pyramid except that each block that made up the structure was huge, making row upon row of retreating steps that were each taller than me. The entrance was foreboding to say the least. Two torches stood as guards to a disturbingly dark tunnel that seemed to speak as I drew close. A small inscription was carved into the stone above the entrance. ¡°For the possessed¡±. I felt a chill run down my spine as I took the first step inside the tunnel. Where the darkness engulfed me.


    I felt my way through the tunnel, my hands sliding across the perfectly smooth and cold walls as I took small steps in the darkness. As a quick interjection on how my family hadn¡¯t reacted well to my choice of becoming a possessed. My father straight up didn¡¯t like them as he didn¡¯t appreciate anything slightly demon related. Shirley thought having a demon inside my mind was creepy and my mum was furious as she knew I probably chose it to avoid the marriage she had planned. Even red was slightly taken back, although I don¡¯t think he really cared that much and he has probably forgotten it by now so I¡¯m not sure his opinion can be taken into account. Either way it seemed as though the possessed were unpopular, especially in the upper class areas of town. My mother had told my specifically that it would hinder me in the senate as many senators could counter my suggestions by implying that it was the demon in my mind speaking, not me.


    But back to the present. As I made my way through the tunnel a small light could be seen peeking through and as I kept going I found myself in a clearing lit by numerous floating balls of light. There was a single stage that overlooked the halls and a number of chairs lined up in front of it. So far I saw about twelve children, my age this time. Sitting down and staring eagerly up onto the stage. I sat down next to one of them with a small nod, though he must have been lost in nervousness as he didn¡¯t even notice me sit next to him. I shrugged, it didn¡¯t matter. I waited about twenty minutes in which time another four children made their way through the tunnel, all looking perplexed of its purpose. Although finally a mage burdened with heavy robes that slipped down to his ankles stepped out onto the stage and began the lesson.


    He spoke in a soft voice though echoed erringly in the tight confines of the room so we heard him as if he was whispering directly into our ears. ¡°Good afternoon students, and welcome to your first day of becoming a possessed. Firstly what kind of demons can we allow inside our minds? Of course they can¡¯t be physical or too strong, and so we limit ourselves to the demons we call dreams¡±. The man paused before raising two fingers to delicately touch the side of his head. To the students amazement when he retracted his hand a small wispy shape emerged with it. It looked like an animal made of smoke, green, mana incorporated smoke. It floated above his hand menacingly and consisted of a sleek body with a featureless head that looked back and forth, a pair of clawed hands floated detached from its body and the body itself thinned down into a wispy tail that seemed to flow happily from side to side.


    The man on the stage was evidently pleased with the children¡¯s surprise and when he continued he did so with a note of pride. ¡°This, is a dream. Of course there are many types of dreams, but the one you will obtain will likely be the one that suits you the most. Now listen carefully, there are seven classes of dreams¡±.


    What happened next was a pointlessly long rant on each species of dream, though for simplification I will outline them for you now.


    1 Daydream (Green): The most common of the dream class demons. Basically it was a jack of all trades. Though if asked for a specialty one could say they were good at clouding and replacing the memories of others. Creating effects similar to the deception I had placed upon the Nickar all those years ago.


    2 Lucid Dream (Blue): An incredibly rare dream. That excels in penetrating into the mind and creating an illusionary world for the target. Depending on the strength of the dream, the target can sometimes become so caught up in the illusion that it forgets about reality.


    3 Nightmare (Purple): A rare and dangerous demon that specialises in attacking the mind. Great for any magic user who wishes to obtain a more offensive class dream. Unavailable to any mage who isn¡¯t at least C class as it can sometimes backlash and damage the consciousness of an unwary wielder.


    4 Healing Dream (White): A rare demon that will only show itself to those it considers peaceful at heart. A more benevolent demon that can mentally defend or repair the mind. Healing dreams are often sought after as a magic user grows older as it is able to keep the mind in a youthful state.


    5 Prophetic Dream (Red): A very common demon with a slightly deceptive name. A prophetic dream is not used for seeing the future, but instead is capable of penetrating silently into the mind and siphoning the thoughts and synaptic signals to predict another¡¯s movement or actions. Useful to those who wish to join the arcane military corps.


    6 Mutual dream (Black): A common demon that excels in controlling others through the use of linking the brain of the mage and the target. Requires at least a DDD rank as if the target is too strong the user may find itself being controlled instead.


    7 Epic dream (Varying): Not an actual class of demon, but like a rank up for any of the other six. Basically after enough time a dream demon will morph into something completely new and terrifying. It will still keep the characteristics of its former class but its ability¡¯s will exponentially increase.


    The information I have just given you took approximately an hour and a half for the lead mage to go through and for a bunch of ten year olds this was almost an eternity. So I saw a number of children sign in relief when the mage said the words. ¡°So, are you ready to manifest one yourself? We all jumped up in answer to his question but we all hesitated when we had no idea what to do. The mages chuckled at our enthusiasm. ¡°Please step calmly onto the stage and we will guide you through¡±.


    The group walked with trepidation and as we gathered on the stage the mages indicated that we should lie down. We followed the instructions as a smooth voice washed over us. ¡°Now, close your eyes, to capture a dream we will need to send your consciousness to another plane¡±.


    What happened then was the weirdest sensation came over me. All feeling left me. Physically, I felt free, relieved from pain or pleasure. ¡°Open your eyes¡±, I heard a mage say. His voice no longer sounded close. It felt as if he was whispering from a long way away, yet his voice still held his earlier clarity. I complied to find I was no longer in the dimly lit room but floating freely in nothingness. I tried to reach out but found I was no longer in my body, but I held the form of a small light, floating alone in the darkness. I frowned, or at least I would have if I had a mouth. However for those who looked on, I¡¯m sure I would have looked as discontent as a light could have.


    When the initial surprise of leaving my body had left me, I found I could float around by willing myself too. It also didn¡¯t take long to notice a number of other lights whizzing around. Each was a slightly different shape and size but all were comparable to me. Most likely they were members of the possessed class and as I watched there were various reactions. Some enjoyed the newfound freedom and would yell and scream as they spiralled through the empty space. Others were finding it slightly more difficult. A certain small light could be seen nudging forward with unease and after a small time I heard sobs as the distressed occupant gave up his/her futile attempts.


    The voice came again. ¡°Ok, most of you have got a basic idea of how to move around. We will now be releasing the dreams into the plane, good luck¡±.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect, but when a giant vortex opened in the middle of the empty space I jumped slightly. The vortex was huge, and even though I was far away from it, I felt my form being dragged towards it. Fortunately it only stayed open for about three seconds.


    However those three seconds was more than enough for hundreds of dreams to slip through. I watched as the multitudes created a tide of colour that shifted and swirled in the black space. The lights stopped moving now, each appreciating the beauty of the scene. I would have been content watching the spectacle but the voice of the lead mage once again entered my mind. ¡°Now, the demons are through. Keep moving around and remember these are beings that do not naturally operate in the same level of existence that we do. They will feel your emotions, and react accordingly. If you wish to prosper as a possessed you must be confident in yourself. If you are, then they will approach you. When they do, stay calm and let them speak first. Be polite, but don¡¯t let them manipulate you. Good luck, we will pull you back into reality in thirty minutes so be prepared to return¡±. The voice echoed until it became too soft to hear whereupon silence once again filled the space.


    The dreams were now revolving in a great loop around us lights. As if taunting us into approaching. Then a single light moved, away from the rest of us who had now gathered in a clump. The light moved slow at first though with each passing second it moved faster and showed more control. Naturally in response to the first movement a few dreams pulled away from the loop and gathered around the leading light. I assumed they were conversing but I was too far away to listen in.


    A second light moved off, though this time there was a great deal of hesitation. I mentally winced as the light attracted only a single green dream. Obviously a good first impression was required if you were to have any choice of a decent contract.


    Having seen all there was to see I set off. During my past life I had stood in front of thousands of the highest rank of demon, who all would have ¨C if given the chance ¨C ripped me limb from limb to take my power. In those times my nerves had held still. My life had depended on me at least acting unshakable and so I just did, however this time there was a gut wrenching feeling in my stomach. Most likely a remnant feeling of my new body. So I stole my feelings and hardened my heart for whatever outcome was to come. As one the loop gave me their attention. Each member appraising me.


    In response several dreams cut off and flew towards me. I was slightly disappointed with the turnout as the first light had received at least a good dozen though I didn¡¯t let it show. The reason for the small number soon became clear. While the first light had received multiple demons of different colours, the dreams approaching me were all a mesmerising purple.


    It clicked then. The dreams didn¡¯t just read your emotions but your character as well. Even when the lead mage was talking about the different advantages of each dream, my mind was entirely focussed upon the nightmare.  The dreams had sensed this, I could only imagine how much else they knew.


    There were three in total. Three sleek bodies that twirled around me. After a minute of close inspection one stepped back and came to a rest a metre in front of me. I almost spoke a greeting though at the last second I remembered the mage¡¯s warning to let them speak first, and so I waited patiently.


    ¡°What do you seek¡±? The voice came precipitously. It emerged from the dream and the powerful tone perfectly contradicted the frail looking figure in front of me.


    I didn¡¯t even think about the answer. ¡°Power¡± I replied instantly. I spoke honestly, without a hint of deception. Perhaps I should have, but if the demons knew as much about me as I believed they did, they should have had no trouble telling if I was lying or not. The demon in front of me nodded.


    ¡°For what reason¡±? Once again the demons heavy voice caught me off guard and to add to the effect it brought its head up closer to mine, as if it was looking straight into my mind.


    ¡°For myself¡±. I wasn¡¯t wrong, I did intend to gain power to achieve my own goals. Regardless if these goals were for others or me, the answer was simple and correct. The demon just nodded in response before resuming to spin around me.


    Another of the three demons took its place in front of me. This one was slightly larger than the first, and it didn¡¯t waste any time before continuing the questions. ¡°You¡­.¡± It started, ¡°why¡­¡­. Possessed¡±. Its voice wasn¡¯t as loud as the first and it seemed less sure of the words it was using.


    ¡°To help achieve a goal¡±. There was no point in hiding it from them. If they were going into my mind they would find out regardless.


    ¡°Which¡­¡­. is¡±?


    ¡°King¡±.


    ¡°The humans¡­¡­. Don¡¯t select¡­¡­¡­ Kings by power¡±.


    I chuckled slightly before continuing. It sounded silly even to me. ¡°Not for the humans, for the demons¡±. Even before I finished the demons were recoiling. All three just sat there looking at me incredulously. I could only watch as they scanned my body for lies.


    ¡°You¡¯re not human¡±. The first demon stated.


    ¡°No I¡¯m not¡±. I replied. The four of us just floated in an awkward silence before finally the first two dreams broke the unnatural state and floated away to join the great ring of demons, which even now was still circling me. I sighed, perhaps I had been foolish to reveal so much. But seeing as one demon still lingered I regathered myself. Only to find it laughing, ominous laughs that echoed throughout the empty space.


    ¡°You want to become a king, finally. You don¡¯t know how many years I have waited in these planes. Waiting for someone worthwhile, and all I got were pathetic children hoping for a strong partner to impress their teachers¡±. Its voice, wasn¡¯t strong or particularly deep. But every syllable was pronounced with such finesse and accompanying it was a sinister undertone that practically screamed malevolent. ¡°I believe it is time to leave this place¡±, it paused briefly and all laughter stopped. ¡°If you¡¯ll take me¡±.


    I thought for a moment. The demon in front of me didn¡¯t seem like one that would willingly take orders from people it thought were beneath it. So a show of strength would be necessary. ¡°And why, little demon, should I take you¡±.


    The silence was replaced with a chuckle and the dream drew in close before whispering. ¡°Because you don¡¯t have much of a choice¡±. Its detached hand indicated the clear surroundings as if taunting me for my lack of attention. ¡°And, I think we¡¯re perfect for each other¡±.


    ¡°How are we perfect for each other¡±? I asked inquisitively.


    ¡°Because, I can see your true self. Underneath your layer of social conformity I see desire. I can help. You have certain emotions barring your true potential. But if I removed them we could turn those desires into reality and prosper¡±.


    The more time I spent with this small demon the more it resembled my past self, as if with time it became more like me. It cared for the results, not the methods, and honestly, I had thought about forcing my way into power. However while it was true that in some ways my newfound emotions were hindering my advancement, it also gave me an insight into the advantages of gaining power with time and trust. Something this demon would never understand. So I continued lowering my voice to a dangerous level. ¡°Unfortunately little demon, I believe you are misunderstanding something. While I do indeed intend to follow through with those desires you accurately pointed out, I plan to do so my way. With patients and tact. With time it will happen but I do not need you, a whelp, to tell me how to best go about it, do I make myself clear¡±.


    ¡°Yes¡± came the squeaking reply, the demon completely lost its fa?ade for a split second, looking deeply troubled as if it had made a mistake. The dream made to say more but I cut it off before it could continue.


    ¡°So, whelp, I¡¯ll ask you once. What can you provide me, or do I need to come back another day¡±.


    Having been momentarily startled before, my loaded question made it lose its cool entirely. It staggered back slightly and for a while it seemed the only thing stopping the dream floating back to the ring was its pride. It showed a large amount of mental fortitude by gathering its thoughts before trying again, though when it did there was the unmistakable tone of respect. ¡°Of course, I apologise for my ignorance. However I understand and appreciate your goal, which makes me invaluable to you. Quick tell me, how many demons it that ring would follow you after what you have told me¡±. I vaguely saw him gesture to the circling demons as I pondered his question. Honestly he was right. Like the other two dreams before, many would likely turn their backs on my ideals and I did not have the time to keep returning and waiting for a demon which would.


    I once again look at the demon in front of me. It hovered in the air, slowly slinking back and forth. Unlike the other demons, its claws were longer. Curved into wicked sickles blighted with cruel serrated edges. Without a physical form they wouldn¡¯t be hurting anything but they reflected the demon¡¯s inner personality. I liked the idea of having a heartless weapon that wouldn¡¯t question me mid battle. But there would be repercussions later due to its personality. Then again it showed enough intelligence to be reasoned with, which was a positive sign. As with enough reason, a compromise can be made with even the stubbornest of individuals. But there was still one problem.


    ¡°What do you want from me in return¡±? I asked. Call me suspicious but the dream in front of me seemed too headstrong to blindly follow a child. In the end I was glad I asked it. The demon hesitated slightly before lowering its head sadly. It shook its head in response, refusing to speak.


    I was shocked at this, the strong demon I had seen before was no longer there, and in its place was a cringing demon that looked unsure of itself. This annoyed me, what stood in front of me had both a poor personality and a weak constitution, liable of collapse at the slightest mental pressure. I sighed. ¡°Waste of time¡±. I muttered. Before turning my back, if I was lucky I could talk to a few other demons before the time was up.


    ¡°Wait¡±! A voice came from behind me. A small pleading voice, the finesse was still there but there was no sinister undertone. ¡°Please take me with you¡±. I turned once again to find the purple nightmare floating behind me, however this time there were subtle differences. Its body had lost the shard edge, and its claws and shrunk back into its hands leaving tiny nails that while filed to a point, no longer held the sinful appearance. ¡°I made a mistake, I¡¯m not like before, really! I just thought that¡¯s what you wanted¡±. I was baffled by the change in the little demon. But I couldn¡¯t back down because of this display. After all, it could be an act. So naturally I repeated my last question.


    There was a silence for a while as the dream seemed to internally agonise itself on what to do, though finally it spoke. ¡°I want to leave this place¡±. It said softly.


    I frowned, from the reactions of the kids earlier nightmares should have had no trouble in being picked. I mentioned this when the demon quickly leapt in saying, ¡°but I don¡¯t want someone who will parade me around for self-recognition¡±.


    ¡°So how do you know I wouldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re strong, you don¡¯t need too¡±! I startled slightly, surely he couldn¡¯t see my magical potential. The demon must have noticed my surprise as he continued quickly. ¡°We can all see how powerful you are, and so we know you¡¯re not looking for more acknowledgement¡±.


    The explanation seemed fine but I still didn¡¯t know why the demon had seemed so reluctant to say it, or why it was so worried about being shown around back in the human plane. Unless it was hiding something. I knew the time would be running out soon so I kept it blunt. ¡°What are you hiding¡±? I asked. Though even as I said it, I saw the dream flicker. It was so quick so I almost missed it, but for a split second the dream became a mesmerising blue. Then suddenly it all clicked. The demons reluctance to answer questions was due to its hiding of its actual abilities, its hatred for being shown around was due to its rarity and its ability to seamlessly change personality which was the effect of its class. As soon as I saw the flicker I knew enough to know that I was under the effects of an illusion. So delicately woven that I hadn¡¯t even noticed its creation.


    I gathered a small amount of magic inside me and delved into the mind of the demon facing me. Its face perfectly mimicked the surprise it felt, which now that I was inside it, I felt as well. Now inside the mind of the dream I released an overwhelming amount of unrestrained energy. Without direction the magic wouldn¡¯t hurt the demon, but it would act as interference for its thought patterns and as I retreated back into my own body of light, the demon could only float silently as the magic dissipated. However there was now a crucial difference. The illusion - now no longer under the demons maintenance ¨C fell apart. Surprising me slightly was that the only change occurred to the demon itself. It was now the colour that it had blinked to previously. A beautiful swirling blue that made natural alien like patterns along the demons body. The marks of a lucid dream.


    Then the demon snapped out of the momentary paralysis with a jerk. Its face swung my way and it backed away in fear.


    ¡°No way, my illusion, so easily¡±.


    ¡°Why pretend¡±? I ask simply, the disappointment layered in my voice. Though I could only watch as the demon began to cry. I don¡¯t know how so don¡¯t ask, he had no eyes or a physical form. But still tears streaked down the streamlined face.


    ¡°Because I wanted to go with you, and you only wanted a nightmare¡±. Great heaving breaths dissected his speech as the demon turned to leave.


    I don¡¯t know why I called out for him. Pity perhaps, but it was also due to being relatively impressed. The fact that I hadn¡¯t even noticed the illusion being cast was a great plus. What it meant was that this small demon in front of me was capable of entering a stable mind completely undetected even going so far to leaving not a single trace of magical presence to be found by any counter magic of my level. ¡°Hold up¡±. I said slowly. ¡°No more avoiding the question, now that I know you are a lucid dream I want to know what you could offer me If I took you with me¡±.


    The tears stoped and the dream looked back at me. Cautiously at first, as if I was teasing it. Though apparently he saw the honestly in my ball of light and its started jumping up and down in excitement. ¡°I could help infiltrate and hide your presence in another¡¯s mind as well as assist you in any utility options while in there¡±. The voice was quick and flawless this time, no lies, no deceit.


    Almost coincidently the voice of the lead mage rang out in the empty space. ¡°We will now be pulling you back into our plane, all that is required for the demon to follow you is your permission, you have twenty seconds¡±.


    Hurriedly I turned my focus to the blue dream in front of me and in an assured voice I said, ¡°What¡¯s your name¡±?


    ¡°Blue¡± came the reply. I couldn¡¯t help but frown inwardly. I had forgotten about the demon naming sense. Oh well, at least red wouldn¡¯t feel too left out.


    ¡°Ok Blue, my name is Aare, I hope we will get along well in the future.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean¡± the demon started hopefully.


    ¡°Yes, would you do me the honour of joining me¡±?


    ¡°Of course¡±. Came the happy reply. As the demon finished speaking a vortex opened right next to my left flank, pulling me though.


    The sensations hit me, gravity weighed me down, the sound of dozens of people filled my ears, and the dim lights warmed my face as their emissions washed over my body. I grinned.


    I was back, and my life was about to become very colourful (pun intended).


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Previous Chapter</a></td><td width="25%">Back to Main Page</a></td><td width="25%">Next Chapter</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 Reunion and Resolution (Chp 7)

    FINALLY DONE :D


    Wow that chapter didn''t want to be written.


    Yes I know I fell Waaaaayyyyy behind on my deadline but I think the length (13K) makes up for that. :)


    Ok so this was the longest chapter written to date so I know that there will be a fair few spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. A common one will be a missing "e" because the key is slightly broken on my laptop, and if I don''t press it with enough force it just doesn''t work :( So I would be really grateful if you could point out any mistakes you find.


    Could someone please tell me how to link one chapter to the next. Cheers.


    Last thing.Could someone tell me why my 5th chapter has more views than my 1st?!? It just doesn''t make sense. Oh well that''s all from me Hope you like it. :)


    Edit: Due to complaints, here is a warning for the contents of this chapter. Especially towards the end there are some mature themes.  I didn''t think i needed to explain this due to the tragedy tag and the mature tag. But here it is.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------


    During my time in Tesuit I have made it my personal goal to avoid large crowds, lest I be discovered by a weary magician strong enough to see through me but anonymous enough to avoid my attention. I can¡¯t say I achieved my goal however as currently I find myself surrounded to the point where I am seriously considering if I have claustrophobia. It was almost as if the entire population of Tesuit stood in the expanded town square. Watching as a single man climbed a lone ladder to hang next to a temporary and gigantic wooden sign that had been erected for the occasion. What is the occasion you may ask, well I will tell you that for humanity, it was not a good one.


    Moments later a large poster was put on full display, and as the man backed down the ladder to reveal its full contents I heard the terrified gasps of those around me. For the poster contained no words, just a sickly yellow painted line that swept diagonally across the page, parted neatly by two red strokes that cut through perpendicular to the yellow one. Even without the implied meaning I would have found the simple message ominous. It implied however a declaration of unity under a single demon lord had been established.


    To any who do not understand the consequences of such an agreement need only be told that without the large amount of infighting between the many factions present in the Demon empire, they could concentrate their forces into a common goal, and being situated right next to the demon empire, the humans would inevitable find themselves under siege in the near future. Shaking my head I squeezed my way out of the crowd.


    **We don¡¯t have much time now, we can¡¯t stay here forever**. Came the echo in my mind. At first, Blue¡¯s sudden outbursts would make me jump in surprise but after two years of his cohabitation I had become used to them. Yes, two years have passed, making me a proud twelve year old. Physically not much has changed, I still retain my small stature yet Shirley tells me my body has now become slightly defined. With small muscles built up from years of intense physical exercise. Though the biggest change I have gone through would be a mental one.


    Incubus abilities alone I am now able to alter my appearance with relative ease. Not to the extent of my Mother or Lye who could basically become anyone they wished, as I couldn¡¯t do anything like change my height or my gender. But my facial features and skin tone could be altered enough to mislead even the most cautious of humans.


    Magically I have also progressed. In my past life my abilities had developed naturally, through trial and error I found what worked and what didn¡¯t. However, here I have multiple teachers directing my learning. It took only a year for my unnatural ability to surpass the head mage in my possessed class, and under his tutelage I am now able to ¨Cwith the help of blue- silently penetrate his mind without detection from either him or his dream demon, a task which he himself proclaimed as impossible earlier that year.


    I also now know why the possessed were treated with such caution and disdain from the majority of Tesuit. Earlier in the year a boy named Kevin had lost control of his dream and the result was messy to say the least. The demon in question had taken control of his body, shattering the mind of the youngling and killing his parents with a blunt kitchen knife. The next morning the neighbours had found the child devouring the corpses of his deceased parents and the lead possessed mage was forced to kill the demon. What scared me the most was that this type of occurrence was considered relatively common. Naturally a closed in and excluded city like Tesuit has a shockingly fast rumour mill and before the end of the day I noticed that certain people began to distance themselves from me.


    First was my mother who no longer gave me any physical contact and kept conversation to a minimum. The second was Oliver from my group of human friends. To be honest I couldn¡¯t blame him, he had known Kevin personally and had taken the news beyond badly. I later heard from Jack that he barricaded himself in his room, with his only communication being a small whisper that would alert the family when he was hungry. He came out eventually and I understood why he refused to speak to me, what I was annoyed by, was his insistence to cut me from the group.


    At first I had fought against my disassociation, and with Jacks help I held onto their friendship for a solid three months, though unfortunately Oliver¡¯s goal was inevitable and due to the discord that was spreading I was asked formally to leave them alone. I tried to put on a tough front but I cried that night. It was times like these that made me hate my new found emotions. Jack still talked to me of course, but it meant my interaction with people my own age decreased significantly.


    Fortunately for me, blue had no such evil intentions. Having discovered that I was a demon, he was unexpectedly loyal. Going so far as to voluntarily encase himself within a wall of my magic designed to protect myself from any outburst he may consider attempting.


    My progression in my Warlock class had been less eventful. The premise of the class was to gain an outstanding affinity with mana to the extent where you could manipulate another¡¯s pool in the midst of battle. As such there was always room for improvement and so no matter what your skill, the first three years would be made up entirely of studying the properties of mana and meditating to refine your own source and increase your control over it as a resource. What this meant was that I just continued my daily meditation in this class instead of at home. But still with a teachers advice my pool was becoming purer and my control was fasted and more receptive to my thoughts than ever before.


    As for my mana pool itself, it was still growing. Almost dangerously so. I have heard stories of those who lost control of their power due to a lack of preparation regarding its potential. This made my Warlock training even more essential as I didn¡¯t want to join the ranks of those who were too afraid to cast a spell in fear of their magic turning on them. Thankfully my schedule left me little time to worry.


    Three more events bulked up my schedule. The first was the expected training required of all children in Tesuit. Luckily I was allowed to cut down slightly on the amount of time I spent there thanks to the CCC mage John¡¯s influence. But still, that coupled with the Military academy made whatever time I had left rare and despairingly short. However, unlike training, the military academy was a time I enjoyed. My work ethic alone kept me weeks ahead of the class and I often found myself seeking private tuition with each teacher going over material that needed clarification. Naturally I was able to finish the majority of the work inside the walls of the academy itself, so my nights were freed from the chains of homework and I found myself surrounded by more productive and practical activities, and augmented by the fascinating lectures ¨Cthat only I paid any attention too- I enjoyed the heck out of it.


    I was also surprised when on my second day, a stunning girl sat down next to me, her name was Hannah and she was the silver haired girl I had met and fought with during the very first mock skirmish. Upon meeting her a second time, I appraised her once more. She had a pretty oval face with captivating green eyes shadowed by thin eyebrows that slanted slightly to give a sharper look. Her skin was largely unblemished bar a patch of small freckles that dotted the tip of her nose which wriggled slightly when she tried to talk. .


    As adolescent as it sounds I enjoyed her company far more than I should have, she was wickedly intelligent and even without paying attention to the lectures she pumped out grades that rivalled my own. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t often hear this ¡°intelligence¡± as Hannah¡¯s inherent shyness meant that she barely spoke. Though on one of the rare times she did, she confessed to me that she had achieved a shocking D in her magical aptitude test, shattering her former ambitions of becoming a magician. This went against her family¡¯s expectations and she was brutally treated by them ever since. Even her one year younger brother gave her constant abuse that had turned physical when he himself had gone through his own magical aptitude test. Perhaps this was the reason for her withdrawn demeanour. Hannah, in an attempt to defend herself, directed her full attention on the physical side of the military. Passing through her expected training and joining the war dancing corps. Not to be confused with an aesthetic group, the war dancing corps is used primarily by Tesuit for its shock and awe, weaving their way through the battlefield as whirlwinds of death in complex patterns and manoeuvres


    Talking of whirlwinds of death I notice a demon has escaped the last two year summary, and perhaps the biggest change that has occurred over them concerned the quite Shedim demon. Red, ever since we began our stay in the mansion has directed his entire being on beating a single man. The result is that now he completely surpasses my new father in military prowess, leading my father to recommend him for the annual combat tournament of Tesuit. A tournament so internationally known that only the absolute pinnacle of skill is allowed passed the preliminary rounds alone. Red at first was slightly hesitant, though after assurance from me that he wouldn¡¯t be discovered he allowed himself to be bundled off early in the morning to the southern reaches of the city. There, in a giant colosseum he spent a total of six weeks facing opponent after opponent fighting for the top position. Unfortunately he was bested by a man who later triumphed as the victor of the entire competition. But even so a commemorative party was held that night in his honour were an array of important men came to ask him for his services, yet in his usual blunt way he turned them away, saying he preferred to stay with me.


    One thing that pleasantly surprised me about the military academy were the mock skirmishes. Having been disheartened from the first day I soon realised that each session slowly became more tactfully viable. Ever since the first day I was still condemned to the female side though now it was by no act of bullying. It was out of respect that anyone who found me would challenge me to a duel and to this day I haven¡¯t lost in a physical challenge. An example of a particularly interesting occasion was a capture the flag match. The academy had erected two ginormous pyramidal type structures with winding paths that cut their way up the buildings. Although it wasn¡¯t that simple. Most of the roads were dead ends and a child who walked up one would find himself surrounded by a myriad of traps that the mountains would offer. Whether that be a giant rolling log that sent the child back to campus on contact. Or a hidden path that allowed other enemy children in behind them. It was interesting because obviously invading the enemy position was a death-trap but a time limit was put in place and the winning condition was the team which went the furthest up the opponent¡¯s structure. To increase the fun an observation platform was placed close to each pyramid where a designated person on each team could stand, yelling directions to the courageous children who braved the paths.


    I blinked, finding myself back in the present. With Blue¡¯s voice still resonating in my mind. The population of Tesuit still standing in their shocked huddle. As I made my way past the last few people I couldn¡¯t help but notice my old group, led by Jack circling around the edge of the square. They seemed to be in a disagreement and Oliver kept close to Jack¡¯s heel muttering something that I couldn¡¯t hear over the buzz of the square. Though upon seeing me Jack made a beeline in my direction. Obviously the disagreement was concerning me as Oliver stayed back pouting slightly.


    ¡°Aare¡±, Jack called happily over the onslaught of noise around us. I nodded in reply which was all the boy needed to continue. ¡°Hey mate, was just wondering if you¡¯ve signed up to a guild team¡±? I frowned, the obvious conclusion that I made was that he wanted me to join his and I considered my day carefully. Later on I was meant to go to the possessed temple where we would run through the daily exercises, until then I was free. But did I want to spend the one day I had off to go running around with a group who didn¡¯t particularly feel comfortable around me. Or, at least that¡¯s what I was thinking until I realised there wasn¡¯t much else to do. Mum was at home, so going home would basically be the same problem.


    ¡°No I haven¡¯t¡± I replied hesitantly, ¡°but what¡¯s brought this up¡±.


    ¡°Well, we only have nine people and one mission we want to sign up for requires ten and one of us needs to be a Warlock. Soooooo think you could help us out¡±?


    **Why not**? Blue echoed, allowing his thought to float in my mind. **We don¡¯t have any other plans, and I¡¯m feeling adventurous. Plus you know what happens when I¡¯m cooped up in here for too long. I need to get out and see the world**. The voice trailed off wistfully. Although Blue did tent to spout out optimistic nonsense, he did have a point. There wasn¡¯t really anything to lose.


    ¡°I need to be back by dark¡± I warned. Extending my hand to shake, which Jack grasped with obvious relief.


    ¡°Brilliant¡±, he said excitement layered into his voice. ¡°Meet us at the guild in twenty minutes, ok¡±? He spoke quickly before turning on his heel and rushing back to his group. ¡°Oh¡± he yelled over his shoulder. ¡°Bring a weapon¡±, I didn¡¯t wait any longer but ran home to sort out my equipment. As I rushed through the front door, I vaguely noticed Mum in the kitchen and I shouted a greeting before rushing upstairs. I didn¡¯t wait for a reply, knowing that it would never come.


    It was only a day mission so I didn¡¯t need to pack anything heavy. Only the basics, like lunch, a canteen filled to the brim with water and a basic first aid pack which I grabbed from my dad¡¯s supply. I placed everything into a brown leather bag, swinging it up over my shoulders and slipping a small black bladed dagger into my belt. If I was in a group of ten I didn¡¯t expect to be placed near the frontline so a dagger should suffice and in an emergency I could summon a plethora of weaponry in a number of different ways so I didn¡¯t see a great need to bring more. Instead I rushed down the stairs, shouted a goodbye that would never be answered and made for the door. Only to have it opened before me by two girls talking animatedly to each other. The first was Shirley whose face lit up when she saw my bag. ¡°Where you going¡±. She asked curiously before turning to the girl next to her. I knew who it was as soon as I saw the silver hair which fluttered slightly in the breeze.


    Hannah tilted her head slightly in surprise as she noticed the dagger by my side. Being in the same academy class, she was used to seeing me with a number of wooden weapons though this may have been the first time she had seen me with a real one. Her surprise didn¡¯t last long though and she looked me strait in the eye before saying, ¡°guild quest I assume¡±. I blinked, twice, before nodding in confirmation.


    ¡°Well¡± Shirley cut in, ¡°Aare, you know its best not to go out with exposed weapons, you only make a target of yourself, wait here¡± she said before running off and skidding around the corner. Moments later she was back with a large parcel under her arm and without any commotion shoved into my chest, slightly winding me. When I gave her a puzzled look she just laughed. ¡°What, I can¡¯t spoil my brother every now and then? Come on Aare¡± she drawled happily. ¡°Open it¡±! I complied tearing open the fragile paper, to reveal what could only be described as a midnight blue trench coat. ¡°Put it on¡±, came the voice again which was giggling now. After an awkward few seconds of removing my bag and putting on the coat I could only gasp at its quality. It was tight fitting and dropped all the way down to my ankles, yet a clever design in the fabric ¨Ca number of cuts and folds- made it not constricting in the slightest. ¡°Isn¡¯t my brother cute Hannah¡±, my sister laughed slapping me on the back at the same time. Though when no response came our eyes turned as one to the girl who was now blushing and had apparently found something extremely interesting on the floor. Shirley met my gaze. Her face  a mixture of a pout and laughter. ¡°Oh, for fuck sake¡±. She giggled. ¡°Hannah, you go with him, I can¡¯t even watch this¡±, and with those words she did a quick spin and dashed up the stairs, a grin stuck on her face.


    So the two of us just stood there for a minute. Never before had such a terrible silence elapsed between the two of us and I struggled to find any words to end it. Thankfully she did it for me, ¡°shall we go then¡±. She blushed, pointing in a vague direction that I knew the guild to be in.


    I tried to be thoughtful gesturing to the door and saying ¡°After you¡±. But all I accomplished was an embarrassed Hannah and a hysterical Shirley who upstairs had erupted into another spout of laughter.


    The guild was everything I despised. Firstly the small wooden building bluntly reminded me of my old house in the demon village. So I spent a solid several minutes in ominous silence, reminiscing of better times. Hannah noticed my state and perhaps wisely left me alone. Secondly it was crowded, and much like the town square this morning I suddenly found myself suffering from a similar case of claustrophobia. That coupled with the natural musky and damp atmosphere made this place a living nightmare.


    So what is a guild I hear all of you ask? Well firstly I need to explain the inner politics of Tesuit. The first thing you need to know is that a city that prides itself on its garrison ¨C like us ¨C finds the majority of its soldiers with nothing to do in the peaceful times. So to allow the soldiers to make some extra money while simultaneously sorting out a variety of issues, the government of Tesuit will highlight a number of errands that could be sorted out by a small number of independent men. These errands are then passed to an establishment called a guild which will divvy out tasks to those who are capable of completing it. For example the quest that Jack¡¯s group wished to complete had a rule saying that no group fewer than ten people could attempt it.


    So here I find myself, in a disgusting hole that practically stunk of capitalism. I shuddered before catching sight of Jack leading eight boys and girls who all looked remarkably at home in this hell hole. Catching my eye he waved before easing his way through the crowd up to the front desk. I met him there and gave a quick greeting to the children of the group. They each replied in their own way before glancing behind me where Hannah stood waiting. ¡°Is there room for one more¡± I asked politely. I knew it was bad form to invite someone along to another¡¯s gathering without prior warning. But I needn¡¯t have worried as Jack gave a quick smile and nodded affirmation.


    An old man with a naturally curled lower lip sneered at us from behind the counter as Jack squeezed up to it. Apparently Jack was a smooth talker as soon he had the man laughing along with him before he ceased conversation and pulled out a tied scroll. The man took it and after a quick glimpse of its contents nodded several times before stamping the top. I couldn¡¯t hear what was being said but soon jack was pointing to me and the man gestured for me to approach.


    As I got closer I realised that the man resembled the state of the guild far more than I had originally thought from afar. His face was slightly disfigured by a scar that ran from the corner of his eye up to his ear. His teeth were stained yellow and when he opened his mouth to speak a terrifying stench filled my nostrils urging me to recoil, but alas, to avoid confrontation I held my ground. To my complete surprise he completely overturned my evaluation. He held out his hand warmly and after I took it he said. ¡°I hope you already know, but the mission you are about to embark on may require you to confront things that will require your knowledge as a warlock to pass.¡±


    I arched my eyebrow at Jack inquisitively and he had the sense to look slightly sheepish before quickly explaining. ¡°A group of slave traders have been found outside the walls. That¡¯s our target, we can bring them back dead or alive and they have only been classified as only slightly dangerous. The only problems is they are known to transport magical creatures, most are harmless though some may be ethereal so having a person who can manipulate mana is a must¡±. I shrugged before turning my attention back to the man who now looked uncertain.


    ¡°Just to be sure¡± The man started, ¡°I¡¯ll need to see that you are capable of manipulating another¡¯s mana. I don¡¯t need to see much¡±. He let go of my hand and upturned his own. He closed his eyes to concentrate and soon a dull ball of blue light floated above his palm. Once again meeting my gaze he continued, ¡°I just need to see you block the mana I¡¯m using to suspend this ball¡±.


    I smiled in response. What he was asking was a simple enough test. Basically one of the simplest principles of mana manipulation was that each person had their own areas on their body which were able to secrete mana, the warlocks called them mana points. What this test asked of me was that I was able to see mana itself and then locate where it was being secreted. Both were ideas that were explored early in the curriculum of a warlock. Quickly I filtered my eyes with a veil of mana, and suddenly the ball of mana in the man¡¯s hands told a completely different story. While the blue ball still hovered it no longer looked alone.


    Smoky blue tendrils held the ball in place and as I traced the tendrils back to the hand I noticed they all converged nicely into two points. Now that I had located the spaces the next part was slightly more difficult. Mana points were notoriously easy to find, but blocking them required manipulating another¡¯s mana. Because while you could force you own mana into the points it would soon be purged as it would be recognised as a foreign substance and fought off by a native mana supply.


    What I did next would be easier explained as I go, so listen closely. I closed my eyes before reaching out mentally. Even with my eyes closed I could still feel the mana as it gave off a sensation - much like static electricity - every few seconds. Similar to manipulating my own mana I felt my consciousness grasp onto the blue smoke that even now held the ball of light aloft. It took a while but by switching between sudden tugs and smooth coxing I felt the man¡¯s mana retract inside his body, building up just inside his mana points. I grinned, the rest was easy. Quickly I rose my hand and fired off a series of mana pulsations, which to an untrained eye would have seemed completely random. To me each pulse was placed at a fixed distance from the mana points and as my mana oscillated it set off a chain reaction with both my other pulses and the man¡¯s mana. Each oscillation shook his mana, both removing his control and causing it to fold in on itself, changing it from a smoky gas like substance to a dense liquid which would clog up the limited mana points. Perhaps four seconds had elapsed overall when I opened my eyes and the man in front of me shook his hand around, testing the blocks. After a few second the man ceased his flailing and smiled up at me.


    ¡°How long will this last¡±?


    **How long**? I asked blue, I had noticed a small tug, indicating his vague interest when I blocked the man¡¯s points and his guess would be miles better than mine.


    **Five or six days**. Came the instant reply. **You went a bit overboard though so it could be longer** He amended.


    ¡°A few days¡±, I grimaced, out loud this time. We both knew that there was no way to unblock a mana point except to wait it out. Usually it only stopped emitting for a couple of hours, but then again, I wasn¡¯t ¡°usual¡±.


    ¡°Impressive¡±. The man whistled. ¡°Well, anyway. That¡¯s all I needed to see. You lot be careful now¡±. Our group chorused assent before filing through the door and gathering out the front.


    We didn¡¯t waste time as Jack led the group in single file through the narrow streets. Eventually we reached the walls and I watched amazed as Jack simply held up the scroll before the guards stepped aside and called for the great gates to open. Now that we found ourselves outside the gate Jack gestured for me to walk besides him. ¡°I just want to say sorry mate.¡± I knew he was talking about my disassociation and I cut him off before he could continue.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s ok, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± I began, I held up my arm when he tried to continue, ¡°and I know it¡¯s not Oliver¡¯s fault either. He had every reason to act as he did¡±. The rest of the walk was uneventful as most of the group was too excited to talk and Jack just looked at the ground deep in thought. The land surrounding Tesuit was as boring as my company, green fields filled with farmers. Though after walking for at least three hours we past the fringes of the kingdom and made our way to the foot of the first tree leading to the forest Red and I had run through to escape the demon army. It was smaller than I remembered. The trees not as imposing. Although to the group of kids who stood around me the trees were a prospect of fear. Many had never left Tesuit before and it was well know that creatures of great power inhabited these trees.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan¡± Hannah asked from behind me. I hadn¡¯t seen her at all and her voice made me jump. I shrugged, I didn¡¯t want to take a leaders position here. Something told me that I still wasn¡¯t welcome and to try anything would be considered arrogant.


    ¡°The Plan¡± Oliver spoke up from the front, ¡°is to locate the traders¡±.


    We all looked at the forest looming before us, we were all thinking the same thing. ¡°How the hell will we find them¡±, a large boy replied. Although Oliver just sneered.


    ¡°You won¡¯t find them, I will¡±. He raised his hand high before chanting some words under his breath. What he did next was a relative simple searching spell. A giant blue ring, rocketed out with Oliver at the centre, shooting over the grass and into the forest. Seconds later it returned and when it did Oliver¡¯s smile turned viscous. ¡°That way¡±. He said pointing into the woods.


    Slightly sceptical the group began the walk with trepidation. No longer was the group in a state of excitement and now the almost harmless emotion was replaced entirely with fear. For many of them this would be the first time they participated in real combat, and death as a prospect that very few become impassive towards. The fear was unjustified of course. Each of them had been trained since birth by a city renowned for pumping out the strongest of the human race, and while the may not be comparable to a demon. Each of them could stand alone against an elf or a dwarf. The enemy however was reported to be a bunch of human traders, more adept in the art of deceit that anything combat related and so the trepidation we showed was most like an over precaution.


    By following Oliver it didn¡¯t take us long before we encountered the traders. They had set up camp in a large clearing with a small creek running through the middle. Nothing permanent but a number of high topped tents separated into three groups were left sprawled across the clearing. After lying down on a small ridge just inside the tree line I whispered to Oliver, who even now was trying to sum up the enemy.  ¡°How many¡±?


    He turned to me with a frown, ¡°about twenty guards¡±, he replied in a hushed voice. ¡°There are about fifty more in that tent over there¡± He continued, pointing to an especially large tent on our right. ¡°But I reckon most of them would be the merchandise, and over there¡±, he pointed to the left ¡°Is something else, but this one is more like an animal, can¡¯t really tell what it is though. There¡¯s a lot of magical interference¡±. We looked at each other briefly. I knew we were both thinking the same thing. It was certainly a magical creature and the excess magic inside it was blocking Oliver¡¯s observation spells, and with no way of knowing what it was, we could be walking into something far more dangerous than anything we signed up for.


    ¡°We should be fine¡±. Said jack from besides us, ¡°the scroll says that the threat is minimal. In fact, the guy who gave it to me said that the most dangerous thing about this place would be the forest itself¡±.


    I thought the statement was reasonably innocent, but something Jack said made Hannah spin to attention. ¡°Wait¡±, she hissed. ¡°Who did you get it from¡±!


    Jack was slightly taken aback by the sudden verbal attack but after quickly gathering his thoughts he answered the question. ¡°From a man in the guild, what¡¯s the problem¡±?


    Hannah was livid now, and was spitting her next sentence before Jack could say another word. ¡°Did you, or did you not, get that document from the wall, SPECIFICALLY designed to provide LICENCED quests¡±.


    The group started to get where she was going now, and they waited silently for Jack to reply. ¡°No I didn¡¯t, but that shouldn¡¯t matter. The guy at the desk stamped it. So it should be fine¡±. Though there was no conviction to his voice which was now uncharacteristically quiet.


    ¡°There is no way one man could remember each quest on that wall. Of course he¡¯s going to bloody stamp it. All that damn stamp means is that a group has taken the quest¡±! Hannah took three breaths to calm herself before she continued. ¡°So let me get this straight. We are on a quest. Which we have no idea is real, following a group of smugglers of unknown number and fighting capacity accompanied by an unknown magical beast, with just eleven children, because a man happened to give you a piece of paper in a guild¡±. Jack looked scared now. Glancing down at the paper and holding it carefully away from him as if it were on fire.


    ¡°What should we do¡± a girl asked from the group, her question directed at the oldest member.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you lot¡±, Hannah answered shaking her head. ¡°But I have no intention of walking into this death trap. I suggest any of you with common sense follow me home. Especially you¡±. She said glaring at me. I didn¡¯t know why, it wasn¡¯t my fault. Though any defence I would have made was destroyed when the unmistakable sound of a boot crushing a twig came from our right. I spun quickly to find a young adult, burdened with a long sword strapped to his back, standing on a dirt mound only a few metres away. He was staring right at us, his mouth open in surprise. Everyone stood stock still for several seconds before I saw the man¡¯s eyes dart down to a whistle attached to the collar.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡± I commanded, though I didn¡¯t dare layer my voice with magic. I could only hope the man saw enough sense not to do it. I shouldn¡¯t have bothered with the warning as the man¡¯s arm lunged for the whistle while at the same time inhaled a great breath. I panicked, for while I wasn¡¯t certain this quest was a fake the lack of information about a camp of this size suggested that it could be and in two seconds top we would have the entire encampment on our tail.


    **Blue**! I thought desperately pulling down the mental blockade that kept Blue encaged, and within a second I saw the wispy dream fly out from the side of my head and cross the gap between us and the man in an instant. As soon as Blue entered the mind of the patrolling man a link appeared that with the slightest thought brought my consciousness inside his mind along with Blue.


    **What do you need** Blue shouted already redirecting the man¡¯s neural nerves.


    I thought quickly, If I wanted to avoid conflict then the best way would be¡­. **an illusion, one just strong enough to remove us from his memories and thoughts. I don¡¯t want him to notice us again, think you can do it**?


    A moments silence before, **already done, anything else**?


    **No were done here**. I replied before I snapped back to my body in time to see my party preparing for battle. ¡°Wait¡± I hissed. ¡°Let him pass¡±.


    The group looked at me as if I was crazy, but somehow they all managed to follow my command and the group could only watch in awe as the young adult simply walked past us. As if we were never there. Only after he walked out of sight did I release the breath I was holding. **Well done Blue**. I praised honestly. I was actually amazed by how quickly Blue had accomplished the feat, and the self-control he had shown when asking for directions.


    **You¡¯re welcome, but next time give me a little warning that doesn¡¯t come in the form of a mental scream**. I laughed a little at that, only pausing when I realised that it had been out load and now the group was looking at me as if I was insane, yet respect now lingered in their eyes.


    Jack walked up to me and patted my shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you did that¡±, he began. ¡°But great idea¡±. Not sure what would have happened if you weren¡¯t here¡±. I nodded before turning to Hannah.


    She caught my eye, and said. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here before anything else happens¡±. I agreed and with a murmured assent the rest of the group did too. Except for one.


    ¡°Wait¡±, came a distressed whisper. I turned almost ready to explode when I saw Oliver still lying down and staring into the camp. I followed his gaze to see an extremely large man emerge from the tent of ¡°merchandise¡±. In his hand he held the hair of a flailing women who even as we watched screamed for him to stop, tears of fear and pain rolling down her cheek. Although like some sick sadist, the man just continued dragging the women up to the tree line. Laughing at her misfortune all the way. Perhaps in a sick twist of fate, the man was coming directly towards us yet Oliver with his warped sense of justice could only watch in terror as the two came closer.


    Hannah was looking on in horror and whispered harshly. ¡°Oliver, Lets go¡±! But even as she said it I saw the group turning against her. The majority of us were only twelve years old, and before us we saw the picture of injustice we were told to stand up against. This was confirmed when Jack whirled upon her.


    ¡°How can we ignore something like this¡±! He demanded. ¡°Who¡¯s with me¡±? Again a general assent was called while Hanna and I could only watch on in silence. Jack noticed my lack of enthusiasm instantly. ¡°Aare, please what you just did before was amazing, surely you can help us here¡±.


    I looked up at Hannah who could only sigh and shrug in resignation. ¡°Fuck¡±. She said, louder than she meant to, ¡°What have I gotten myself into¡±.


    ¡°We¡¯re in¡± I confirmed to Jack who smiled in response.


    ¡°Thanks buddy, I¡¯ll remember this, I promise¡±.  I would have rolled my eyes but already I was focussed on the two coming towards us. The man having reached the tree line, now stood only a few metres away from us, though lying behind the ridge we lay just out of sight.


    ¡°PLEASE NO¡±! I heard the women sob as she was thrown to the ground before the man forcefully laid down on top of her. Thankfully he didn¡¯t get any further as it was at this moment when Oliver chose to step in. With a swish of his hand, several lights in the shape of barbed arrows floated above him before raining down on the trader. A muffled yell was the only sound the man ever made again as the arrows rammed into his back deliberately piercing through multiple vitals such as a lung, the heart and his throat. A splash of red cascaded over the women beneath him who in response opened her mouth to scream. This time Blue didn¡¯t wait for my signal, shooting across the clearing and merging himself with her mind.  The scream never left her body and seconds later the women¡¯s eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out where she lay. Oliver nodded his thanks and began to creep forward.


    Seeing my anxious look Oliver explained, ¡°I don¡¯t care if this is a false mission, there are at least fifty people who are just like that girl, tied up inside that tent, and I am not leaving until we get them out of here¡±.


    Hannah tried to compensate. ¡°Look Oliver, I know terrible things are happening here, but I don¡¯t think we are ready for this, how about a few of us go and get help? Then people who are more qualified can sort this mess out¡±. Her calm tone stopped Oliver for a few seconds, though that was all as he turned back towards the camp and continued on, without the grace of answering the question.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    I shrugged before following, noticing the shaking children in my peripheral vision. Oh god we were woefully unprepared.


    As we hit the clearing I wondered why I had tried being stealth full at all when Oliver abandoned the natural cover of the trees and charged in. His hands were waving and already ten arrows shimmered into existence. I watched as he made them fly towards a guard who was sitting down next to the creek, washing his hands. I expected the guard to become a pincushion but to my surprise the arrows all veered off course before embedding themselves into the ground. Then came the laughter. A terrible throaty laughter that echoed across the clearing. The man who was washing his hands stood up and turned around. He had a rat like face with those thin cheekbones that practically yelled untrustworthy.


    ¡°That¡¯s the guy¡± Jack whispered from behind me. ¡°The guy from the guild¡±. I swallowed, twice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting¡± The man said softly. Warning bells rang in my mind as I heard his voice. It was crystal clear, magic overflowing with each word. ¡°I was running low on my supply you see¡±. He said gesturing at the large tent. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind topping it up¡±.


    I gulped as no one in my group could find a voice to answer him. ¡°W-what are you¡±! I yelled, deliberately making my voice sound slightly childish and afraid, there was nothing wrong with making the enemy underestimate you.


    The man¡¯s eyebrows rose when I said that and his eye¡¯s focussed on me before replying. ¡°Hmmm and what makes you think I¡¯m not human¡±. The voice made me shiver, it sounded so unnatural. Perhaps this was how the Jinn had felt upon hearing mine.


    ¡°Your voice¡±. My own was slightly stronger this time, like a child finding solid ground in an argument.


    The laugh came again. ¡°Well little one, if you know what it means then why are you not running¡±. It was starting to annoy me how confident and calm the being before me sounded. Then again, why shouldn¡¯t it be? Had I been in the same position I can¡¯t say I would have acted any differently. When I didn¡¯t respond the man laughed again as he started to change. His skin stretched and turned to a terrifying black, yet translucent enough to see the pulsing red veins underneath. His face warped and filled out to create a masculine jaw and well defined features. Giant bat-like wings sprouted from his shoulder blades and his fingers extended into talons that were sharpened to a lethal edge. A large reptilian tail sprouted from beneath his clothes tearing them as he grew until he stood as naked as the day he was born. ¡°To answer your previous question I must first enlighten you on WHO I am. My name is No¡¯med. One of the four great Pillars of the illustrious demon empire, known in our race as a Pillar demon. Perhaps, little one, you have heard of us¡±?


    Shit. I certainly did know of them. Basically it was because of the Pillars that the demon empire existed at all. For while the demon lord would lead the nation, he/she needed a number of individuals to keep the more ambitious demons in line or in some cases the demons of the empire needed the individuals to keep the lord in line. In my past life I had kept them close, using them as rallying points during my invasions and as advisors in the throne room. Claw ¨CThe second Pillar - had become particularly close to me and had served me loyally till the day I died. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t recognise No¡¯med. He must have replaced one of my Pillars after my death. After what could have been minutes I found my voice. ¡°So why, is one as glorious as you, in such a humble area¡±. Perhaps I was sucking up to the Demon a bit too much, but by the look on No¡¯med¡¯s face I had made the right move.


    ¡°You know how to flatter little one, but today you are unlucky. The new Demon Lord has given me time to prepare myself to serve him. As such I am restocking my supply of slaves. But to be honest little one, you intrigue me. If you surrender now I will make sure your new post is comfortable¡±.


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t surrender¡±?


    The demon laughed. ¡°Go ahead if you think it will help. But know the result is inevitable. No matter what you choose to do, by the end of this week I will have broken you, and you will be on your hands and knees begging to work for me. In fact, that sounds fun. So entertain me little one. Let¡¯s see what you can do¡±.


    I took a few seconds to look around me. The other guards in the camp had surrounded us while we were talking. Perhaps I should have berated myself for my carelessness. Yet I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. As far as I could tell the guards were merely human and any attention I placed on them would be a waste of what I could be putting on No¡¯med. My own group had huddled together in a small circle with me facing No¡¯med and the others facing outwards. I watched them shake as I struggled to remind myself that they were only twelve years old. They needed me to say something. ¡°Listen carefully if you want to survive¡±. I said calmly. Something in my voice must have been convincing as the entire group gave me their attention. ¡°There is only one way we will get out of this. Make sure you stay in close to each other, do not, and I repeat do not break off from the group no matter how tempted you may be. Do not run and certainly do not chase. I will try to fight off No¡¯med but I will have absolutely no time to fight off the others so could you please protect my back. ¡±. I didn¡¯t wait around for any signs that they would do as I asked. I didn¡¯t have the time for that.


    Instead I clicked my fingers and felt the comforting feeling of heavy metal in my hand as a sword twice the size of my forearm materialised amidst a swirl of fire. I allowed the sword to swing in an impressive flurry before settling into an offensive stance courtesy of in turned feet and an unnaturally low centre of gravity. As a quick interjection the flurry was in no way an attempt to show off, but a practiced move that allows me to feel the general weighting and quality of the weapon. It wasn¡¯t perfect but I had materialised it on the spot, so cut me some slack.


    Across from me No¡¯med followed my lead and from a ball of flame pulled a ludicrously sized sword almost as long as he was tall. ¡°Compensating for something¡±? I asked, I couldn¡¯t resist the opportunity and all I got where a few murmured laughs from behind me. Perhaps not the best stage from comedy. But my actual goal was achieved and when No¡¯med relaxed his guard to answer I lunged forwards.


    My best chance would be my first blow so I centred my entire being into the forward rush and augmented my legs with mana. The result was that I crossed the distance to No¡¯med almost instantly. I saw the demons eyes follow me though no guard came up as I sliced through his left elbow feeling the bone shatter upon contact. I watched stunned as the lower arm fell away leaving a sickening stump spraying blood. ¡°Why had he let my attack hit¡±? Though in answer tom my question No¡¯med just sighed as right before my eyes the arm grew back. In the Demon Empire, regeneration was a common art but this was almost instant and nearly unheard of. I jumped back before allowing my sword to dissipate. It would be no use to me here.


    ¡°Are you giving up¡±? Came the bored voice, ¡°shame, I thought you would have more in you. But then again you are mealy a human after all¡±.  I didn¡¯t answer. Instead I gathered my mana between my hands. ¡°So you haven¡¯t given up. Very commendable¡±. The air around us grew cold before frost started to spread out in a wide circle beneath my feet.


    Perhaps a second elapsed before I shot my hand forward and splayed my fingers. Willing the mana to encase the area before me. ¡°Absolute zero¡± I whispered feeling the tips of my fingers freeze over. Before a perfect cone for a solid kilometre in front of me became buried in ice. Stalagmites of ice erupted from the ground and I watched as the icy blue frozen water slowly turned red as the torn apart demon marked its placement. For the first time my mind registered a battle erupting behind me but I dared not turn around as I still felt the unerring pressure coming from within the frozen tomb. ¡°How is he not dead¡± I asked myself. I continued pouring mana into the ice, making it denser with each passing moment. Though it was all for naught as a black hand forced its way out the top. Shards of ice scattering above as it was fractured by the overwhelming strength. I could only stare amazed as the demon pulled its way out as a broken and blood soaked mess yet already repairing itself. I did notice however that the regeneration was visually slower than last time.


    Many people would have waited for No¡¯med to right himself as a sign of good will and respect for the opponent. I had no such feelings and already I was running up to the demon and as he struggled to remove himself from the last remnants of the ice that held onto its leg I pressed my hand firmly up against his chest which still towered above me. Time seemed to slow as my mana surged, running up my arm and exploding out the palm of my hand. Expelling mana like this was brutally effective as the sheer force that it gave off would rip flesh and bone apart. However it couldn¡¯t travel long distances as without a solid form it would veer off course and would lose a large amount of its destructive power. Fortunately I was firing at point blank range and the demons eyes widened as his insides liquefied and then evaporated from the resulting heat as the force went straight through him before obliterating the spine and tearing through the skin of his back in a mixture of blood and pus.


    Yet still the demon stood, the gaping hole in his chest made him stumble slightly. But overall when he began throwing large balls of fire at me I could have sworn he was unharmed. I ducked and weaved, working myself away from the group to avoid any accidental casualties. Although apparently that was only to create distance because as soon as I was too far away to strike him physically he ceased and instead focussed on attacking my mind. I felt a barrage of spells each striking at the mental defence I had long ago set up. Blue helped, sealing area¡¯s when No¡¯med broke through and soon with Blue¡¯s help we secured my mind. Though as No¡¯med tried to slink away Blue tethered himself to No¡¯meds probe. Following the retreating consciousness into his own mind. I didn¡¯t follow instead there was more I could do on the outside.


    I blinked back to reality to see No¡¯med swaying under Blues assault. I watched as the demon caught my eye and sneered, before reaching up to the sky muttering under his breath. Until now the demon had used minimal movements when attacking, but now he put his entire essence into the spell. I veiled my eyes with mana and saw a huge amount of magic building up around the demon. Whatever he was casting was huge. I didn¡¯t waste a moment, firing off oscillating pulses to seal the demon¡¯s mana points. There were eighteen on the right hand alone and I had only managed  to seal off about half of them as the demon finished. Laughing as if the single spell alone would finish the fight. Perhaps it might have, but by blocking half his mana points the destruction caused by the spell would be severely limited. I prepared to defend myself for what was coming, I was sure it was something big, and I wasn¡¯t disappointed.


    I watched as the flouting clouds in the sky seemed to swirl before rushing away, creating a giant hole of blue. Heralding the coming of something amazing. The battle behind me ceased and my peripheral vision noticed them all look up, their opponents forgotten. In the middle the cloudless sky a bright light could be seen, and as I watched it slowly became bigger and bigger. In the corner of my eye I watched the pillar demon fly a few hundred metres away from the clearing. I will admit I thought about running too but my group was still here along with the slaves to be. No, standing my ground would be the best option. The meteoroid was close now, I could see the oval rocky surface and with a quick estimate I guessed it would be about ten metres in radius. It wasn¡¯t the size that was the issue but the speed of which it was coming. I thought about my options and honestly I didn¡¯t have many. Except maybe¡­¡­


    My eyes fell on the creek flowing innocently through the clearing. Mentally I reached out and I watched as the water rose from the creek bed shimmering in the light as it formed a giant sphere. I didn¡¯t have much time so by running almost my entire mana pool through the water I felt the temperature raise due to the massive amount of burning energy until what I held was a ball of superheated and condensed steam. I let the ball rise, still keeping it held within a shell of my mana. The rest would need perfect timing, so I focussed all my attention of the descending rock. When it passed about three hundred metres above my head I slammed the ball of steam into its side. The impact itself had no effect but in an instant the surface of the meteoroid rose to an insanely high temperature. Small pockets of water inside the meteor were instantly turned to vapour and in an attempt to escape the falling rock they acted as pressurised jets forcing the rock off course where it plummeted into the forest crushing trees with sickening crunches. Conveniently right on top of the pillar demon who had never seen it coming. I didn¡¯t celebrate however as Blue rushed back to my mind panting heavily.


    **I couldn¡¯t get into his mind, his defences are ridiculous**. The dream said quickly. **Also, beware. That thing is still alive**. I groaned. What would it take to kill this guy? I also noted grimly that my mana pool was almost dry. After training as a Warlock I could siphon some mana from the surroundings. But the rate of income would be too small to fight at my full potential. I gritted my teeth as I started doing just that and I feel a slight tug of remorse as the grass and flowers closest to me withered and died as I siphoned their energy to add to my own. It wasn¡¯t much but it should do. The fact that the demon still has emerged from the forest is evidence enough that his regeneration is reaching its limit. Whichever way this battle goes, it would end soon.


    The battle around me had ended and I looked at the result. Seven children still stood while three lay on the ground eyes closed, and I felt a great sadness when I saw the scarlet hair of Alice face down on the soft grass. A small puddle of blood was spreading beneath her stomach and I had to look away when Oliver was screaming her name. Jack was breathless on the ground consoling a panicking Charlotte who sported a great tear down the inside of her forearm. Hannah stood beside him completely unharmed, one would have thought she hadn¡¯t been in a fight but the blood that soaked her twin swords said otherwise. She was giving me an odd look that was somewhere between fear and worry. I broke her gaze and returned to extracting mana. Although it wasn¡¯t long before the black demon strode out from the forest. Another testimony that his regeneration was failing came to me when I saw a huge chunk of his shoulder missing and numerous small wounds littered around his body. I hit the ground in frustration when he smiled at me.


    ¡°Little one, you have gone well beyond my expectations for any human, what is your name¡±? I was shocked. For a demon to ask for the name of a foe is a symbol of the utmost respect and I almost bowed in recognition. But I stopped myself at the last minute, wary of any surprise attack the demon might pull.


    ¡°Aare¡±. I replied slowly, my eyes never leaving the great sword still held by the demon and to this point still unused.


    ¡°Well Aare, you have earned my respect. Something very few have done before, but unfortunately I am becoming tired of this game so I will leave you in the capable arms of others¡±. And with that he strode up to the large tent, the one with the magical interference and with a single sweep of his sword, cut a gaping hole in the side before turning back to us. ¡°Perhaps I will see you later Aare¡±. The demon stated before looking at the others, ¡°although you lot¡±, he sighed ¡°I highly doubt it¡±, and with a final smile he took off into the sky with great wing beats and within seconds he had disappeared over the tree line.


    I almost cried as the growls came from within the hole of the tent. ¡°Run¡±! I shouted to the others who didn¡¯t need a second warning as they raced off into the forest. Except for one, a silver haired girl who sat down by my side. ¡°You moron¡± I whispered, though my smile gave away the happiness I felt by someone staying behind. She shrugged in response before looking stoically at the tent. The growls had stopped and a single reptilian tongue flittered out, tasting the air.


    ¡°Shit¡±. Hannah and I said together. The type of creature was obvious as we had both sat through a lecture entirely dedicated to the dangers it represented. Our breaths were held as a blue wyvern emerged in all its glory.


    For those of you who don¡¯t know what a wyvern looks like, it is remarkably similar to a dragon, except the snout is thinner, it only has two (forward) legs, its body is generally longer and more aerodynamic and its eyes gleam with intelligence. An interesting fact: Dragons are remarkably stupid but explorers in ancient times often confused the two leading to the myth that dragons are wise and powerful creatures. Well no more. That title belongs to the wyverns who genuinely deserve it. The smartest individuals can even be taught to speak fluently however for some reason that seemed unlikely for the one before us.


    As the Blue monstrosity gracefully slithered forward like a snake I realised just how badly it had been treated. Great chains wound around its neck and attached itself to its legs, preventing any sudden movements as it would likely choke itself. There are also a number of wounds that look similar to whip marks that seemed to have burnt RIGHT THROUGH the protective scales on the wyverns back. I shuddered when I wondered what caused them. The best armour in the world was often made from wyvern scales as while incredibly light it was also immensely durable. To top off the suffering a giant rope had been pierced through both wings and wrapped together to prevent flight.


    Hannah and I froze when the wyverns eyes met our own. Its gaze was steady, analysing us. Nothing like the blank stares given to you by most animals. I have only seen a wyvern once before. In my previous life a few of my retainers had captured one and I demanded to see it. I had always been ushered away from the wild ones, as their scales were wrapped in a magical barrier making them the perfect wizard killers.


    ¡°So, what do we do¡±? Came the whisper on my right. To her credit Hannah¡¯s voice sounded relaxed.


    ¡°Well, magic won¡¯t work, so I guess we either run or attempt a melee with a creature known to destroy entire towns single handed. That being said, this one has been heavily injured, and its legs are immobilised. So if we ever had a chance it would be now¡±.


    ¡°You know I never signed up for this¡±.


    ¡°Me neither¡± I sighed. ¡°Next time you choose the quest¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯m all for that¡±. Hannah chuckled dryly. ¡°So, are you ready¡±.


    ¡°One second¡±, I materialised my sword in a whirlwind of fire. This time however it was a bit longer, I didn¡¯t want to get needlessly close to the beast. ¡°Ok, on your mark¡±.


    ¡°Ok, you go for the eyes and I¡¯ll go for the neck. Three. Two. One. Mark¡±! For two years I had fought alongside Hannah and the academy, and even though the enemy was different, our movements where not. We lunged forward together, only to spring apart when the wyvern opened its mouth to allow a fatally cold wind to pass between us. I spared a second to look at the damage which was remarkably similar to my spell earlier. Every surface the wind touched was coated with a thick layer of rough ice. Killing anything that lived as it was flash frozen.


    The wyvern opened its mouth again but before the breath could erupt I gestured at the ground. A second later a wall of rocky earth sprung up and we hid behind it as the other side was battered with frost. We waited out the chill before using the wall to spring up over a tail that lashed out, causing the wall to break apart in a spectacular display of dirt and mineral. I didn¡¯t disillusion myself, if I was hit by that I could die on the spot. We caught a break when the wyvern raised its arm to smite us from the air but managed to choke itself in the process forcing its arm back into a neutral position.


    Hannah dropped to the ground before running under the tail which had lashed out a second time. I was still in the air and didn¡¯t have enough time to go under it. Instead my mana poured out beneath me creating a semi solid substance mid-air that I used to jump a second time over the tail and onto the snout of the wyvern. I landed lightly before clasping onto a scale as the wyvern shook its head wildly. Hannah was having better luck. While the monster was distracted by me she slipped beneath the flailing neck and slipped a sword into a crack between two scales, letting it puncture the soft flesh that made up the wyverns neck. Blood poured down but the wyvern didn¡¯t seem to notice. It started bucking violently in an attempt to throw me off and ever so slowly I felt my grip slipping. Hannah avoided the stomping feet by dancing athletically out of the way, circling in confusing patterns to escape the danger. So that was the secret to her emerging unscathed from the earlier fight.


    Although Hannah was the least of my worries as my final finger lost its hold on the rampaging beast. Although I didn¡¯t let up for nothing. As just before I lost my grip I kicked out causing me to spin rapidly directly over the wyverns eyes, As I twirled I let my sword outstretch naturally and with the force of my entire body behind it I felt it dig deep into the beast¡¯s eye blinding it as blood made a film over the eye¡¯s lens.  I fell to the ground, moving the earth beneath me to shove me out of the way of a falling foot. The wyvern started firing off its frost breath randomly, carving great arcs through the clearing as Hannah and I hid behind a hastily made earth wall. We sat there for a moment to catch our breath and allow the wyvern to calm down from its frenzy.


    Truthfully the encounter wasn¡¯t as bad as I expected. We were lucky the wings were tethered together. If the wyvern had had flight this battle would have been a great deal more difficult. I sighed remorsefully. I didn¡¯t want to kill such a majestic creature at its lowest. It felt cowardly and wrong. Yet, a released wyvern, flightless of not could be a great danger to the surrounding countryside, and as it was situated so close to the farmland surrounding Tesuit I didn¡¯t think leaving it was an option.


    So I gathered my feelings of pity and with Hannah in tow leapt out from behind the wall, before ducking under a stream of icy wind that thundered overhead. The wyvern was weakening now. The blade still stuck in its neck now taking its toll. As the blood would be flowing into the oesophagus slowly pooling until the great monster would be left unable to breath. Literally choking on its own blood. We rushed in, and with the lack of oxygen flowing into the brain I doubt the wyvern even registered our approach before we both slammed out swords into two more gaps. The wyvern tried to move its arms to remove the blades but the action only tightened the chain around its neck, and slightly ironically ceased its breathing altogether. The next few minutes were spent watching the terrible final moments of the majestic creature whose life had been reduced to wallowing pitifully on the ground. I wished to end its life cleanly but with the armoured scales anything we tried would just cause more pain rather than finish it off sooner.


    Finally mercy came to the poor creature and its arms stopped twitching and at long last lay perfectly still. Hannah¡¯s tears flowed slowly down her cheek. I didn¡¯t recall the moment when she started but it must have been during the final moments of the wyvern. It took a moment for either of us to move but we still had plenty to do. My emotions were already in tatters when I entered the tent of the late wyvern. Inside was a plain space with a bundle of hay in the corner. I don¡¯t know why the wyvern had stayed in the tent as it could have burst out at any time. But that question was soon answered when I unearthed a small egg made up of a swirling blue shell. About the size of a chicken egg but as I applied a small amount of pressure I found it was much more durable. In summary a wyverns egg. I pocketed the egg quickly before leaving the tent to find Hannah waiting outside. Still staring at the corps of the wyvern.


    I grabbed her arm before pulling her towards the remnants of the previous battle. The three children still lay with their eyes closed and after quickly checking their pulse I confirmed their death. ¡°This was a disaster¡±. I muttered under my breath. I saw Hannah nod before I turned and began my walk to the ¡°merchandise¡± of the traders.


    I paused briefly outside of the tent that Oliver had said would be filled with perhaps fifty people whom we had assumed to be slaves to be. I took a deep breath before shifting aside the flaps and walking into an enclosure without light. The terrible smell of faeces and blood stained the air as I conjured a small light to hover above me.


    Ranks upon ranks of simple and undersized cages were placed for easy viewing from the front of the tent. Inside most were cloaked figures with hoods that covered their facial features. Yet still I felt all yes on me as I took a step back, repulsed by the sight. In the cage nearest to me a figure reached out towards me, and I could only recoil as a hand emerged from the cloak. Each finger was bruised and bent terribly indicating multiple untreated broken bones. I grimaced unhappily before raising my voice. ¡°Please listen and don¡¯t be afraid. I realise that you have all been treated with the upmost cruelty. But today that stops. In a minute I will set you all free but I need to be sure that you will act sensible before I release you. Be assured that help is on its way so I will ask you to wait patiently outside the tent for it to arrive. Do I make myself clear¡±?


    I know it sounds cruel to ask so much of those who are in pain but I didn¡¯t need the added trouble of chasing after those who ran away. Of course I held their best interests at heart, but it is hard to trust someone when you have been treated like the hooded figures for god knows how long and speaking with a clear and strong tone can help calm the nerves of those who have been mistreated.


    When each cages inhabitants nodded their assent I began to unlock the cages. The hooded figure who had reached out to me earlier grasped my hand and seemed to try and pull me towards him/her. I gently shook off the grasp which I could only assume to be a thank you. ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡± I said lightly. ¡°But there are other cages I need to unlock, can you please wait outside¡±? The figure shook her head but I was already moving onto the next cage and snapping open the lock.


    Twenty minutes past before I had unlocked everyone and gathered them outside in the clearing. But still the first figure refused to let me leave the tent and kept trying to grab onto my arm as I came close. I assumed it was one of those cases where the victim will cling terrified to its rescuer.


    So finally I gave a sign of resignation and sat down in front of the figure waiting calmly as it gestured for me to sit still.  I obliged watching whoever it was rummage through the robes as if looking for something. I minute passed before finally taking out a dark stone and pressing it into my hands. ¡°Thank you very much¡±, I started, unsure of what to say. ¡°But I really can¡¯t take this from you¡±. I tried to pass it back to the figure but with a surprising amount of strength it was forced back into my arms. I heard a sob then, a muffled sob almost too soft to hear. But just before I asked the figure about it, some mana ran down its arm, slowing building up in the hands and finally passing into the stone. Which in turn began to shine, a brilliant red before it initiated small pulses of nostalgic warmth. It was only at this moment did I realise that the stone had been crafted into a perfect gem shape. A shape I had learned to replicate all those years ago.


    The world went silent. Dead silent, as a terrible feeling of absolute dread washed over me. I could feel each heartbeat as my hand rose to grab the hood of the figure. A single bead of sweat ran down the side of my face, the first bead of sweat that had been shed that day. Finally after so many years. ¡°I found you¡± I whispered. Before trying to remove the hood. Although the hooded figure pushed my hand away roughly and began shaking its head in terror. My eyes widened in surprise before I felt the anger boil up inside me. ¡°What have they done to you¡±? I said. At this the figure went stock still and let go of the hood allowing it to fall behind its head.


    I gave a small shout of surprise as a women¡¯s face long beyond the need of medical treatment emerged. Her head was bald, and layered with scabs and pussy sores. Remnants of the hair that had been torn out by hand. Her eyes were a milky white, heralding the coming of blindness that was the result of a lack of exposure to light. Red, untreated scars fell down each cheek showed the paths of knives that had slashed her skin and a terrible metal contraption covered her nose, mouth and neck with only the smallest hole to breathe and eat. It took a few minutes but after removing the crude iron nails that had been drilled into her jaw to keep the contraption in place. I let it fall to the floor to reveal a whole new set of problems.


    The women¡¯s lips were horribly chaffed with some sections missing entirely, showing off a mouth of missing teeth. However most disgustingly of all was the nose, or more accurately, the lack of one. It had been cut off at the base leaving two small holes in the centre of her head surrounded by flaps of rotting skin that reeked of death. I took in her appearance and I couldn¡¯t stop the tear that fell from the corner of my eye as even with all the changes, I could still recognise her. ¡°Mum¡±, I sobbed.


    ¡°Oh Aa-e, than- go- you¡¯re s-ill a-i-e¡±. (Oh Aare, thank god you¡¯re still alive). Even though it must have been agony to say, my mother smiled a beaming smile that made my heart waver and a new set of tears began to fall. I could only nod in response as Tear opened her deformed mouth to speak. ¡°Wha- ha¡ªene- -o your fa¡ªer¡±? (What happened to your Father)? I could only shake my head as the memory of my Dad¡¯s final moments came back to me. My Mother obviously caught my look and her face dropped. Even though she was missing some of the crucial facial feature for expressions, her milky eyes told her misery in a million words. The saying ¡°the eyes are the gateways to the soul¡± had never been more accurate.


    I grabbed her arms and tried to raise her to her feet. ¡°Come Mother¡± I said calmly. ¡°We need to get you to a doctor¡±. But she didn¡¯t rise, instead she just kept looking down, as if lost. I knew this would happen. To lose a loved one can be emotionally disastrous for anyone. But to a Succubus who has both a heightened sense of love and affection as well as the idea of living for hundreds of years with a single soul mate, to finally find he has passed away was like ripping out the very centre of her being. She didn¡¯t cry, or say anything. She just sat there, in dead silence. Before slowly turning towards me. ¡°I¡¯- ti-e- Aa-e¡±. (I¡¯m tired Aare).


    I looked at her in horror. ¡°Please no¡±. I begged, but I could tell by the look in her eye that she wasn¡¯t listening to me.


    ¡°Aa-e, I can¡¯- li-e an¡ªo-e. No- li-e -his¡±. (Aa¡¯re, I can¡¯t live anymore. Not like this). Her voice was cracking and despondent, any energy she had held onto in this hell hole was well and truly gone.


    I tried to think of something to say but nothing came to mind. Instead I just leant against her. Tears flowing freely down my face. My stomach lurched when Tear didn¡¯t even notice them, let alone wipe them away like she once did. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡±. I said pitifully. I knew I was acting like a child. But right now, any adult essence inside of me was well and truly non-existent.


    Tear looked me in the eye one final time before saying, ¡°I ho-e ¨Cou ¨Con¡¯-¡°. (I hope you don¡¯t). She straightened me up before bending forward, exposing the back of her neck. ¡°-lea-e ¨Ca-e i- -uick¡±. (Please make it quick.)


    I bit my lip, feeling the metallic taste fill my mouth. Before replying resolutely ¡°I won¡¯t do it¡±. Though half way through my voice wavered, and my Mum was quick to pick up on it.


    ¡°Aa-e, --ease. ¨Ce- -e ¨Cass o- wit- -ig-i-y¡± (Aare, please. Let me pass on with dignity).


    My head dropped. Whether it was in pain, shame or hopelessness I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°what happened to Lye¡±?


    ¡°I ¨Cough- -he ¨Cas wit- you¡±. I jumped at the sentence, though what scared me the most about it was that Mum still showed absolutely no emotion, whether it be worry or dread. What has she gone through? I thought to myself.


    ¡°Im so sorry¡±, I whispered before lining up my hand with the back of her neck. I began building up the mana when I was interrupted. By a pair of milky eyes, twisting around to look at me.


    ¡°-ai-! -e- -e ¨Cee ¨Cou. ¨Cit-ou- -he i¡ªu-ions¡±. (Wait! Let me see you. Without the illusions.) I complied easily, letting my horns and tail shimmer into view. ¡°-han- -ou¡±. (Thankyou.). Came the whisper before my mother once again exposed the back of her neck.


    The next few hours came in a bit of a daze. I screamed in sorrow over the corpse of my mother for the majority of it. Though eventually Hannah came in to hug me, ignoring the tail protruding out the back of my Coat. We stayed that way for a long time. Wrapped up in a veil of misery so intense that Hannah cried with me and soon our sobs echoed around the tent, much like a dreadful symphony of pain.


    Although that all changed when another pair of eyes peered carefully into the tent. I glanced up to meet the gaze of Oliver. Who in turn looked at the two of us, crying and holding each other. He looked at the corpse, lying peacefully on the floor. But most of all, his eyes locked onto the pair of horns that parted my hair. ¡°Y-y-you¡± He screamed, pointing at me accusatively. ¡°You¡¯re a demon¡±!


    I shut my eyes and waited a few seconds before replying. Though I didn¡¯t alter my voice. Instead I allowed my magic to naturally purify it to the crystal clear sound that I had spent so long hiding.


    ¡°Yes Oliver¡±, I replied, gazing straight into his eyes. ¡°Yes I am, and I''m sure as hell done hiding it¡±!


    -----------------------------------------


    ====Rant===== -4 reputation!!!!


    Woah hold up! didn''t know that him NOT killing the pillar demon would cause such a negative reaction.  (4 negative reputation! 0.0 ) (waited so long to get them too :''( )


    I haven''t needed to explain his actions so far so I hope this is a one off.


    Firstly: Yes he is much stronger than when he was a demon lord. But his power does not correspond directly to his mana pool. That is just his potential and his stamina of sorts.


    Secondly: The demon lord is not necessarily the strongest demon. Just one who found his way to that position. Of course he will be strong. But I did say that one of the reasons for the pillar demon''s existence was to keep the demon lord in line: meaning they could be just as strong.


    Thirdly: You say that the fight should have ended in Aare''s victory. IT DID. Aare during the entire fight didn''t get hit by a single spell. While at the same time, obliterated his opponent twice, blew a hole in his chest simultaneously evaporating his innards and also cut off his arm. TBH that sounds pretty one sided.


    Fourthly:  The only reason that Aare''s mana pool ran low is because he had to instantly evaporate a ball of water large enough to superheat an entire side of a meteorite purely by running his mana through it. Please consult science for the amount of energy(mana in my case) that would take. The amount is ludicrous! And even after he almost ran out he simply took mana from his surroundings effectively making his pool near-infinite. Quick note: Had it been a one on one. He could have just dodged the Meteorite all together. Had he been alone he could have just flown to the side and saved his mana pool (which was almost full at the time) Instead he chose to stand his ground to save both his own party and the "slaves"


    I''m not sure what i did to deserve such a drop in reputation but i can only hope it was a single reader.


    If you believe there are any other problems with my story line please talk to me before criticising. If i believe there is merit to your argument I will re write the part of the chapter you highlight. But if i believe i am right (like this time) i will try to convince you.


    Once again thanks for reading.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Previous Chapter</a></td><td width="25%">Back to Main Page</a></td><td width="25%">Next Chapter</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 Pretence and Acknowledgement (Chp 8)

    Well, so the original 2 week deadline turned into a 3-4 month deadline. Sorry about that~


    Don''t really have an excuse, except that Uni was suddenly demanding.


    This is very much a transition chapter from one arc to the next. Thus it was a bit boring to write. Partially why I was late to submit. Hope its ok to read though. I also must say that I did not edit this with as much care as I did previous chapters. I fully intend to rectify this but i thought it would be best to just get the chapter out here. It would be very much appreciated if you could point out the mistakes if you find any.


    Thanks for reading and even if you don''t review, it would be great if you could just comment down the bottom to tell me what you think. I will definitely read them and will try to get back to you as soon as possible.


    Well enough putting this chapter off, HOPE YOU ENJOY THE READ :)


    ----------------------------------------


    The sun slowly set on the horizon, its scarlet fingers of light retreating silently to make way for the inevitable night. All the while a lone sentry stood stoically on the giant wall of Tesuit, a bright yellow badge glistening in contrast to his dark green coat marking him as a general. His eyes would scan the horizon periodically but at other times he would just glare at his fellow soldiers who were either asleep or pretending to be. The sentry¡¯s parents had named him David, after the myth involving the giant, though most his friends called him Dave. Well they would have if he had any. Turns out his serious attitude on the wall along with his perpetual glaring had scared away any possibilities for that department.


    Not that that was his fault. Why should he be the only one paying attention to the world around them? Especially considering the recent state of the demon nation¡¯s monarchy. Dave¡¯s feelings of despondency only multiplied as he hadn¡¯t even wanted to be a sentry in the first place. No but apparently his top of the line academy scores were better suited to active duty. It would have been a waste to leave someone less reliable on the wall and as much as Dave hated this reasoning, he grudgingly admitted it was probably true.


    He was shaken from his thinking by a small figure running down the main road between the trading carts. Waving his arms in great wide circles trying to catch the sentry¡¯s attention. Even from a distance, David noticed the panic in the young boy¡¯s movement. Though it was only when the child ran inside the gates and up the narrow stone stairway to the battlements above that Dave recognised him. A small boy with short brown hair. His daughter had known him, what had Lily said his name was again?


    The Boys face lit up when he saw David and rushed over, momentarily withheld by tripping over a sprawled soldier who ¨Cperhaps luckily- didn¡¯t wake. ¡°Close the gates,¡± the boy panted as he stopped a few steps away from David. Only now could he see the state in which the boy was in. Utterly exhausted were the words that came to mind as the child leant against the battlements to steady himself.


    David thought quickly. To close the gates would put a great halt to the incoming waves of traders and such an act could cripple the city¡¯s economy. ¡°You¡¯re Oliver aren¡¯t you?¡± He spoke quietly, attempting to calm the obviously distraught child. A nod was all he needed before he continued. ¡°Ok Oliver, tell me slowly, and clearly what¡¯s wrong.¡±


    Oliver¡¯s face momentarily lit up before he launched into an explanation. Not much could be made out as the boy stumbled over himself as he attempted to tell multiple parts of the story at once. David frowned however when Oliver explained that Aare was a demon and that he was on his way to Tesuit.


    Even a mention of the name Aare had brought a grimace to Davids face. His own daughter had been engaged to the boy before he had gone behind his parents back and become a possessed. But besides that, Lily still went on and on about the boy, most likely because of his looks but over the years David had heard enough about the boy to realise he was a driven and polite young man. So to hear the sudden accusations, augmented by the fact that most children were against the possessed at a moral level, David couldn¡¯t help but refuse the boy straight out. ¡°Oliver, look at me.¡± When Dave was sure he had the child¡¯s attention he continued, staring directly into his eyes all the time. ¡°I understand you have heard terrible things about the possessed, but you need to understand that they are still human. All this nonsense about them being dark and disgusting needs to stop right now, do you understand?¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes just widened, ¡°No, I¡¯m being serious! He had a tail and he told me he was a de-.¡° A sharp crack cut the boy off as David slapped him. Leaving a vivid red mark in the shape of a hand on the boy¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Be quite, I don¡¯t want any more of this ridiculous talk, I understand that you may not see eye to eye with Aare but that is no reason to-.¡° A calloused hand on Davids shoulder brought him out of his disposition and he turned to see a young sentry flinch from his glare. ¡°What do you want?¡± David asked gruffly.


    The sentry gathered himself visually before hardening his gaze. ¡°You may want to see this sir,¡± the man stuttered, before pointing towards the road out of the city. David could only sigh before turning away from the now cowering Oliver and walking up to the battlements. The high walls gave a perfect view to a growing commotion happening just outside the city. It was perhaps a kilometre away but even from that distance it was possible to make out the traders all pulling to the side of the road, as if they were making way for something.


    ¡°What the hell,¡± David muttered before looking back at Oliver and putting two and two together. ¡°Oliver, how many demons were there?¡±


    ¡°Just one,¡± came the pathetic reply.


    ¡°What type?¡±


    ¡°An Incubus.¡±


    While an Incubus wasn¡¯t overly powerful, they were often used as spies and informants on account of them being able to mould their appearances, so to have one inside their city was troubling enough. However for one to openly walk up to the front rank of human security without any form of deception was almost unheard of. Because of this, David was unable to shake off the feeling of dread that was slowly spreading within his mind.


    ¡°Ok, you!¡± David pointed to the young sentry. ¡°I want a third of the sentry¡¯s from each wall, and I want a detachment from the arcane corps. Tell them they have ten minutes to get their sorry arses here before I court martial them all for ineptitude¡±. The sentry scuttled off before David rounded on one of the sleeping figures on the ground and gave him a not so gentle kick to the sternum. The soldier yelped before looking up into the fiery eyes of David. ¡°You, yes you. I want you to fetch Celestia and Victor, tell them it concerns their son Aare. Do you know where they live?¡±


    ¡°Of course sir.¡± Came the sleepy reply. Before the soldier struggled to his feet and rushed down the stairs.


    ¡°The rest of you!¡± David shouted, deliberately loud enough to wake the napping soldiers, ¡°better be on your feet in the next five seconds lest you find yourself on the front line in our next battle¡±. The soldiers eyed each other wearily knowing full well that Dave would carry through with his threat before groaning in exasperation whilst climbing to their feet. The city hadn¡¯t been involved in conflict since the last great demon lord so none of them were particularly attentive to the situation.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± A great voice boomed over the wall, the group glanced at the newcomer to find John striding confidently towards David, who in turn snapped to attention, saluting the head mage.


    ¡°Nothing more than a stray demon sir. A simple incubus, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°An incubus or not, every demon can be a serious threat. How many soldiers will you require?¡± John asked, a layer of concern threatening to emerge under his fa?ade of confidence.


    ¡°I have sent word to gather a third of the active sentries and a detachment from the arcane corps. Though I would be glad to have your assistance as well, I would rather not have to close the gates for a single demon.¡±


    The head mage scratched his chin, deep in thought. ¡°Does the demon have a name?¡±


    ¡°Aare sir.¡±


    John¡¯s head snapped up, ¡°You don¡¯t mean!¡±


    Dave nodded grimly, ¡°the same sir.¡±


    ¡°Shit, we had plans for that one. Where are his parents?¡±


    ¡°On their way here as we speak.¡± John just grimaced and placed his head in his hands. He stayed that way for several minutes and his head only emerged when Victor stormed up to the battlements. Eyes ablaze with anger.


    ¡°Which fucker has accused my son of being a demon!?¡± He growled threateningly, his anger creasing his once handsome features. A single hand lay at ease on his sword though every man present on that wall knew that it wouldn¡¯t take him a second to draw and kill.


    David, upon seeing the rest of his sentinels stunned into silence stepped up to confront the angered hero. ¡°Calm down Victor, it hasn¡¯t been confirmed.¡± Victor only glared in response before a soothing voice echoed from behind him.


    ¡°Darling, don¡¯t let the anger cloud your mind, whatever mess has come about will clear itself in time.¡± Celestia high heeled boots resounded noisily on the stone wall as she approached to stand at the side of her husband, before laying a cold hand on the hilt of his sword. ¡°So relax, no one here is your enemy and violence will only lead to trouble in the future.¡± A small huff was the only recognition she received but as she dragged his hand away from his sword he didn¡¯t try to stop her.


    John, upon seeing the tense atmosphere evaporate, stepped forward. ¡°I know this may be difficult for the two of you to talk about. But would you mind if I asked you a few questions?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Replied Celestia, knowing full well that Victor was in no state to speak for himself.


    ¡°Great, firstly why don¡¯t you tell me a little about Aare.¡±


    ¡°Of course, let¡¯s see. He was always a quite kid, didn¡¯t have many friends. But then, he was never really in an environment to talk to people his own age.¡± Seeing John¡¯s quizzical look she clarified. ¡°Well he was always very intelligent and so he skipped three years of school. He would have skipped more but we didn¡¯t want him to pass our daughter. Lest she become discouraged. Because of this the majority of his time was spent with those in his class, hence a large proportion of them were older than him. Besides from that, he was always quite busy. Never really giving him time to meet up with possible friends outside of combat training. Then, he went and became a damn possessed,¡± the woman was sneering now. ¡°Which cut him off from both a pre-arranged marriage and the small group who followed him around.¡±


    ¡°When did he decide to become a possessed?¡± John cut in.


    ¡°We honestly don¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t even talk to us about it¡±.


    ¡°Do you know what motivated him?¡± The couple looked at each other briefly. Before turning back to John.


    ¡°We think he did it just because he wanted to avoid marriage.¡± They noticed David wince in their peripheral vision. No doubt slightly embarrassed. Although John had a small concern developing in the back of his mind. To him it seemed the boy had no quarrels with messing with the demons. Slightly unnerving him. Especially considering the allegations that were being thrown around.


    ¡°Has the boy been acting strangely recently?¡± John continued.


    ¡°Yes, though I wouldn¡¯t call it recent, but three years ago the boy actually became driven. Before that he was just a normal kid.¡±


    John¡¯s eyebrow raised slightly at this. ¡°Normal?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. He did what was required of him and never really stood out¡±.


    ¡°Hold up, what did he do which was normal. Nothing vague this time. I need an example.¡±


    A few minutes passed, during which the couple could only frown and mumble between themselves. ¡°Actually we can¡¯t think of anything?¡± A nervous laugh came from Victor. ¡°He really was just¡­.. Normal.¡±


    ¡°Okay, well start easy. Which middle school did the boy go to?¡±


    The couple sighed in relief, obviously happy to be able to answer the question. ¡°Easy, the Second Tower middle school, that¡¯s where he skipped grades.¡±


    ¡°Good, now. Which primary school did the boy go to?¡±


    Celestia once again opened her mouth in confidence, ready to spurt forth an easy answer but after a few seconds her face changed to a picture of deep concentration. Even Victor, who had refused to take part was biting down on his lip. Evidently picking through his mind. Five minutes passed before the first tear slid from the corner of Celestia¡¯s eye. For while she had neglected the boy recently she in no way hated him. In fact stories of his prowess would often fill her with pride and his casual greetings each morning would make her heart yearn to call out to him, but her morals held her back every time. ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± she whispered. Speaking for both herself and her husband. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make him a demon¡±, her voice was now almost a whimper.


    John just nodded tragically. Holding out an open palm to stop her from reiterating. ¡°When did he first learn to walk?¡± The two facing him didn¡¯t even try to speak now, Victors face had turned ashen with dread and Celestia was swaying on her feat until David stepped up to grab her shoulders. ¡°What was his first word?¡± Once again no answer, just two despairing faces.


    ¡°For god¡¯s sake you two, what is his last name!¡± All that was left of Celestia¡¯s cracked visage was torn away as she collapsed in David¡¯s arms. Tears streaming down her face, yet her arms hung limp, not even bothering to dry her eyes. Victor had simply sat down and buried his head in his palms willing himself to answer any of the questions they had been given. Though as the minutes ticked by his shoulders drooped. Physicalizing his emotional damage.


    ¡°How have we never noticed until now?¡± Victor said, speaking up for the first time.


    In answer John mealy placed his already open palm on Victors forehead. After several minutes he revealed his suspicions. ¡°I have found a block on your thought processes. To prevent you thinking about it yourself. It would have stayed that way had I not delved into the matter.¡±


    The terrible resulting silence ¨C bar Celestia¡¯s sobs ¨C was broken by an eager young sentry. Who ran obliviously to the tension up to David. ¡°Sir, the soldiers you requested are in the courtyard by the front gate. All we need is your word and we will deploy outside the city¡±.


    A nod from John and the two, accompanied by the sentry hastily made their way down the stairs. As they came to the main gate a myriad of different colours were assorted before them. Perhaps a thousand men had been called from on and off duty and each stood stone faced, lined up in rank and file. The particularly colourful robes of the arcane corps stood out, but to Davids despair the majority of them were children. He would find out later that the corps wouldn¡¯t part with the more powerful troops over the threat of a single child demon. Scanning the group, he made out the face of Lily standing tall amongst the hordes, her chest puffed out in pride. Oh how she would cry tonight, he thought to himself solemnly.


    Shaking his head briefly brought David back to the present and he walked down the path in the centre of the soldiers. When he reached the gate there was not even a moment¡¯s pause as David¡¯s hand shot into the air before swinging it down in an arc in front of him. At the sign the squad commanders shouted out ¡°Single time!¡± And David could hear the orders being passed down the line


    The wall loomed above them as they began their march, easily passing through the gates which were large enough to allow thirty soldiers standing abreast to walk through unhampered.


    Tremors could be head through the entirety of Tesuit as over two thousand feet flattened the ground in rhythmic steps. The sounds themselves, amplified somewhat by the natural sphere made by the curved wall and the colossal buildings surrounding the courtyard. All until a magnitude of noise unprecedented since the great crusade resounded from within Tesuit.


    They barely began to move before the traders edged their caravans to the side of the road allowing the army to pass through undisturbed, resulting in them making quick time. They kept up the pace for close to seven minutes before David called a sudden halt. If one had seen his face they would have seen a grimace of pain, the reason being a single figure, face downcast, walking slowly down the path.


    The reactions varied. Those who knew why they had come just sighed in disappointment, having hoped that the rumours would be false. The sentries all looked confused, wondering why such a small child ¨C demon or not ¨C had brought out such a large force.


    But out of all of them the arcane corps had the most visible reaction. Many of them had been taught alongside Aare and upon catching sight of the doll like child - with its newly acquired tail and horns - a number groaned in despair. Some of the more attached individuals were seen to have tears in their eyes. Lily, who stood in the first few ranks was one of the latter and was currently shaking her head in disbelief.


    A number of seconds passed before a single soul wrenching scream echoed over the noise that had sprung up since Aare had appeared. As the gathered soldiers fell silent to the despair, all eyes turned to a red haired girl who had burst from the ranks of sentries and fallen to her knees. David for one didn¡¯t recognise her but when he turned to John, he saw the wizened old man shake his head. Upon seeing David¡¯s quizzical look John explained. ¡°Aare¡¯s sister.¡± Two words were all that was needed.


    David swore, before turning to two nearby sentries who had also been shocked by Shirley¡¯s appearance. ¡°You, two. Quick. Take her away!¡±


    Over the next few moments, no one dared breathe as the girl was dragged away in a whimpering mess. All the while tears were caught in her throat, warping her speech into incoherent gibberish. Small extracts however were deciphered by her guards, words such as ¡°mistake, brother, impossible¡±. Were repeated over and over again. Perhaps a minute into her removal the girl seemed to suddenly realise she was being taken away and she began to kick out at her protectors. Her face had now lost all traces of its former beauty. Her eyes were red and swollen. Her hair was dishevelled and her clothes had been torn during the struggle. Finally after placing a solid kick into one of the sentry¡¯s jaws. She in turn was knocked out with an almost unnoticeable pinch to the neck. The rest was just her slumped body being dragged unceremoniously through the dust.


    John didn¡¯t see any of this however. His attention was firmly placed upon the daemon in front of him scanning for any signs of aggression. What he saw surprised him. John, in his time had seen many despondent visages. Yet never before had he seen such emptiness. On Aare¡¯s face was absolutely nothing. No anger, fear, happiness sadness or even recognition towards any of the combatants standing before him.


    Shock, it could only be shock. Often soldiers returning from a great campaign with similar looks, looks gained from watching atrocity after atrocity. What surprised John even further as that Aare had reportedly been fine earlier in the day. How could a look that usually took years to cultivate, find itself on the face of a child who had only disappeared for a few hours.


    ¡°You disappoint me.¡± John mumbled quietly to himself before in a much louder tone shouted out so that the entirety of the ranks behind him could hear him loud and clear. ¡°Aare, on account of Identity fraud and the accursed action of stepping into another race¡¯s war zone, I John Anthony Cereleus, member of the esteemed high council of Tesuit and current Head mage put you under arrest!¡±


    The voice rang out, aided by magic so that it flowed like the wind all the way to Aare who stood over fifty metres away. Yet all this time Aare hadn¡¯t ceased his walk, and still even now he approached the blockade before him. There was no reply. The only action that indicated Aare¡¯s attention was his eyes momentarily locking with johns. Then a single mouthed word which even from such a great distance could be made out clear as day. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    What followed happened in a blink of an eye, a single hand glistened in the dyeing light as it swept across the boy¡¯s body, and as a direct result the entire battalion before him, the Sentries with years of combat training, the arcane corps with the beginnings of a magical defence and even john whose own power trembled pathetically in contrast to the sheer unadulterated might of the force that swept over them. Were thrown backwards, and not just a few metres. Some were tossed like rag dolls up to twenty metres. Then with the exception of a few, lay still. Knocked unconscious when the wave of power battered their brains into a physical submission.


    The few who stood did so painstakingly. Their knees shook in both fear and agony as they made their way to their feet. A couple attempted to fire off a spell of their own yet whenever they tried a blue line would blur between them, disrupting any attempts to channel their mana. It didn¡¯t take long for the final few to give up. Aare still walked towards them, completely unopposed as the blue blur protected him from any counter attacks. Before long John realised his mistake. He had left the comfort of the anti-magic wards placed on the walls of Tesuit and had met this monster on open ground. Arrogance that had sprouted from years of peace had played a part in the downfall in every soldier that he had taken outside the security of the walls.


    ¡°R-Retreat!¡± He called loudly, knowing full well that the demon standing in front of them was still yet to fire off a second spell. ¡°Someone needs to tell the garrison to close the gates. This monster must not be allowed to enter the city!¡± But ironically these were the words that sprung Aare into action. This time, a small ¨C almost unnoticeable - stomp with his left foot caused every standing soldier to fall painfully to the ground with such force that the sound of numerous snapping bones echoed out, before being outmatch by the screams of pain that followed. Nothing fatal, but it felt as if gravity had been multiplied several times. So while certain demons would have found such a spell useless, the humans who remained conscious could only watch in horror as the demon walked ominously past them, his beautiful features etched into their minds as the final rays of dying light caressed his face before the sun dipped below the horizon. Drowning their worlds in darkness.


    --------------------------------------------------


    The glamorous wall, once a pillar of strength loomed above me with a sense of foreboding. Yet I paid it no heed. My mind had been twisted, warped under the flux of emotion that darted inside my head. Blue helped of course, enclosing a small section of my consciousness and removing the ¡°impurities¡± as he called it, which were the feelings my twelve year old body accommodated. This allowed me to make the critical decisions needed to keep moving, rather than become the blubbering mess that threatened to overcome me.


    It hurt. Not my body, no I hadn¡¯t really taken any damage since I had left this morning. The walk itself had barely been enough to scrape the tip off my collective stamina. So why did one hand clasp instinctively over my chest.


    I shook it off. Pulling myself out of my stupor before strolling casually through the open gates. Judging from the reactions of the soldiers when they saw me, they had no idea that the demon was me. So if my plan went well Red and I would be out of Tesuit without any conflict. In fact I was close, I made it to our overly large mansion situated next to the towering pillar without talking to anyone directly. When someone recognised me I just nodded and kept moving. Thanks to my usually busy schedule my curt greetings were in no way out of the ordinary. Thus I moved quickly. I found Red out the back, swinging his halberd in mesmerising movements as he fought off imaginary enemies.


    I had already decided to leave Tesuit, and for me it had been an easy decision. Of course I would regret leaving my new family who for the most part had treated me incredibly well. This especially concerned Shirley who had been as close to me as Lye, perhaps even more so. Hannah was another tether, who for your information had parted from me on our way back to Tesuit, after informing her on my plan to leave we had done so to not create undue tension for her after I left. However, as long as the gates of Tesuit lay closed I knew they would all be safe, so by leaving them here I doubted anything would happen to them, making my leaving that much easier.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    My one worry was that Red would wish to stay. I had realised lately that this city had provided everything that Red had ever wished for. A Shedim, with its naturally enhanced physical abilities only needed to be tuned slightly before it reached the state where other races would call one a master, and with the humans ¨Cwho lacked strength and made up for it in skill- teaching him as one of their own, he had progressed abnormally quickly over the years and I feared that Red had grown too attached to the place to leave in a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Red¡±. I called softly across the courtyard. He was perhaps a hundred metres away so I used a trace of magic to carry my voice and even from so far away Red turned instantly and with two simple steps stood next to me. I whistled slightly, very few lower Races would have been able to follow those movements with their eyes, let alone their swords. He nodded, basically telling me to continue. ¡°I¡¯m leaving¡±. I started bluntly, letting the words sink in. ¡°Unfortunately I was discovered as a demon and I can no longer stay here. However, you my friend have nothing to fear. You are welcome to come with me off course but I will not blame you if you decide to stay¡±. I looked deeply into his red unblinking eyes, trying to discover a sliver of emotion that would warn me of his decision. One thing about Red though was that it was almost impossible to read him and all I saw was a layer of despondency masking his thoughts. Still I would never look forcefully into Red¡¯s mind, he was a friend, and I drew the line there.


    Barely a second passed before Red nodded, slinging his halberd over his back. ¡°With you¡± was all he said. There was no regret, not even a hint of indecision in his tone. I let out a sigh of relief before drawing him into a hug, with only Blue¡¯s restrictions in my mind preventing me from sobbing into his chest.


    ¡°Thankyou friend¡±. I said softly


    ¡°Brother¡±, he corrected.


    A smile emerged on my face, how it slipped past Blues emotional barriers I have no idea. ¡°Yes, brother¡±.


    It only took a few minutes to grab the essentials, a few of my favourite clothes, the blue Wyverns egg and a couple of coins pinched from Shirley¡¯s purse. I placed a quick thankyou and goodbye note in their place. Red grabbed a few of my Fathers weapons as well as the ceremonial sword gifted to him for his place in the tournament. And so with small travel bags slung over our shoulders, Red, Blue and I travelled together down the beautiful streets of Tesuit, saying our final greetings to the curious bystanders who saw me walking with my bodyguard.


    As we approached the walls I thought we had managed to avoid notice before a small figure emerged from one of the few shadows on the side of the street.


    ¡°Damn it Aare, I knew you were a creep when you joined the possessed. But not even I thought you could actually sink so low to be an actual demon¡±! Oliver shouted, making sure his voice was loud enough to alert those nearby, who upon hearing the allegation shot around to look at me. The reactions varied, those who knew Oliver¡¯s reputation for hating me began to laugh and turn back to their work, while those who had never heard either panicked or stepped threateningly towards me.


    Shaking my head I tried to step past him, desperately trying to shut out the yelling of the people around me. ¡°Please just let me past, I¡¯m leaving anyway and no one needs to get hurt over this¡±. I tried to be diplomatic, raising my hands in the universal symbol of peace as I edged past the resolute twelve year old.


    As I turned around to keep going I heard a sudden scuffle behind me, looking back briefly I noticed Oliver¡¯s favourite dagger tossed to the side and Red suspending the terrified boy by the wrist. The apparent display of unerring speed and strength had left the spectators speechless and they backed off as Red threw Oliver to the side where he unceremoniously crumpled to the ground and didn¡¯t get up. ¡°Thank you Red¡±, I praised, suddenly extremely tired. To be honest I just wanted to be out of the city now. The fewer people I saw the better and so I began to mask my presence. ¡°The perks of being an Incubus¡±. I muttered dryly, knowing now that it was more trouble than it was worth. The blockade at the wall was uneventful. I slipped past unnoticed while Red ¨C being one of the champions of the tournament- was let through easily.


    As we walked undisturbed away from the wall I had to decide. Where should we go? My immediate response was to find No¡¯med, though I scratched that idea almost as immediately. His power far eclipsed anything I had ever witnessed from a demon before, even if he was a pillar. I shuddered at the memory. I also reminded myself that there would be three more like him, as well as the new Lord. No for now it would be better if I kept low. Perhaps I could go to the north, and circle the border. Not a great place for a vacation though I would be able to both train and keep a low profile if I was smart about it.


    We avoided the path leading to the group of soldiers I had disabled earlier. Instead I walked disillusioned next to Red on a road circumventing the demons territory. With our respective stamina neither of us were particularly bothered by walking long distances but as the passing traders gave warning that it would take several months to reach the next human town on foot we fretted that we would be wasting huge amounts of time should we just walk. Running or flying was out of the question. I still couldn¡¯t transfigure my own set of wings as Lye could, but even if I could have I knew that such travel quickly grew exhausting. I still remembered when Red and I had fled to Tesuit and had been on the verge of collapsing after only a few days. Granted we had each become physically superior after our training in Tesuit but unless we managed to hitch a ride with a trader we would need to pace ourselves. Problem was, with the great stream of carts constantly passing us by I didn¡¯t want to risk being caught by forcing one to give us a lift.


    However, just because we were walking didn¡¯t mean we couldn¡¯t train at the same time. Looking back at my fight with the Pillar I realised the greatest differences between the two of us had been our survivability. Had I personally taken any of the attacks I had dished out my body would now consist of a pile of splattered bone and ruptured innards. No No¡¯med had been incredibly adept at defensive magic; such as regeneration, and magical shielding. The first healing his wounds while the second prevented/lessoned the effects of magically fuelled attacks.


    I glanced at Red who seemed to be reading my thoughts. Shedim demons naturally developed a certain degree of magical resistance as they grew older, though seeing as we would one day face those who were proficient in magic it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have him try to enhance it.  ¡°Red¡±. I said simply.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, but this will hurt somewhat.¡± I clicked my fingers and Red became enveloped in a bright orange flame, I purposefully dulled its heat, but I could still see some of the scarlet feathers beneath Red¡¯s plate armour ignite and wither. To his credit Red didn¡¯t cry out though for the rest of the day our walking pace was significantly lowered. Also a flaming suit of armour tends to attract a large amount of unwanted attention and more than once a passing trader would throw buckets of water over the ¡°poor demon¡±. It also needs to be said that now that we were away from the frontline of defence against a possible Demon invasion, people generally treated our kind with a degree of kindness, especially the traders who were used to confronting the two races.


    The purpose of setting Red on fire was twofold. Firstly, while his magical shielding was constantly being battered it would adjust to become stronger, like a muscle under intense use. More importantly however is that I would also be able to practice my healing abilities at the end of each day. Coincidently I was also delighted to discover that the light given off by the flickering flame broke up the darkness of the night that threatened to settle around us. Not that Red would ever discover those little secrets. As a final thought I handed Red the Wyvern egg. It wasn¡¯t particularly heavy but I knew that most Wyverns would bathe there eggs in flame to act as a natural incubator. So while it may not hatch anytime soon it would be shortened significantly by this simple act.


    For Blue I had a small idea. With no relevant targets nearby we had to come up with an alternate method of training. First he would construct a labyrinth of defences inside my mind and then he would exit my body and try to forcefully enter as I attempted to push him out. Thanks to the shields Blue placed before his departure I often succeeded but it was still great practice for the two of us.


    Also while blue was creating the shields I could work on other aspects of my defence. With my naturally enormous mana pool I would develop the magic resistance that I had possessed in my past life. Eventually making me almost invulnerable to magical attacks. So a far more productive activity would be to develop a regeneration skill, which honestly intrigued me since my battle with the pillar demon. Back in Tesuit the academy had explained the basics of regeneration. Essentially it was a branch of healing magic that developed from continuous use. So over the next few weeks as we stopped for the night I would heal Red¡¯s burns. Trying to work through his wounds faster than the nights before. Healing was simple to do yet near impossible to master. There were no set spells and instead it just required you to pour you mana into the wound and use it to observe, locate and then assist the natural healing of the body. The better healers were those who had a great understanding of the anatomy and were able to quickly locate any of the major internal wounds.


    I was given plenty of practice. Red would stumble into camp each night with the majority of his leathery skin melted and sticking to the inside of his plate armour. I grimaced each time at the sight, always asking Red if he wanted me to cool the flames. Though he would continuously shake his head resolutely. ¡°High pain thresh hold¡± I had decided before easing my mana into each the cells that made up Red¡¯s remaining skin. Multiplying the rate of the cell division before watching them stretch over the exposed tendons and muscles that made up Red¡¯s mutilated body.


    After healing Red, and watching him - without fail - fall to the ground exhausted I would sit cross legged and withdraw the mana I had used to heal Red back into my own body. Allowing it to enter my bloodstream and be deposited naturally throughout my organs where it would nestle comfortable before being absorbed into whatever body part it lay upon. After repeating this process over the weeks I began to feel healthier. I would regain my energy faster and the long walks didn¡¯t feel as tiring.


    It wasn¡¯t until four weeks had passed since the start of our journey that I even considered testing to see if my regeneration occurred naturally. So on the first day of the forth week I surrounded the tips of my nail in a layer of thin and excessively sharp ice, before running it down the back of my forearm. I had planned the area around its absence of any major blood vessels though I was still shocked by the amount of blood that seeped from the four inch wound. Though I was forced out of my stupor as I watched the skin begin to knit itself back together. It was a slow process and although it would have only taken me several seconds to heal it actively with my magic, the four and a half hours that I left it alone for was far faster than it had even been before. Naturally I was ecstatic. Progress that could be seen happened so rarely that I jumped up from my cross-legged crouch and managed to land on Red¡¯s outstretched leg. Though as tired as he was I don¡¯t think he noticed.


    -----------------------------------------------


    I sighed theatrically as we pulled up for the day. Gazing around our chosen campsite I observed a small clearing surrounded by a defensive wall of trees. It was already occupied by several caravans and a few traders could be seen hitching their tents, attempting to place them on the limited flat ground while simultaneously keeping them out from under the overhanging branches and away from the babbling brook that dribbled through the middle. Only a couple succeeded while the others mealy sighed before trusting their luck to get them through the night comfortably.


    ¡°Here¡¯s as good a spot as any¡±. I mumbled to Red who was stumbling behind me. There were several shouts from around the clearing that reminded me that my friend was still on fire. Honestly I had gotten used to the flickering orange in the corner of my vision and it often escaped my care. Though to try and displace our incoming wave of attention I hastily clicked my fingers to extinguish the flame. It had been two months since we had started walking and Red was getting faster, with the fire no longer inhibiting him as much as it used to.


    I watched as he peeled of his armour, and too my annoyance I found most of the skin still intact. While I was happy that he had begun to develop his resistance to the fire I was slightly put out that my own training would lesson considerably.


    Apparently I had sighed relatively loudly, as Red¡¯s eyes shifted quickly to meet mine. ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡± he asked quickly.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I replied, with a small cough at having been caught. ¡°You¡¯re improving.¡±


    ¡°Is it happening fast enough?¡± His voice sounded pained now. Desperate almost. I stopped moving completely. Something was wrong here. Red never sounded as insecure as he did now.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing fine¡± I replied as soothingly as possible. Though I felt my eyes opening when Red grabbed my shoulders uncertainly. His calloused hands and talon like nails digging into my skin. I felt blood begin to flow down my shirt but I fought to keep a straight face. No doubt Red didn¡¯t know he was hurting me, and with whatever he was facing now I wasn¡¯t sure if I should tell him. Instead with my own hands I eased his off, thankful to the coat Shirley had given me as its dark blue colour hid the red liquid underneath. ¡°Calm down Red, tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡±


    In answer he just paled. An impressive sight as his singed scarlet feathers still clung tightly to his mangle skin, hiding the majority of it. Though see it I did, and I grabbed his wrist as he turned to leave. Trying to ignore how it tore under my light touch. ¡®Maybe I should tone the heat down tomorrow¡¯ I thought in hindsight.


    We stood still for several seconds before Red spoke, his birdlike head still turned resolutely away from me. ¡°I¡¯m strong, so don¡¯t leave.¡±


    The words were few but I felt as if I had taken a blow to the stomach. ¡°You, moron. You know I would never leave you, you¡¯re like a brother to me¡± I hissed, angry that my companion would even consider it.


    At the word ¡°brother¡± Red turned his eyes to me, and I recoiled at the sight of the sheer misery that was displayed within them. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time¡± he started in a voice so dreary that I re-evaluated the demon¡¯s supposed lack of emotions. ¡°That family has left me¡±, he finished. I blanched, I remembered finding Red in the town hall back in Ka¡¯tar, he had been alone then and I had never questioned it, so absorbed had I been in escape and then my own strength. I wondered why he had never shown his anxiety until now, yet soon I connected the dots. Most likely his parents had left him to escape alone, worried that Red would slow them down. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if that was the case as it was the case far too often with demons, and here we were escaping again. At least Tesuit would have given him a sense of security with as long as I stayed there, I wouldn¡¯t leave him.


    I realised that I had been standing motionless as Reds eyes were desperately searching my face for any signs that could tell him what I was thinking. I didn¡¯t even blink before pulling the demon into a hug. Sending my mana forth to both relieve the demon of pain, and show him the warmth of my thoughts. As his skin healed I heard the first sob, which shook me. I hadn¡¯t seen or heard such a display of emotion from Red before and hearing this reminded me that he was only twelve years old. I held the demon harder after that. Never before had Red acted like a child and so I had treated him with the respect he deserved. I wasn¡¯t going to change this, as any special treatment would come across as acknowledgement of his supposed weakness. After what seemed to be hours I let go before holding the Shedim at arm¡¯s length. His skin was now whole and covered by an array of shining crimson feathers.


    ¡°Look at me Red¡±, I told him softly as I watched the tears slip to the end of his beak before falling silently to the ground where they seeped into the cold dirt. I was thankful to the barriers that Blue had left up otherwise I would have been in the same state. ¡°No, don¡¯t look away. Good. Now listen to me bloody closely. I. Will. Never. Leave. You. Do you understand me?¡± I spoke each word slowly, careful to pronounce them with as much feeling as I could muster.


    A small nod was his only reply, though after a quick sniff the tears slowed. After the demon regained himself I let him go. I didn¡¯t bother absorbing the healing mana today. It would be best to just make the shelter and sleep. Hopefully a good night would do the most to our damaged psyche.


    Unceremoniously I let my jagged tipped tail pierce into the ground before channelling my mana. It took a few seconds, but as I gathered my magic I felt my sight expand as my subconscious melded with the ground. My affinities with the elements had increased since arriving at Tesuit. Mainly with water and ice, which now stood as my primary elements, but close behind them were earth and fire. Out of fear of losing myself I didn¡¯t let my subconsciousness expand as I would in a battle, but just enough to search out the ground beneath us. The allure presented itself strongly however when I could easily sense each grain of soil beneath me, along with the hundreds of animals that hid safely underground, and as always I had to shake off the feeling of absolute power with the help of blue, who upped my emotional barriers.


    **Be quick Aare, you know I hate it when you do this, ** Blues voice chided in my mind. I ignored him before reaching out. It was weird to control my body while both watching the action from my eyes and from hundreds of different points around me at the same time. But I couldn¡¯t let myself dwell on it. Magic swirled and sparked at my fingertips before I slammed my hands together, forcing my mana to grasp onto the earth beneath me and prise it open. I felt the tunnel tear into reality before I saw it and as I followed the newly made steps down with my true sight I moulded the open space to suit my needs, creating a large cavern underneath the ground with multiple small holes that allowed air to be distributed evenly around the cave. Finally I forced the dirt into a near rock like state over the ceiling, walls and floor. It wouldn¡¯t do any good for the newly made shelter to collapse on us during the night.


    I spent a moment to admire my work before Blue¡¯s voice once again echoed around my mind. **Aare! **


    ¡®Yeah, yeah.¡¯ I thought before breaking my connection with the true sight. Instantly my vision receded and I found myself constricted to my body once again. I avoided sighing as Red was still watching me closely, so I occupied myself with walking down the carefully crafted steps into the dark space below. With the same magic I used to ignite Red I created small balls of fire to both warm and light the place up, being careful to leave them next to the small holes that led to the surface which would act as chimneys. I still remembered the first night Red and I had camped outside. I¡¯m still not sure if I managed to remove all the smoke from our lungs.


    As Red followed me down the stairs I created a quick earth wall to seal us in. It wouldn¡¯t stop anyone feeling compelled to enter. But we would know if someone was trying to break through it, hell they might even hurt their fists a little.


    The rest of the night was a ritual created from the weeks of travel. Wash with magic, set up the tent (it was still preferable to sleep surrounded by fabric than soil), cook whatever we had found during the day, lay out the sleeping mats, redirect a small flow of water into an underground pond for easy access during the night and finally lower the intensity of the hovering spheres of flame.


    The events flashed through my mind before I found myself lying comfortably on my back and staring up at the material above me which contained an orange sheen, resulting from the dimmed lights outside. ¡®Blue, you awake¡¯ I thought silently. Knowing full well that he was, courtesy of the itch at the back of my head, hinted to him swimming around doing whatever dream demons did.


    **You know that I am. ** There was a pause where neither of us said anything. **Do you want to keep going, you haven¡¯t slept for weeks. ** Blues voice was quiet, though etched into it was a deep concern that I sent a silent thanks for.


    ¡®And YOU know¡¯ I replied slowly. ¡®That this needs to be done¡¯.


    **I¡¯m breaking the barriers now then, ** Came the voice moments before I felt Blue¡¯s emotional blockades collapse, and like an infinite tide, weeks¡¯ worth of sorrow flooded my mind. My childlike emotions cutting into my brain like a knife, blunt and awkward yet striking me where it hurt with the precision of a scalpel.


    The whispers of lost friends, the crying of betrayed family, the shouts of those who hated me, the calls of those who loved me, the tortured screams of those who I had failed to help, and the pleas of those I had yet to comfort. All of them swam in the flood of memories I had yet to deal with. So many emotions that my body was not designed to agree with. Several times I felt myself drift into unconsciousness, only to be dragged awake by Blue who spoke soft words that pierced through the sea of chatter that tried to overcome me. ¡°Leave me alone!¡± I screamed to the voices, though in response the words seamlessly transformed into laughter, disgusting sadistic laughter that I had only heard in the interrogation rooms of my last life, ¡°please¡± I whimpered, no longer trying to hold back the tears. Yet I didn¡¯t feel them, I didn¡¯t feel the blood in my mouth from where I had bitten my tongue, I didn¡¯t feel the hair that I was in the process of tearing out. All I felt was the pain from the voices, the relief from Blue, and the concerned hand from Red which now prevented me from doing further damage to myself.


    As I lay sobbing like a newborn I thought back. How the fuck had I let everything deteriorate to this point. There were so many times where I had held the power to prevent something. Yet here I was, with no objective, and only two people I could rely on. Looking up into the orange mesh of our tent felt so constricting and the experience was terrifying. The thing I had loved so much about my room in Tesuit was the window above my bed. In hindsight the sky had seemed so endless then, yet I feel that even if I could have seen that same sky now, I doubt I would have even tried to see where it ended.


    ------------------------------


    Thanks for reading.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Previous Chapter</a></td><td width="25%">Back to Main Page</a></td><td width="25%">Next Chapter</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 Obsession and Progression (Chp 9)

    Hello everyone!


    Chapter nine. After so long, sorry about that.


    I really just write my chapters in three of four sittings. So if i sat down and really worked at it I could pump out a chapter in 1-2 days. But unfortunately Its UNI Exams time :D So i write when i can, and when I''m not slumped on the floor wallowing in my own misery.


    Thanks to all of you who have reviewed. It means a lot to me that you take the time to click on the stars. But thanks even more to those who leave comments either in the reviews or down the bottom of the chapter.


    It really does motivate me to write when i hear things like. "Cheers for the read".   "What are you going to do with (x character)" and "You suck at writing and you should get tutoring with your English"..... Perhaps not the last one but you get my point.


    ----------------------------


    Screaming wind slashed past the figure as it soared into the central compound of the demon capital. Red lines seemed to ebb and flow in a trail behind him, and to a casual observer it would have seemed as though they were traces of fire. However when the figure landed they realised it was anything but. Deep gashes and punctures lay riddled across the figure¡¯s body where large quantities of blood poured out into messy puddles on the cobblestone floor.


    Several armoured demons emerged into the clearing, shields and spears at the ready in response to the unannounced threat. Though intriguingly, they all bent their knees and bowed low upon recognising the tall jet black figure that stood before them.


    ¡°Welcome home, Lord No¡¯med¡± they chorused reverently, lowering their heads in submission¡±. One particular demon was too slow however and cried out in fear as No¡¯med¡¯s eyes met his own.  To his credit the demon was fast enough to raise its shield into the path of the incoming fist, not that it mattered. No¡¯med smirked in contempt as his clenched hand splintered the bronze layered shield before careening right through the head of the offending demon. Which popped almost comically before its body crumpled in on itself causing those around it to take a step back, gulp and make sure their eyes gave full attention to the ground.


    ¡°Weaklings,¡± was all that was said as resounding footsteps echoed into the distance. The guards waited in silent agony until all they could perceive was the laboured breathing of those who had survived the ordeal before moving quickly to dispose of the corpse. Too used to the casual execution to visually show any outward emotion afterwards. All they could hope for was that they would be promoted before it was their body that was dumped into an incinerator. But even that was near impossible ever since the arrival of the new influx of ¡°monsters¡± that had taken up residence in their castle.


    ------------------------


    The throne room door was opened with trepidation as the large jet black demon walked uncertainly between the hanging drapes and lines of noble demons. The sudden change in personality from aggressive to terrified, did not go unnoticed by the numerous guards situated around the room. ¡°Relax Nom¡¯ed¡± came a monotonous call, calm but layered with impatience. Despite the passive words the voice seemed to have the opposite effect as the great pillar demon¡¯s hand clenched tightly enough to draw blood, not that anyone would notice as he was already soaked with the disgusting liquid. ¡°There is no reason to hide yourself here¡±. Came the voice again. Sounding bored yet at the same time there was a veil of annoyance.


    ¡°C-certainly milord¡± Nom¡¯ed stuttered before closing his eyes briefly. Only for them to flash open to surge in blinding gold light. However that wasn¡¯t the only change. A spiked halo now hovered threateningly over his head and his bat-like wings disintegrated into solid light as they folded up on his back neatly.


    ¡°You¡¯re back early.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, but a fact that demanded explanation, all annoyance had gone from the voice but that only left the despondency as plain as day.


    No¡¯med grunted, whether it was a grunt of pain from the numerous wounds that plagued his body or a sign of fear only he would know. ¡°I ran into some trouble,¡± the great demon started slowly, as if he was choosing each word with a lifetime of thought. ¡°And regrettably my host has become unstable, mending it will take some time and I would rather spend it in my chambers¡±.


    ¡°Trouble?¡± A new emotion spurred, was it excitement, anger? Whatever it was, the voice now echoed menacingly across the Throne room, holding enough power in the word alone to toss a few of the lesser guards back into the wall. No one moved to help them however as they made their way shakily to their feet to resume their position. Remarkably not a hint of emotion could be seen in any of their faces.


    ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle,¡± the pillar replied quickly, his voice more of a plea than an assertion.


    ¡°Be sure that it isn¡¯t¡± Came the settling voice and for the first time that day No¡¯med raised his head slightly to lock eyes with the being in front of him. Whatever it was lay heavily concealed within a veil of pure unadulterated force. Magic so thick that it created a dark shroud around it obscuring all but a pair of leering eyes, shaded in the most beautiful crystal blue that intermittently flashed golden. A sigh of relief came from the pillar demon as he made to stand and leave the chamber. Though as he turned he felt the air temperature plummet, and a small freezing hand clasp lightly over the back of his neck. Moments before a hissing whisper filled with fury echoed into his ear. ¡°For a celestial to be reduced to your state by mere ¡®trouble¡¯ would be an insult to your god itself. So listen, whelp. We have no need for those who are, or present themselves as weak. Fix your appearance and if anyone besides myself should catch you utter even so much as a word of pain I¡¯ll make Hell the least of your worries.¡± The freezing hand left his neck after a small push the made the heavy demon stumble forward. A small snarl escaped his lips, barely heard by even himself before he slunk quickly out of the hall without daring to look back.


    --------------------------


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Came the shriek that made even the neighbours jump in shock, despite them being several hundreds of metres away from the mansion that stood solemnly next to the white Spire of Tesuit. Everyone had seen the men dressed in the robes of a possessed leave minutes earlier and all had heard about the mental blocks that had been placed upon the respected family. It didn¡¯t take a genius to put two and two together and realised that the youngest had just had the lie that was Aare¡¯s existence unravelled from her mind. Those who cared for the family prayed in silence for their swift recovery, those who were unrelated drew symbols on their own doors to ward off the presence of evil and passed along the story as a way to scare unwary families. While those who hated them (and since the mother was a senator there were a lot) settled with laughing from a distance. A blow like this would shred huge amounts of their influence with both the people and the monarchy. It would be an added bonus if they could swoop in at the last moment to pick up some of the leftovers.


    Inside the house was the very picture of a nightmare. Furniture had been torn or thrown across the room, in not so rare cases it was both. The delicate furnishings on the wooden rails had been snapped without care or at least cracked. And at the centre of the room was a flailing cyclone of a red headed girl who even now was desperately being held onto by her father. ¡°For fuck sake Shirley, calm down, act your age for the first time in your life! We know this is hard for you to accept but this mindless violence breeds nothing but hate and we don¡¯t need any more of that.¡±


    Shirley¡¯s eyes found her Father¡¯s only to tear herself from his clasp. A wounded look splattered horrifically over her the entire time. ¡°What would you know about me, you never cared if he wasn¡¯t your child, so how am I any different! It¡¯s just one less mouth to feed isn¡¯t it?!¡±


    Anger flashed in Victor¡¯s eyes and he had to visually stop himself from hitting the child. Violence would do nothing but upset her more he told himself, but oh god that didn¡¯t make it any easier. ¡°How dare you,¡± he said softly instead. ¡°I was busy, so I admit to not spending as much time with the two of you as I should have. However not once have I thought of you as anything else but the best thing that has ever happened to me, until yesterday that was shared between two. So don¡¯t you dare say I am as pathetic and uncaring as to forget about someone who was my child for so many years. Even if only I thought so.¡± The last part was said to himself, as the girl hadn¡¯t waited for him to finish before fleeing upstairs. Her angry footsteps resounding from above were the only trace of her.


    He made to follow her, to make her see sense and hopefully sort this entire mess out. But Celestia came out of apparently nowhere to bar his way. Her arms held out to the side before she stepped forward suddenly to embrace her husband. ¡°Give her time,¡± was all that was said before Victor embraced her in return, tentatively at first until he pulled her close. Where upon the two found comfort in each other¡¯s arms. It was no secret that Shirley had always wanted a younger sibling, to get one, especially one as polite and talented as Aare would have filled the girl¡¯s heart. To take it away was too cruel, it would have left her empty, either that or shattered the heart entirely.


    Upstairs Shirley slammed the door to her room behind her. Watching spitefully as the top corner splintered with the impact. Before flopping down on the bed and shouting a wild assortment of obscenities into her pillow. When half an hour had past or more accurately when her pillow began to taste of salt she stood, swaying on her feet. She hadn¡¯t been in her room since the call to arms and while she had spent the night in the hospital after being knocked unconscious it had thankfully been cut short thanks to the influx of soldiers who had arrived after her. Nothing fatal but broken bones generally caused more of a fuss than being in a slight daze. So rather unceremoniously she had been picked up by her parents and escorted home, where she had re-enacted the fall of Ka¡¯tar on her Mother¡¯s linen and eventually furniture.


    As the sweet scent of cooked meet drifted innocently upstairs the Red headed girl finally seemed to pull herself together. Dragging her long sleeved upper garment across her eyes to wipe away the last traces of ruined makeup caked in running lines beneath her eyes. As her eyes cleared she noticed a glimpse of white paper that had been placed delicately within her purse. She blinked, twice. Beautiful writing that could only have been Aare¡¯s sprawled across the paper.


    Dear Shirley,


    I am so sorry.


    What I have done to your family was both cruel and against every teaching you have even given me. Especially after the way you in particular have treated me during my elongated stay. When I originally came to Tesuit I hadn¡¯t planned to stay for more than a week, yet here we are. With me, most of all, still wishing that I could wake up to the sound of you all in the future.


    Perhaps now you are glad that I am gone, I understand should that be the case. However I want you to know that even now I consider you as my Sister.


    Thank you for everything. Aare


    A single hand clenched tightly around the small piece of paper, scrunching it up as the girl whispered slowly to herself. ¡°Me too little brother¡±.


    ---------------


    The shimmering orange light shining resolutely through the tent fabric eventually pulled me from my dreams. Disturbing ones for the most part so I can¡¯t say I was complaining. I no longer felt the comforting mental barriers that blue put up, Instead the previous night had allowed me to organise my thoughts and collect myself. It had been painful, but after the night of mourning I had promised myself to move on. The past would always stay with me, but I would be damned if I let it control me.


    My face was washed with heat and light as I emerged from the tent, courtesy of the spheres of fire hovering at regular intervals around the cave. There was also a pungent smell of smoke, which annoyed me. I had placed the ¡°chimneys¡± next to each light and they had been working fine when I had fallen asleep. It didn¡¯t take long before I noticed Red, who was swinging his Halberd around in brutal strokes.  Fighting some unknown enemy, a barely noticeable blue aura surrounding his head hinted towards the Dreams presence, which was most likely weaving an illusion for the Shedim to fight.


    I watched for a minute before beginning to pack up the tent. Being underground I couldn¡¯t accurately guess the time but I wanted to set out sooner rather than later. It didn¡¯t take me long, we hadn¡¯t bothered to water proof it or peg it down since we were in a closed environment so after taking out the supports it just folded down conveniently. I finished by brushing off the remaining traces of dirt before forcing the fabric back into its carrying bag. An act which took me way longer than it should have. ¡°Who makes these things¡±, I pronounced exasperated.


    Glancing towards the exit I noticed Red¡¯s equipment already packed, sitting in tight bundles so I rose to my feet, stretching out the cramped muscles and hearing the pleasent sounds of my unused joints cracking sharply. Surprisingly it was this that alerted Red to me waking and I watched his face spin to meet mine, curiosity and concern plastered like a mask over his face.


    ¡°Thank you¡± I said simply, knowing full well that words wouldn¡¯t convey how I felt. But apparently that was enough as the demon in question just nodded before walking slowly up to me, a smile somehow stretching his beaked face. There was a blue blur and I found my dream denizen once again snuggling into my mind, finding its favourite resting spot near the back.


    **Aare, something happened during this morning¡¯s training, don¡¯t even ask how.** was all the demon said as it fell asleep, no doubt exhausted from last night. In response I just looked at Red quizzically.


    I was met with a grin as Red held out an open palm which to my surprise suddenly ignited. Spirals of ride arced smoothly through his feathers, never burning but even from the small amount I noticed the air become instantly hotter. The fire was enchanting, burning in the most pure red I have ever seen. Like a deep crimson without any taint. I watched as it danced in his hand whereupon he grasped his halberd which in turn burned brightly in the mystical flame. To say my mouth was gaping in amazement would have been an understatement. Before me was a Shedim demon which had gained a remarkable magical affinity to fire, so much so that it had its own colour. It also intrigued me that Shedims were not supposed to be able to manipulate their mana. In fact, Red may have been the very first of his kind to use magic.


    ¡°Red, that¡¯s incredible¡±. I whispered, watching as Red¡¯s feathers still remained unblemished when the fire snaked over them. ¡°How did you do this?¡± I knew that magically created fire didn¡¯t actively seek out to burn its creator, but this level of immunity was ridiculous.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± Came the excited reply. I just shook my head already determined to look into this later, before indicating the entrance.


    ¡°You ready?¡± I said simply.


    ¡°I was ready before you woke!¡± Came a reply so enthusiastic that I broke into a grin.


    With a muttered, ¡°course you were.¡± I spun on my heel, before walking towards the exit with Red in step behind me. Closing my eyes I felt the left over magic from last night giving structure and support to the cave we were currently in. In front of us stood the conjured stone wall which even now my resident mana held together, and even though it looked like a formidable wall a single sweep of my hand collapsed the bonds inside it, causing it to crumble into a layer of dust that scattered freely on the floor. As a side effect the small spheres of fire gave a small pop and extinguished themselves.


    As the wall crumbled, light assaulted the cave. Flooding in and blinding us momentarily as our eyes adjusted. Sound filled our ears, mumbled words from the traders camping in the clearing, birds shrieking from the trees and the babbling brook, well, babbling. A sigh of contentment rang from behind me as Red stretched happily. An odd image as his large figure plated in full armour moved like a child let out from confinement. Which in retrospect was exactly what had happened.


    I shook the thoughts from my head as the closest group in the clearing noticed our appearance before a single elderly man split from the group and made a beeline for Red. As he came closer I couldn¡¯t help but notice the expensive coat and the monocle over the man¡¯s right eye. After briefly eyeing Red, his gaze fell on mine, ¡°A bit young to be travelling aren¡¯t you boy¡±. I didn¡¯t miss the note of condescension that the man either failed, or didn¡¯t bother too remove from the sentence. I wasn¡¯t given time to reply as the man once again focussed on Red, or more appropriately the heavy armour and Halberd that Red carried without so much as a wince. ¡°Good morning warrior.¡± All negative traces in the voice were gone as the man in front of us turned into the image of a perfect gentleman. His smile seemed to shine which disturbed my stomach and he drew himself to his full height. Taller than me yet still failing to reach Red¡¯s chin, or should I say beak?


    ¡°My company and I couldn¡¯t help but notice your lack of transport. Perhaps this has caused you difficulty in the past? I at least wouldn¡¯t doubt it with you having to drag,¡± he quickly nudged his head in my direction, ¡°this boy around.¡± I had no doubt in my mind that I hated this stuck up noble scum. But I pursed my lips in silent anger trying not to do something I would regret. We had been looking for transport for some time after all. The man continued. ¡°Anyhow, we will be traveling north and you¡¯re welcome to come along.¡± I saw Red cock his plumed head in a visual replication of my own suspicion. From experience, most people wouldn¡¯t just offer a lift to random strangers. Especially considering when the one asking had a similar latent level of likeableness to a deranged hydra.


    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± I interjected causing the noble to go wide eye with shock that apparently someone as visually worthless as me could interrupt a being as blessed as he.


    ¡°Watch your tone boy¡±. He hissed threateningly. Before turning bright eyed again to look at Red. ¡°However, it will come at a slight price. I¡¯m merely looking for some more protection, the roads are dangerous at this time of year. But for someone as brave and powerful as you who is willing to travel alone with a child this should be no problem. In fact, it should lesson your troubles.¡±


    I almost ripped the poor excuse of a man apart at his tone, I hadn¡¯t been in a good mood to begin with, and his absolute disrespect was pushing the metaphorical line with each damned word. But with a colossal amount of effort I dismissed the red haze that layered my eyes. Only to find Red looking at me for confirmation. In response I just shrugged lazily. Besides the poor company I couldn¡¯t find any other negatives to getting near free transportation to the north. In response Red met the eye of the bespectacled man. ¡°We accept. Leave when?¡± Reds broken speech didn¡¯t seem to bother the man past a small twitch in his left eye and a hand was quickly outstretched.


    ¡°Fantastic.¡± The man replied enthusiastically. Grabbing Red¡¯s hand and shaking it with reckless abandon. ¡°We leave when that lot,¡± a small sneer ruined his facial features as he indicated his companions ¡°finish packing. But I am pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Lord Farrell, but you good warrior may call me Antonius.¡± A pause, ¡°and your name is?¡±


    ¡°Red.¡± Simple, to the point.


    ¡°What a fine name it is too.¡± Farrell proclaimed as if it was his choice. ¡°No last name though? Well most demons don¡¯t have one I guess. Regardless I¡¯ll let you introduce yourselves to our, companions.¡± A dismissive hand gesture was waved towards the rest of Antonius¡¯ group who scowled from where they sat. Obviously the dislike was mutual. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the cart if you need me, I have some paperwork to fill out before we reach the Cobra¡¯s nest.¡± I raised an eyebrow. I¡¯d heard of the place. A mercenary guild with no allegiance to either the humans or the demons, merely selling itself out to the highest bidder. Frankly if we were going there already there was no reason not to stay awhile, free accommodation and meals along with pay for participating in a few skirmishes seemed perfect. Instantly the upcoming trip began to look more fruitful.


    With introductions done Farrell twirled on his foot and made his way to the rather expensive cart which even now was being hitched up to a number of dark brown horses by two overly large men, From this far away it was impossible to be precise but they were easily twice as tall as Red.


    I set off first with Red falling into step behind me, soon finding ourselves in front of five people hurriedly packing the last of the nights camping equipment. Though as we came closer the nearest raised her head, blushed briefly ¨Cannoying my immensely- but covered herself quickly with a smile. ¡°Sorry about him¡± She started, indicating the cart where Antonius no doubt sat feeling important. ¡°But I assume you were also recruited¡±. I nodded in response before she launched into introductions. ¡°Great, well then, we¡¯re travelling together so let¡¯s make this civil, I¡¯m Rina Fae.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the friendly greeting which coupled with Rina¡¯s naturally impish build and mischievous face seemed to shower happiness.


    ¡°Good to meet you Rina, I¡¯m Aare and this is Red.¡± Red made a little wave from behind me that completely ruined any intimidation factor he might have previously possessed.


    Rina made the same little wave, ¡°hey Red¡±. Giggled, then turned back to me, ¡°anyway¡±. She spun, pointing out two of her companions, two children who looked about fifteen, both with feminine faces that screamed delicate. The one trying to stuff a tarp into its carrying case had short brown hair with small freckles littered around the nose. The other who was filling her canteen from the river looked almost identical except from the flowing hair that stretched down to her ankles.


    ¡°That¡¯s Alison and Henry Marel,¡± Obviously my eyebrows raised slightly as Rina burst into another round of giggles before whispering conspiratorially ¡°I know, but the one with the short hair is a boy.¡±


    Her hand swept dramatically over a man stamping out a fire, tousled silver hair framed a rough face which sported several scars. He wasn¡¯t a large man, but his lithe build was one of a warrior. ¡°That poser is Casio Silver, hint, the hair colour is fake. But don¡¯t tell him I told you¡±. A wink fluttered across her face quickly as Rina moved onto her next victim.


    The last person sat slightly apart from the rest of the group, and to sum her up, she was drop dead gorgeous. Wide sparkling blues eyes demanded your attention as messy blond hair traced down the side of her face. High cheek bones made the basis of an oval face highlighting her slightly flushed cheeks. She was slim but not overly so and her body didn¡¯t leave much to the imagination as her breasts threatened to fall out of her tight fitting cloth dress with a side cut that went temptingly from the ground almost to her pelvis. She didn¡¯t look up, but instead made a point out of looking at the ground. Yet they weren¡¯t the eyes of a lofty person dedicated on looking down on those around her, but more of a submissive gaze that didn¡¯t think itself worthy.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    A grimace crossed Rina¡¯s face before she continued and for a brief instance sadness flickered across her face before looking towards me. ¡°That¡¯s Felicity Carrow, the personal concubine of Lord Farrell and you probably shouldn¡¯t talk to her. He gets mad at those who try.¡± I tore my eyes away from the beautiful women before letting them rest on Rina, who true to her fidgety nature appeared to already have forgotten about Felicity, and after fiddling briefly with her cropped brown hair seemed to move on. ¡°Ahhh and the last two are over there hitching up the horses.¡± I didn¡¯t bother looking. I knew she was talking about the huge men. ¡°They¡¯re Herog and Truog. Basically they are half giants and the guards Antonius originally hired. But don¡¯t let that fool you, they¡¯re really nice!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they are¡± I replied smoothly, trying to avoid getting sucked into the vortex of enthusiasm that was Rina. Before glancing at the giant cart that even now was being attached to a seventh horse, it wasn¡¯t just a simple cart either, with wooden walls and a roof it looked more like a house. No expense had been too much apparently as it was adorned with numerous windows and golden plated doors. The red roof looked like a pyramid with a dozen vicious looking stone gargoyles hanging from the edges. Not only that but I saw similar runes cut into each of them, most likely to animate them in the event of an attack. I shook off the awe. ¡°We have a few bags. I¡¯m assuming we can just put them anywhere?¡±


    A laugh was my only reply and for at least a minute Rina tried to get herself under control. Honestly I had never understood the ¡®gigglers¡¯, who would laugh at almost anything. The worst part about them was that they would naturally congregate and their favourite places became uninhabitable for other folk. I waited patiently before she replied. ¡°Of course not, that¡¯s for the lord.¡± She drawled sarcastically. She pointed to the back where a significantly smaller door lay open. ¡°We have the slave quarters. Not much of a slave quarters though. The carpet and beds are still better than most nobles would get in their own homes.¡±


    I saw Red shrug, he¡¯d never been a great admirer of comfort and would probably be just as content sleeping on the ground as in a bed. ¡°More than I expected to be honest. I¡¯ll let you get back to packing then.¡± I said before Rina realised what she should have been doing and rushed off to finish, leaving me shaking my head. ¡°Come on Red, let¡¯s get comfy.¡± A grunt of acknowledgement echoed from behind me as the two of us walked through the slightly smaller door at the back of the cart opening up to us a world of bright red tapestries illustrating the history of the ¡®marvellous Lord Farrell¡¯. Not that Red and I would ever bother reading it.


    The next two hours were spent in near silence as I woke blue and informed him on our situation. He was slightly surprised at first before slipping into forced despondency. He had never cared for humans affairs and he **would be damned** if he started now.


    Instead he asked. **How are you feeling** his voice tender and laced with concern.


    ¡°Much better,¡± I replied internally. ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten and I will never forgot. But I also know that I can¡¯t keep going on about them, last night made me realise that.¡±


    **I understand, but you know I am here for you when you need me. **


    ¡°Of course¡±.


    -----------------------------------------


    The first few hours of the trip were uneventful, as it turned out that our travelling companions had stayed awake for most of the night to stand guard and were only allowed to sleep during the traveling itself. Slightly worrying as I thought criminal action would come mainly in the form of highway robbery. Especially as our distance from Tesuit grew and the carts running along the uneven track became further apart.


    I watched as each member stumbled into the quarters before tumbling exhaustedly onto their beds and falling asleep. Even Rina only managed to mumble a few words of acknowledgement. What surprised me was that each of the people in the cart were here for a reason, most likely hired to protect the traveling Farrell. But from what I saw, only a few of them looked anything like a warrior. Of course appearances could be deceiving.


    I was disturbed from my thoughts by heavy feet slamming into the doorway, rocking the entire cart as huge hands grabbed both sides of the door as the giants hauled themselves through. Soon both stood tall above Red and I. Red had taken the initiative and stepped between me and the walking walls of flesh. Perhaps it was dismissive to refer to them as such, but I had yet to meet them personally and it would be dangerous to think of them as anything else until I discovered they weren¡¯t a threat.


    I needn¡¯t have worried. As the one closest to us held up his hands in a peaceful gesture before a great smile cracked open his face. ¡°Whoa, hold up buddy, we mean no harm¡±. The other was smiling and just nodded at the friendly words.


    Red looked back at me questioningly, and at a simple nod from me stepped to the side. An action that was noticed by the two half giants who looked quizzically at me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you adorable, are you a boy or a girl.¡± The second stuttered. Perhaps a little blunt, but I couldn¡¯t care less about social custom so I just smiled in response.


    ¡°A boy, my names Aare.¡± I didn¡¯t hold out my hand for fear that it would be crushed, so instead I just nodded my head in greeting, making sure not to let the hulking giants out of my peripheral vision. It was too early to turn a blind eye, especially to one who could crush me with a single fist.


    They obviously noticed my paranoia and after introducing themselves as Herog and Truog and greeting Red they said as much. ¡°You know little demon, it isn¡¯t fair to judge someone based on their appearances or species. Just because we are larger than you doesn¡¯t mean we are any less of a person¡±. I blinked before they continued, ¡°In fact, with the new Demon monarch it would be more prudent to judge you. But that wouldn¡¯t be fair, we have only just met you. You wouldn¡¯t say you are like every other demon would you?¡± The first giant, Herog, held out his hand to shake mine, and I don¡¯t know whether it was because of what he said, or how he said it, but I trusted him, and met his hand halfway. To my surprise he only gripped my lightly, and even though I could feel the obvious strength rippling through it, the pressure was easily restrained. I blinked again, mentally berating myself. Acting like a human and fearing that which was different. Hadn¡¯t Oliver shown me the damage that could cause?


    After the hiccup, small chat filled the cabin. We learned that the pair of giants had been picked up in the highlands south of Tesuit, a cold miserable place but known for the enormous creatures that took refuge there. Basically the giants were expensive but they would protect Farrell with their lives. It also intrigued me to learn the ways of giant culture. Due to their stupendous size many found it difficult to create the more intricate sounds in their speech. Larger tongues were just harder to move the way the giants wanted them to. So many species made the mistake of thinking them as unintelligent. Yet after talking to them for an extended period of time I found this to be completely untrue.


    However they were the muscle of this trip so most of their intelligence stemmed from the arts of war, and soon all conversation was centred on that. The two giants were apparently adept at the giant double edged war axes that were strapped to their backs. It was also something to be said that they were trained in a more human style of fighting, which involved countering and prolonged combat, something Red had become proficient in during our stay at Tesuit. So each knew exactly what the other was talking about when they launched into long winded explanations on how to best kill this or that. I had always felt that I knew the theory of sword play but they soon lost me when they started describing the feel of each stroke. A feeling which I had never personally encountered. Perhaps I wasn¡¯t passionate enough?


    Regardless, all talk stopped when Red said three words loud enough to wake Casio from where he slept two metres away. ¡°Spar with me!¡± Having spent enough time with the demon of few words the giants smiled at the lack of tact. Red glanced briefly at me for confirmation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I don¡¯t mind.¡± I said quickly, to which the demon looked back at his two ¨Chopefully- sparing partners.


    A booming laugh came from the two, waking up the remnants of the group who all grumbled something about damn giants before rolling over, covering their ears with pillows and trying to get back to sleep. ¡°Little demon I accept your challenge, but calm your desire to improve until the next camp site, it will keep us awake at least. But for now we must sleep, we may not need much, but some is better than none. See you on the other side.¡±


    ---------------------


    So Red and I sat on the ground, with me trying to teach Red how to channel his mana. Something which I hadn¡¯t thought possible until this morning. It was generally slow work resulting in a restless Red far before any noticeable progress. It wasn¡¯t wasted time though, it was always going to take a while for Red to purify his magical reserves and while I taught him I managed to create seven red mana stones for his use. I felt a quick pang at handing over my mother¡¯s inventions but I forced it down. Refusing to fall victim to last night¡¯s misery.


    We were disturbed as the sun reached its peak when food was passed through slits in the wall by the unnamed chefs on the other side. It made me wonder how many people were aboard the cart without my knowledge. There would be cleaners, chefs and drivers just to name a few. The food wasn¡¯t much, just a sliver of dried meat and an unknown soup. Alison and Henry didn¡¯t even bother getting up for it, instead choosing to ignore the meal and hope for a sliver of sleep instead.


    I was slightly disappointed. I would have bet Red¡¯s halberd that on the other side of that wall, Farrell was eating like a king. Perhaps he was one I thought. In fact, I knew very little about our egotistical companion who I hadn¡¯t seen a hint of since we boarded. Good riddens though, if I ever saw the young weasel again it would be too soon.


    However all thoughts flew away when a good two dozen coconuts rolled though the gaps in the wall. Snarls of disgust erupted around me as my companions turned their noses up at the rolling spheres of deliciousness. I was appalled and said as much. ¡°What the hell have you lot got against coconuts?¡±


    Various replies that ranged from, ¡°not really my thing¡± to ¡°fucking filth I wouldn¡¯t feed a pig,¡± were thrown back at me as the crew left the gaps in the wall to try and get a final few hours of rest before the next camp site. Oh well, I couldn¡¯t believe my luck, coconuts were the guilty pleasure of every demon I knew including myself. Except for perhaps one who at this very moment was looking at me with a look of complete bewilderment?


    ¡°What¡¯s a coconut?¡± Red asked hesitantly. A question that I answered by lazily throwing one of the said fruit into his eager hands, before stabbing a mana encased finger through the top to create a drinking hole.


    ¡°Drink¡±. A simple command. My tone didn¡¯t invite any disagreement and soon the red demon was swallowing the liquid with wide eyes that screamed bliss. I followed suit, downing the milk of my own coconut in seconds, savouring each moment as the tropical epitome of milk fell lovingly down my throat, shooting an array of flavours that caressed each and every tastebud I had and hadn¡¯t known I possessed. I remembered Tear often telling all who would listen (when she thought I couldn¡¯t hear), that sex while drinking coconut milk was the best experience anyone or anything could offer. But I disagreed. Anything sex could give would take away from what I was feeling right now. For what could possible or theoretically be better than coconut milk? After draining the remnants I stood still admiring the after taste for several minutes before gathering up the rest of the fruit in my arms. ¡°For later¡±, I ensured, when Red looked at me with pleading eyes.


    ¡°Delicious.¡±


    ¡°I know, damn do I know.¡±


    ----------------


    Upon arriving for the night the horses where quickly fed and unhitched from the cart. They were never allowed to travel far away thanks to the ropes fastened securely around their necks but at least Farrell saw the need to treat them with a little civility.


    Of course Red wanted to fight right away but we were able to pacify him long enough to set up the night watch tarp. Or so it was christened by the giants. So at least if it started raining we could keep dry. Antonius had made it very clear that we were not to spend the night inside the cart so the tarp in my humble opinion was a life saver.


    And so, with a cup of warm soup in my hands courtesy of Rina who had taken to mothering her ¡°adorable little demon¡± I sat with the group watching as Red faced off against the smaller and supposedly less adept Truog.


    ¡°Who do you think will win¡±, came the whisper from my right as Casio sat down beside me. Notably his hands were empty after he had asked for a similar cup of soup.


    ¡°Red.¡± I replied unfalteringly. ¡°However if this was a battle to the death I would be unsure¡±.


    Casio blinked and raised an eyebrow in a particularly annoying manner, ¡°and why is that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that¡±, I said pointedly at his eyebrow before addressing his question. ¡°Because despite being one of the most naturally gifted warriors I have ever met, he has never fought to the death before. I see that as being an obstacle he would need to overcome¡±.


    ¡°Hmmm¡±. Came the reply before a pause where we allowed Herog to explain the rules of the duel in silence. I didn¡¯t really pay attention, deciding instead to take a sip from the warm cup in my hands.


    ¡°Pumpkin,¡± I said in delight. Closing my eyes briefly to enjoy it, forgetting for however briefly where I was or what I was doing.


    ¡°Are you two related?¡± I glanced over at Casio briefly, before he indicated Red who was all but smelling his weapon in his eagerness.


    ¡°Not in blood. Does it look like it?¡± I said with mock offence.


    A chuckle, ¡°no not really. But then where is your family¡±. The question, although innocent, hung morbidly above us momentarily before I managed to force a smile to my face.


    ¡°Back in Tesuit.¡± I answered somewhat honestly. Casio opened his mouth to no doubt continue his barrage of questions but was instead interrupted by a loud BEGIN, from an enthusiastic Herog as he scrambled back to allow the two fighters to come together.


    The normally imposing Red was dwarfed by the hulking Truog who moved deceptively quickly across the sandy floor of the clearing. His axe, terrifyingly huge and probably compensating for something, shot forward with speed that should not belong to a four metre tall humanoid muscle.


    I just smiled though, too slow. With precision not seen within the human race, Red delicately flicked the axe ¨Cwith expert like ease- out of the way. Before swinging the blunt end of his halberd in a blinding overhead arc that scraped past the giants chin as he leant back.


    ¡°Wow¡± came the excited whisper from Casio who was now leaning forward in his chair. ¡°seems as if your grand statements weren¡¯t unfounded.¡±


    Several feints were made by Red as arrays of footwork patterns and subtle movements brought the demon into close range before he ducked quickly beneath a bunt made by the handle of the war axe. No time was spared however as now the demon found himself within the giant¡¯s outstretched guard and a quick upwards stroke cut through Truog¡¯s chest, leaving a thin line that dribbled blood.


    Obviously the blow had been held back. But even so, I couldn¡¯t help but be amazed as the skin instantly sealed itself back together and within two seconds there was no trace of the light wound bar the red stain that tinted the edges of the giants torn jacket. This was what I had been aiming for, and something akin to envy wormed its way into my chest at the natural healing abilities of a giant.


    Red, momentarily stunned as well was shoved brutally away causing him to fly across the clearing before tumbling to the ground. It was within a heartbeat that Red found his feet again and without pause threw his heavy weapon like a spear.


    In a matter of seconds it was over. The giant, taken aback by the insane strength from the young demon was knocked back as he attempted to batter away the halberd. Which was not entirely successful as his right side found itself wide open, exposing a layer of intestine that quickly resealed itself. However the giant could do nothing as the force of nature that was Red rammed into the staggering figure seconds later. Although the giant didn¡¯t fall his balance and form were now utterly broken.


    Leading with a brutal punch to the chin, the giant was momentarily stunned as no doubt his vision became a kaleidoscope of different images. Flailing blindly, Truog tried to back off and recover but there was no remnants of the speed and power shown before and Red took advantage of it, quickly crushing the giants attempt at resistance by taking a firm hold onto his opponents war axe and executing a textbook low kick that was coupled with a disturbing crunch from Truog¡¯s left leg.


    A yelp resounded through the clearing as Red pulled out a ceremonial knife and brandished it threateningly under the Giants chin. Directly under the fleshly lower jaw, angled to be driven straight upwards into the brain. Though at this stage I was wondering if even that mortal blow would be enough to kill Truog as his leg had already realigned itself by the time Herog called the fight in Red¡¯s favour.


    ¡°Well, I think we can end the fight here. The winner seems obvious enough.¡± In response Red merely nodded in agreement before setting his sights on the towering Herog and once again raising his weapon threateningly. The larger giant laughed however before waving his hand happily while rejecting the demons intentions. ¡°Perhaps later little demon, for now I need to tend to my brothers wounds¡±.


    I felt my eyebrows raise in surprise as the larger of the two giants led the other beneath the tarp before pulling out a needle and thread. As they came closer it didn¡¯t take me long to see the regeneration wasn¡¯t as complete as I had originally thought. Yellow bulbous patches of skin surrounded the wounded areas that were now dark red scars. Perhaps not what I was striving for then?


    Before my eyes Herog ¨Cwithout flinching- drove the threaded needle into the infected areas causing sick looking yellow pus to explode out. Herog having done this before easily predicted the path of the yellow ooze and slipped to the side as it passed him by. The yellow pus continued to flow as the bulb around the giants cut deflated. Though after each second the liquid became less yellow, slowly transitioning into a blood red and when the last trace of yellow flew from the wound Herog nimbly covered it with a leather square before sowing it into place.


    Catching my eye Herog explained. ¡°The regeneration, while useful, does have its drawbacks¡±. A deep breath. ¡°Each of our cells will multiply at an increased rate giving us the regeneration, but with no magical assistance a large number of them won¡¯t have the time to copy correctly of completely. Leaving this yellow rubbish. It¡¯s no problem if we quickly remove the incomplete cells but if left to fester there can be serious consequences.¡± I nodded in understanding, before turning back to Red who was surrounded by the rest of the group who were throwing praise faster that I could drink a coconut.


    ¡°That was incredible.¡±


    ¡°Insane! Throwing your weapon like that.¡±


    ¡°The way you moved, even magic would be hard to hit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to fight you myself one day.¡±


    Blue, in a moment of excitement leapt from my mind and the blue haze shot across the clearing to join with the shedim, no doubt to add his own few words of encouragement.


    I made to walk towards them when I was stopped by a firm hand on my shoulder. ¡°But our regeneration factors aren¡¯t what¡¯s important here.¡± The Giants fiery eyes met mine as I turned around and before me wasn¡¯t the face of the smiling being that had talked to us on the cart. But the glare of a veteran of war. ¡°He (indicating Red) needs to be careful, he fights too recklessly, like a child trying to humiliate his opponent rather that defeat him. Fighting like this is born from arrogance. I understand that he is strong but he won¡¯t survive for long out here if he doesn¡¯t calm down and understand that there are beings more powerful than him. He may have defeated my younger brother, but Truog is only following me to gain experience. It¡¯s his first time out of his village and I don¡¯t want your friend to become complacent over such a victory.¡± The hand clenched tighter and I had to stop myself from wincing. ¡°Red is a great guy, but if he keeps rushing into fights to prove himself he will eventually find someone who won¡¯t give him a second chance¡±.


    I sighed before physically removing the giant¡¯s hand. ¡°How old is your brother.¡±


    A quizzical look plastered itself on Herog¡¯s face before he replied. ¡°Seventy four this year¡±.


    ¡°Well Red is twelve.¡± I said as I turned away from the Giant. Yet still I didn¡¯t miss the look of astonishment on his face. ¡°Also shedims are capable of living for thousands of years, meaning they develop slowly. The only thing that demon is missing is actual experience in real combat, and if arrogance will lead him to fight with confidence and strive to better himself, I see no harm in it.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it will accelerate his growth, but that is meaningless if he dies.¡±


    ¡°You are right, but in the same way that you are protecting your younger brother, I will not allow anything to happen to Red while he is with me.¡±


    The giant paused momentarily as he seemed to re-evaluate me. ¡°Are you capable of protecting him?¡±


    ¡°I have to be.¡± I replied enthusiastically when I saw Red glance in my direction. I distorted my face into a grin before walking silently towards the scarlet demon.


    ---------------------------------------


    Thanks for reading.


    Please submit a review or comment below. Ill try to answer your questions if you have any.


    <table><tbody><tr><td width="25%">Previous Chapter</a></td><td width="25%">Back to Main Page</a></td><td width="25%">Next Chapter</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 Oblivion and Confrontation (Chp 10)

    "Wooooooooooww, Myo you moron!" I hear you all shout, "How the hell did it take you this long. This chapter is barely 10,000 words!"


    Well my dear readers(If there are any of you left after such a long break on my part) I have been away at the snow and am now a licensed ski instructor. Thanks for asking! :D   I was worried i would need to rely on my poor writing skills to make a living.... Cheers for not laughing :)


    But before we get onto the chapter........


    *Clap, clap clap clap*. Ladies and gentlemen we have had our first flame!


    Now Im not going to go into details but it basically went along the lines of "You are an idiot, your story is garbage and you should take it down." Add in a few swear words and a couple of comically timed "your mum made a mistake in giving birth to you" jokes and we have its base.


    Now honestly you guys are welcome to your own opinions. But please try to remember that i am in no way an accomplished or professional writer. I have come onto this site to have a bit of fun, become better at writing and maybe give you guys something to read while i''m at it. I don''t mind negative feedback. In fact I was all for ''the group''s'' rather negative review on my work. I even went so far as to clarify and rewrite parts of my story.


    But what I ******* hate, are people who say negative things for no reason. I''m not making money off this story and never have i forced this story down someones throat, as erotic as that sounds. I''m having fun and improving my writing! Please try to remember that.


    Thank god that is over and done with..... my god i hate flamers.....literally no point in having them.


    Now onto the chapter.   Soz guys but this one was a hard one to write and it was late at night and i just wanted to get it out after so long! So some mistakes incoming for the first few beta readers! Would be great if you can alert me if you see them!


    Cheers for sticking with me guys! Hope you like the chapter.


    -------------------------------


    The heavy bronze rimmed door to a high roofed chamber slammed shut as the large dark skinned Celestial stormed in, and how could he not be angry? Being disgraced in front of the overlord himself was a stain that would stay with him for millennia, and to think it was all caused by a lowly human he hadn¡¯t deemed worthy of thought when the group of children had stepped unwittingly into his clearing back in the human realm.


    ¡°Arrrrghhhh!!!¡± No¡¯med screamed as a hand encased with mana careened right through a beautifully carved pillar in the centre of the room. That was the worst part. The human was still a child. How could a celestial be overpowered by such a speck of insignificance?


    It took him three hours, several rants and nine destroyed pillars before his fury had finally sedated to the point of rational thought. ¡°I underestimated him! If I fought again surely I would win!¡± these words were repeated time and time again as the Celestial paced the chamber, and as time passed he actually began to believe it. ¡°Three months, my regeneration will be a peak performance in three months¡±. But that was too long!


    No he needed to clear this disgrace now. For each second the bug lived his reputation would be mocked by the nobles who had seen him in the throne room. As much as No¡¯med cringed at the thought, someone else would need to clear out the nuisance. ¡°Kali! Kneel!¡± His voice rang out, echoing off the smooth stone walls in his seemingly empty chambers.


    A blur before a women with the unblemished skin of a celestial appeared before him. Shining hair of light flying around her, as if unaffected by gravity. ¡°What would you have me do?¡± She muttered, lowering her head in respect.


    ¡°As you have no doubt heard since my return, I was plagued by trouble in the east.¡± He said, simultaneously sending a mental picture of the child through her neural network along with his last location. ¡°I would deal with him myself though my current condition makes that impossible.¡± Nomed then stretched out his hands to lightly tap the women on the shoulder as if to anoint her. ¡°I hereby allow you access to the armoury of the immortals and the prison for as many soldiers as you require. Do not fail me!¡±


    ¡°Of course, milord,¡± she said before standing casually and walking out of the room. Leaving her lord to the darkness of his chambers.


    ------------------------------------------


    Blue sparks flared erratically as my sword glanced lightly off the dented bronze shield held by the towering demon. It''s face of swirling shadows smirked threateningly as a broadsword in his other hand thundered in a terrible circle towards me. I jumped, carefully angling my crimson blade to divert his weapon beneath me, an action that succeeded, complimented with more sparks between the clashing metal.


    Time seemed to slow as I reached the apex of my leap whereupon I let my hand whip upwards, causing my sword to whistle as it split the air where the demon¡¯s head had been moments before. Luckily for my opponent, he¡¯d found the time to leap backwards. Outstanding in a way, as he had overextended with his last swing. I fell to the ground, crouching to break my fall, which ending in me landing lightly on the balls of my feet. **Don¡¯t let him regain his footing.** Shouted Blue from inside my mind.


    I didn¡¯t question Blue, as while the unknown demon in front of me had gained the distance he needed, his abrupt disengage left him floundering as he fought to regain his balance. Blue needn¡¯t have bothered however, as the dust that had been disturbed by my landing had yet to settle as I let myself fall forward to the point where my forehead was mere inches from the ground before forcing my mana into my legs and lunging towards the hostile demon. My surroundings blurred and a sharp crack resounded around me as I accelerated. Once again I attacked, letting my conjured sword shriek in a desperate arc straight through the shadowy demons ankle, tearing apart the Achilles heel and crippling my opponent, who unable to support himself fell to his knees.


    I intended to turn and dispatch the suffering demon with a simple sword stroke however moments before I did so the voice in my head spoke once again, yet all traces of Blue being serious were gone. **OH don¡¯t be so boring. Show me something interesting¡±. I rose my eyebrow at the tone yet humouring the dream demon wouldn¡¯t cost anything, it was probably boring being locked inside my mind all day after all.


    My sword reached the end of its arc before ¨Cwith the tiniest of movements- I flicked my wrist up. Causing the sword to spin in a blurred circle above my head. Wasting no time I gathered my mana in the palm of my hand and with a quick click of my fingers, watched it ignite into a ball of flame that warped itself into a curved dagger. After a brief unnecessary flourish I spun and tossed it behind me, I didn¡¯t look, but hearing it cut though flesh was enough of an indication to know that my aim had been true and that the demons head was now separate from its body and rolling morbidly off its shoulders.


    All this time I had kept a sharp look on the spinning sword above me, and after a split second judgement continued the spin caused by the momentum of throwing the dagger, simultaneously twisting my body around and jumping into an overhead kick aimed at the hilt of my flicked sword, which was now being dragged back down towards me with the aid of gravity.


    A small impact in the centre of my foot meant I hit my target and I watched with immense satisfaction as the spinning sword shot down to impale the falling head through its left eye before careening onwards into the ground where it came to rest. Holding aloft the bloodied head that even now, slipped sickeningly down the blade before coming to rest on the soil beneath it. Within seconds the earth beneath the downed demon was stained with blood and with an echoing laugh from Blue I began to question my sanity, which went through similar experiences every day.


    After three minutes of maniacal laughter later I¡¯d had enough. ¡°Ok blue that¡¯s plenty, lower the illusion.¡±


    A sigh. **Fine, I was running out of mana anyway. Might as well sleep for now, wake me if you need anything.** There was a brief wriggle in the back of my mind as the dream made itself comfy before the world around me began to melt into an enclosed campsite. Chosen this afternoon by an impatient Antonius Farrell due to it being heavily fortified. Most likely by a group of travellers who came long before us, plagued by creatures of the surrounding forest or particularly ambitious bandits. That is, if the tall wooden walls surrounded by sharpened stakes were anything to go by.


    The great cart, decorated with vicious stone gargoyles loomed in the middle of the clearing as it always did. Holding a sleeping group of the upper class and their servants. A luxury that still hadn¡¯t been granted to the mercenaries standing huddled beneath a blue tarp.


    It has been a month since I first started traveling with Farrell and his less than exalted bodyguards, and for the first time in my life I found myself in the midst of travelling in winter. A thin layer of snow covered the ground like a blanket, bathing the country in a vale of white. Which although beautiful reminded us all of the cold that had settled in with it. Our nights now consisted of gathering under the tarp in a huddled group. Except for Rina and myself of course, with the former knowing a verbal warming charm, and the latter understanding the concept of heat as energy to the point of being able to will it.


    Not that Farrell allowed the rest to shelter from the cold inside the cart. No, that privilege was held for only a few and apparently his mercenary force didn¡¯t deserve the right. Speaking of Farrell, I can¡¯t say that I have warmed to the man. Perhaps because he is the most disrespectful, arrogant and outright rude person I have ever met. True he offered us a much needed lift but he has yet to join us for a single meal and hasn¡¯t spoken a word directly to me since the start of the trip. Instead he spent the time cooped up inside his mansion on wheels, dwelling on his own importance and systematically relieving himself with his personal courtesan. The details of which I dare not dwell on.


    The time hasn¡¯t been wasted however. Due to demons needing barely any sleep I spent most of the day travelling with Red, teaching him the finer arts of mana manipulation. Not a topic Red seemed much attuned too. Instead choosing to directly confront his opponent by throwing large balls of fire which quickly tired him out. In fact this is exactly what had happened when he had fought the larger of the two giants on the second night of travelling.


    Herog, after warning me about Red¡¯s ego issue had taken it upon himself to beat some sense into him. I still have nothing but respect for the larger of the two giants after personally witnessing him defeat the demon as if the he was nothing more than a child in need of a reprimand. One thing to note however; the Giant¡¯s regeneration had failed to heal the burns caused by Red¡¯s crimson fire. Instead Herog had healed slowly over two weeks with help from Rina, who had to apply numerous salves to cool the burn.


    Ever since that day Herog would include Red into the training sessions he would run for his younger brother Truog, - of course the anti-regeneration fire had been banned - before pitting the two against each other at the end of the week. Red would win easily of course. As for me, well, I was ecstatic about the whole event. Each training session would leave the two with numerous bleeding wounds, and while the half giant¡¯s healing factor would minimalize its own, removing the dead skins cells left in their wake was a fantastic exercise for my mana control.


    However, with my favourite test subject now immune to my fire, I¡¯ve had to find other ways to entertain myself. Mostly with barely noticeable ideas like balancing small droplets of water above my palm, before making it orbit around my body in slow even circles.


    It helped that whenever I used magic (to heal or to practice), Blue would run an illusion through the minds of my companions to make it look like I was creating the same effects through natural means. For example when I healed the younger giant, the others would see me using a needle and thread like Herog had done on the first night. It was fairly productive, as Blue said he needed to exercise before he become fat. Not that I knew how, with him being unable to eat and made of a gaseous substance. But I digress.


    As I made my way back to the night watch tarp I noticed a victorious Red, looking on top of the world while a dejected Truog stood solemnly to the side, his only comfort a solitary arm held protectively over his shoulder by his elder brother. ¡°How is he getting so much better¡± I heard the poor giant whine as he nursed a pus filled arm, somehow gained over the days training session.


    ¡°I have absolutely no idea, it isn¡¯t normal.¡± Was his only reply as Herog looked Red once over.


    I shrugged, my interest gone as I was greeted by a cup of warm coconut soup, not something I had ever seen before this trip but Rina had taken it upon herself to create some upon learning of my love for the fruit (or as Casio insisted ¡°drupe¡±). Not that I was complaining.


    ¡°Aare!¡± Rina purred as she draped herself over my shoulders. Something that she had made a habit out of and annoyed me to no end. ¡°You came to help, will you treat them again today? I¡¯m happy to do it, I can heal them with magic after all.¡±


    ¡°Would you mind taking it from here for today?¡± I asked happily as I sat down. Usually I would but Blue was asleep so my cover was gone (I could probably do it myself, but I wasn¡¯t as delicate as the dream. Best to avoid any nasty accidents), and of course the coconut soup took precedence.


    ¡°Not at all sweetie¡±. Rina laughed before turning to mend their injuries while absently slapping away a hand from Casio who said something about her draping over him. I laughed briefly as an unbid tear streaked down Casio¡¯s cheek before turning to find the twins; Alison and Henry sitting to my left, eyes closed and hands clasped between them. No doubt talking telepathically, a skill common between twins, yet these two had obviously exhibited themselves well enough to draw the attention of Farrell. At some point Alison noticed and spun to meet my eyes.


    ¡°Can we play with Blue?¡± The two whispered simultaneously, a common occurrence when the two were connected.


    ¡°Perhaps later¡± I replied, ¡°he¡¯s sleeping for now.¡± I would eventually ask Blue if he wanted too, for despite Blue¡¯s hatred for attention he actually enjoyed the company of the twins who dealt in the mind arts. On the topic of Blue however, we decided it would be best to share his presence with our traveling companions. It wouldn¡¯t do for the poor dream to have to hide himself for the entire trip, and had resultantly become the mercenary mascot. ¡®The Blue Bandits¡¯ Herog had dubbed us to which we had unanimously agreed much to the dreams chagrin.


    -------------------------------------


    Two days past within the sheltered barricade, the winds and snow having picked up and now lying at a level too dangerous to travel in. On numerous occasions Farrell tried to push us onwards, though after a heated argument between himself, Herog and the cart drivers he was pacified in the knowledge that it would only be a few days before it would be deemed safe to keep moving.


    Content that no one but Farrell was in a rush, the group attempted to flesh out the campsite. Piling large logs into three separate fires around the tarp, surrounding us with blazes of warmth, coupled with several mana stones made by Red himself hanging from our makeshift roof no one could even pretend to be slightly chilly. Herog even carved out a few chairs from a fallen tree, going so far as to customise them to our personal preference.


    However, despite our pleasant stay the days began to grow long and boring. So to fill in the time Casio produced a deck of cards from god knows where and cheating his way to victory several times in a row. It was still a laugh however as trying to catch the slight handed man in the act was all but impossible and a great challenge for everyone except Blue, who called the acts cheap tricks compared to himself. The master of illusions.


    And so there I sat peacefully within my throne like chair ¨Casked for specifically- Sipping slowly through the latest batch of coconut soup and proud that with each passing second Farrell would pull out yet another hair. Though much like my soup, our peace was not to last.


    The silent night was suddenly and without warning, torn apart by a shout that echoed through the air as a young man ran through the gate of our defensive wall. ¡°Bandits,¡± he screamed as he scrambled up towards the giant mansion on wheels. The man slammed his fists on the great doors without giving us so much as a glace, calling desperately for anyone to answer. Not that anyone ever would. The doors themselves having been charmed by Rina earlier that month to be sound proof. Eventually to our belated amusement the young man realised he was being ignored and turned to our small group huddled under the tarp.


    ¡°Bandits,¡± panted the man. Looking pathetic now that his burst of energy had begun to fade. Looking the man up and down I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if he had been out in the wilderness for weeks, his worn tunic was torn down his side and matted with blood. Whether it was his I was unsure.


    Herog, taking the initiative stepped forward, unconsciously standing protectively in front of his younger brother. ¡°Ok, firstly calm down. Nothing will be accomplished if you panic.¡± With a nod from the obviously still distraught man the giant continued. ¡°Alright, how many were there? What race were they? Where did you last see them and are they following you?¡±


    ¡°There were at least ten and from what I could see they were human¡± The man managed to spurt out as a stray arm wiped away the sweat accumulating on his forehead, I don¡¯t think he noticed the sigh of relief around the campsite, ten human bandits would be easily overcome by Red alone. ¡°They occupy a bridge barely two kilometres north of here and they won¡¯t allow anyone to pass without first paying a crossing fare. Also I don¡¯t think they followed me but I barely managed to escape myself, it¡¯s hard to be sure of these things when you¡¯re running for your life¡±.


    ¡°Did you confront the bandits?¡± The Giant asked, his voiced laced with curiosity.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t have the money so we had no choice. I was lucky I managed to get away¡±.


    ¡°Are there any other ways to cross the river¡±?


    ¡°Yeah, course there are. There¡¯s a shallow section towards the east, perhaps half a day¡¯s walk. Might be difficult to get THAT across though.¡± The man replied, pointing nervously towards the giant cart that even now held an unsuspecting Farrell. ¡°You¡¯ll need to leave soon though and I mean really soon, the river tends to rise suddenly during winter and then the crossing will become impossible. It¡¯s also been known to stay that way for a few months.¡±


    Walking up behind the Giant I tugged on the large man¡¯s sleave to get his attention. ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of traveling at night lets at least wait till morning, also this¡­¡± I said, gesturing towards the man, who was slightly too far away to make out my words. ¡°Seems a bit off. A little convenient maybe¡±?


    ¡°My thoughts exactly¡±. Came the gruff voice before the Giant returned his gaze to the terrified man, still standing awkwardly outside the tarp. ¡°Thank you for the advice friend, though I think we¡¯ll take our chances when the storm calms down, whether we take the bridge of the shallow pass will be decided when it does. Nothing personal but traveling at night holds its own dangers, your company should have known this, perhaps this is why you had your problem in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡± An imperialistic voice interrupted, moments before every living being under the tarp groaned collectively as the mighty Farrell walked self-importantly out of his mobile mansion. My mind briefly wondered about the sound proofing that Rina had sworn she had cast. It couldn¡¯t have been as effective as I had expected, but then again, she was human. What had I been expecting? Antonius, completely unaware of my mental turmoil continued speaking unheeded ¡°I believe our journey plans fall to me to organise. What we have here is an injustice, this poor fellow was attacked and his comrades are at this very moment being held. We must do what is right and rescue them as soon as possible. As for the bandits, they dare to stand in my way, if it¡¯s a fight they want, it¡¯s a fight they will get. Well leave immediately¡±. Or so he said. The members of our group chanced side glances at those standing next to them. We all knew about Farrell¡¯s desperate desire to keep travelling. Herog had managed to pacify him before, but this ¡®man¡¯ gave him the perfect opportunity to move on in the name of a righteous agenda.


    ¡°In all due respect Sir,¡± Herog started diplomatically. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be best to avoid traveling at night surely we could wait till morning. It must also be said that we have had no chance to make sure this man is who he says he is. Surely we should show some caution before rushing out.¡±


    Now in my honest opinion, Herog¡¯s doubts were perfectly well founded yet that didn¡¯t seem to matter to Farrell who turned in righteous fury towards the offending Giant. ¡°Who are you to question me you pathetic half breed, I bought you to protect me against threats exactly like this one so do your damn job.¡± Then to the rest of us, he said with barely disguised contempt. ¡°Get packed, we move in half an hour.¡± Before spinning lightly on his heel and striding back to the carriage. All the while calling orders to the men inside to begin the preparations for moving out.


    ¡°He¡¯s a moron¡±. I said, breaking the silence that had now eclipsed the happy atmosphere under the tarp. Herog¡¯s eyes spun to meet mine and what I said next was for his sake. ¡°Nothing we can do I¡¯m afraid, but it¡¯s out of the question to not expect at least some hostility. All we can do now is stay on our toes.¡± I stood, cradling the final remnants of my Coconut soup carefully in my hands before spending the next half an hour helping Casio take down the tarp, all the while listening to his ramblings concerning a certain halfwit politician or whatever the hell Farrell was.


    -------------------------------------


    I can¡¯t say I was surprised when ¨C barely several steps outside of the fortified encampment ¨C the gates slammed behind us, accompanied by the laugh of the very man who had come to ¡®help¡¯ us. I sighed honestly amazed that we found ourselves in this position. With the sun down and the only light coming from a crescent moon somewhere above our heads it was the perfect opportunity for a raid should our oppressors be organised enough. Though judging by the numerous glints of metal from within the tree line it was likely they were. Farrell hadn¡¯t taken any chances, ordering our group of ragtag mercenaries forward while fleeing into the safety of the carriage. Even the cart¡¯s driver abandoned his post before diving into the closing heavy set doors.


    ¡°You know,¡± a deep voice echoed from the darkness. ¡°Never in my life had I expected that to work. Normally people aren¡¯t stupid enough to leave safety on account of hearsay.¡± The voice was accompanied by a towering man, stepping out of the foliage. I didn¡¯t bother to appraise him further. Now that I knew where he was, he was already dead. Holding out a hand I gathered the mana at my fingertips before launching it in a compressed ball towards the hulking figure.


    Through years of mana manipulation during my training as a warlock coupled with the bandits next to zero magical resistance meant my mana barely slowed at the surface of his skin before sinking deep into his pores. Within a second my mana was running through the circulatory system of the poor bandit who was now going to be made an example of **Make it flashy** I heard from within my mind. **Killing the leader will crush the moral of the rest, so make sure they all see it**.


    A good point, I thought morbidly before turning the mana from a silent infiltrating force to a rampaging wisp of destruction. With subtle movements of my hand I directed the mana around his body, smashing apart the bonds holding him together. Chemical bonds such as molecular and hydrogen bonds fell first as they were the easiest to find and focus. I watched as the man began to fall apart, turning almost instantly from a solid into a bubbling red liquid as the skin disintegrated and melded with the mess that was now the bandit¡¯s organs.


    I wasn¡¯t done however, to still leave a trace was unbecoming for the bug before me. With my left arm still outstretched - controlling the mana that threatened to burst from my control at a moment¡¯s lack of concentration ¨C I flung forward my right, and clenched my splayed fingers into a fist. Willing my mana into gathering the small amounts of oxygen ¨C less than one percent of the bandit¡¯s body mass ¨C that had been knocked into solidarity to a ball of combustible gas. ¡°Boom¡± I whispered silently for Blues benefit before clicking my fingers. A single spark was generated and flew ominously across the clearing that after half a second came into contact with the liquid that was once the bandit, still falling in what seemed like slow motion. A small smirk covered my face as the fluid literally exploded into a ball of flame, lasting for only half a second before the remains of the once smug bandit rose in a puff of smoke. Fading into obscurity within the dark sky.


    For a second everyone stood stunned, heads turned towards me and gaping rather obscenely. Before the same voice as before roared out in laughter. ¡°So, there was a mage of at least some skill in your group. But don¡¯t think you have accomplished anything. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be pleased to know that the man you just killed was a guard of the previous group that tried to cross us. A right nuisance if you ask me, complaining about how he needed to get back to his daughter. I had actually promised him that if he appeared before you he could return unharmed.¡±


    To my left Rina bulked, looking more and more ill with each word from the unknown voice. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him,¡± Herog cut in quickly having picked up Rina¡¯s discomfort. ¡°There is no way of knowing what he said was true. Most likely he¡¯s just trying to get to you. Don¡¯t let him succeed.¡± In response Rina nodded but judging by the green tinge her face was currently turning there was no way her condition was stable. Panic and uncertainty were the words that came to mind.


    ¡°Blue¡±. I began, ¡°Your target is Rina. Keep her thinking straight¡±.


    **Right**, came the reply moments before a Blue trail shot from my head, making a beeline for the women, who¡¯s eyes glazed over upon his arrival. It was in times like this when Blue was most useful, a panicking ally was the worst thing that could happen on a battlefield. As not only did they become a danger to themselves but also to their entire team.


    ¡°Think what you will.¡± Came the voice again. ¡°The end of tonight is inevitable so in the name of good sport I¡¯ll give you one chance to lay down your arms and we''ll take what we need and leave you alone.


    ¡°Not a chance.¡± Came Herog¡¯s automatic reply. ¡°A man without honour has no right laying down terms of surrender. Especially since I doubt you will follow them when all is said and done.¡± Having gathered himself remarkably quickly the older Giant moved steadily to the front of the group, his stature belying grace that only a few could truly appreciate. ¡°So come, small man who hides in the shadows, or is talking all you can manage.¡±


    The laugh erupted once again. ¡°Perhaps I am not as large as you Giant, but size is not the only boon in combat. BEGIN!¡± And with the final shouted word eight or nine dozen armoured thugs emerged from the surrounding trees like wolves from a den running at full tilt towards us. Most were naturally fast to begin with, but a few had also increased their speed through magical enhancement and even as I watched with no small amount of worry the gaps between us and them closed swiftly. It was odd, by the feel of their magical signature, or more appropriately, their lack of one, they should have been human. But they moved as if possessed by a lower class demon.


    Herog reacted instantly, instincts born from years of combat in the south. ¡°Keep your backs to the cart and make sure they can¡¯t get behind you. Red, Truog! You take the left, Casio the right is yours and I have the front. Whatever you do, don¡¯t let them pass. Aare, Henry and Alison, the stragglers are yours. Rina, activate the cart¡¯s defences.¡±


    No one bothered to argue, each holding weapons at the ready and jumping into position as Rina - with her mind cleared of turmoil - gestured emotionlessly towards the stone gargoyles adorning the great cart while muttering words of power beneath her breath. Whereupon each gave a bloodcurdling growl before jumping to the ground in a chorus of grinding rock and gnashing teeth. They all spread out carefully amongst us, wary of the sharp spikes peppering their backs.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Moments into the first engagement Red claimed the first kill, his halberd flickering almost hypnotising in the dyeing light before finding itself buried in the stomach of the first bandit. The man, having barely seen the Shedim move looked down in disbelief as the red pool of blood splattered across his midriff grew larger and larger before the weapon was yanked unceremoniously out of his chest, as a result of losing his last support the bandit fell to the ground, forgotten in the chaos.


    Casio was a marvel to watch, his style filled with poise as each lunge of his thin sword felled an opponent, whether by critically wounding or killing them outright it didn¡¯t matter as the fencer would leap back after each blow, almost dancing around his opponents who looked more or less clumsy in comparison. It was at this moment that I gained a tentative respect for Farrell. For while he failed at being a good person, the man knew how to gather the powerful at his side. Even if they were humans. I did notice however that there were fewer bandits attacking from that particular side. Perhaps they saw Casio as more of a threat?


    Herog, by taking the front, had also taken the brunt of the attack as several opponents reached him at the same time. I small laugh escaped my lips at the thought. Only several? Whoever the man in the shadows was, he needed to gain some respect for his opponents. I didn¡¯t bother to watch, instead choosing to look for other holes in the defence, though I heard the screams, and the sound of Herog¡¯s heavy axe carving through bone. So I had a fair assumption of what happened.


    Rina, with Blue¡¯s calming influence was no longer terrified. In fact I would have been surprised if she was feeling anything at all. Instead she seemed content launching mana missiles into the incoming thugs. To my surprise however they had very little effect. The bandits ¨Cwhen they themselves came under fire ¨C would raise rune covered square shields that would light up on contact with the magic, reflecting the missiles to the side or just fizzled them out completely. Almost as if someone had transferred magical resistance into the material. What shocked me wasn¡¯t that this could be done. No, magical resistance was often given to the walls of great cities, in an effort to hold back the sieging magic brought to bear by the enemy mages. But usually the runes required to do this were giant monstrosities, etched painstakingly into kilometre long sections of wall. To do the same with a shield would be a magnificent piece of engineering. Yet, these were only bandits¡­..right?


    The last duo of our small group consisted of the two twins, who even now were clasping their hands between them, while mentally throwing slabs of earth at anyone stupid enough to come close. For while their shields were able to deflect or absorb mana, no magic resistance would falter chunks of stone thrown at a speed fast enough. I cringed as a certain pointed rock collided with the chin of an incoming bandit tearing through the soft cartilage and rending off the lower jaw. Nothing I hadn¡¯t seen before so I turned towards the battlefront that was in the most trouble. Having obviously decided that the younger giant was decisively less of a threat than the older one, most of the surviving bandits had focussed their efforts on our left flank. Trying to push the giant out of the way while an overwhelmed Red fought desperately to keep the situation under control.


    For even with the heavy Halberd cutting scorched swathes through their ranks the bandits just kept coming with a fanaticism that was borderline obsession. Eventually the two warriors were pushed back by sheer numbers before being forced apart, making a gap that the bandits immediately capitalised on. The gap didn¡¯t last long, with Red summoning a particularly large lance of flame that lashed viciously out at anyone who stepped too close, giving the demon time to once again make his way to Truog¡¯s side, moments before the half giant became overwhelmed by the overflow of enemies. Yet the gap had been made, and even as I watched, the seven who had made it through flung themselves towards the great cart.


    I delved into my mana pool, preparing to intercept them but before I could fling even the simplest of spells the seven turned as one¡­..right in my direction. I blinked, twice as the group ¨C with remarkable coordination and timing - threw a barrage of barbed knives. Each, I predicted had been aimed at a vital spot and without time to dodge I summoned a stone wall, which erupting with an explosion of dirt and gravel from the ground in front of me. The soft series of thuds from the other side indicated the weapons had hit but even with one crisis avoided, I knew the bandits had yet to give up. So with a wave of my hand I disillusioned myself, drawing on the innate talents of an incubus to fade into the shadows moments before the surprisingly capable and well equipped warriors dropped to my side of the wall. Crouched at the ready, knowing I couldn¡¯t have gone far.


    I hadn¡¯t.


    Standing less the a metre away from the first man to jump the wall, I rested the palm of my hand against his temple, barely noting the surprised widening of his eyes before discharging raw mana straight into his mind. The effect was simple, raw destructive mana verses the soft brain matter. It wasn¡¯t a pretty result as purple sludge ¨Cthe remains of what had once been a brain- trickled out the bandit¡¯s nose, dripping slowly to the ground in a moment of morbid finality.


    Having not made a single noise I hadn¡¯t been expecting the remaining members to suddenly lash out blindly to where I had been standing. Somehow they knew the fate of the dead member even though they hadn¡¯t been looking in his direction and the act itself had been silent. In fact the whole situation was curious. Supposedly common bandits had been given technology I hadn¡¯t even known existed and amongst their ranks were adept and coordinated professionals. Along with all this they seemed terribly intent on killing me. Even at the cost of their own lives. Perhaps it had been a reaction to my display at the beginning yet I doubted it. Living beings, especially humans, run from what they fear.


    What stood before me had absolutely no care for their own bodies. Throwing themselves with reckless abandon at our front line soldiers, merely to have a chance of striking me down. No it wasn¡¯t normal, and I would be damned if I fell here.


    In the second before their blindly swung blades hit me I drew mana from my very core in a fit of desperation, incidentally interrupting my disillusion. Forcing it from the pores in my hands and into a swirling black mass of pure energy which I pushed carelessly towards the bandits. ¡°Step into oblivion,¡± I whispered quickly, pushing the words through my teeth in an effort to speak before the falling swords hit me, and at my last syllable the black energy shot out in a cone, tendrils of crackling force rippling its wake as four of the six remaining bandits were caught by the ring of energy.


    Instantly they stopped moving, seemingly caught in the very fragment of time as the black ring of force reached the end of its journey before rushing back to my still extended hand warping my perception of space as it did so. As the energy receded back into my palm I barely had time to notice that the four bandits had disappeared. I grimaced, in the heat of the moment I had panicked. Such a spell was wasted on the likes of mere bandits even as special as they were and spells in the oblivion line generally consumed ludicrous amounts of mana. Unlike in Ka¡¯tar however, I hadn¡¯t unleashed the spell in a giant nova, instead choosing to focus it in a very select area in front of me. Essentially meaning I had barely made a dent in my mana pool.


    I couldn¡¯t admire the results for long however as the bandits seemed almost immune to the fear they should have been feeling, recovering from the deaths of their comrades remarkably quickly, though I was beginning to doubt if they needed to recover at all. Seemingly they were under an induced state similar to Rina, emotions dampened by a separate entity as she was. So they didn¡¯t falter and after skirting around the oblivion spell rushed towards me with renewed vigour.


    I let myself react solely to my instincts as I ducked under the horizontal stroke of the first bandit before launching a side kick encased in mana towards the man¡¯s stomach. The connection was brutal, even with the mana shell I felt the tip of my boot cut through the flesh and dig deep into the intestines causing one of the twins to dry heave behind me. Though as the kicked bandit was falling, he was leapfrogged by his second companion. A curved blade being thrust towards me before the bandit had even touched the ground.


    ¡°Too slow,¡± I muttered almost silently. Twisting to my right I angled my body around the knives path, allowing it to sail


    serenely past my neck, missing me by mere centimetres. While at the same time using my demonic reaction times and incubus speed to catch the man¡¯s exposed wrist. Remembering Red using a similar move on me, I wrenched the wrist clockwise causing the man to hiss in pain and drop the dagger before I slammed a heavy palm into his now exposed elbow. A satisfying crunch as the elbow shattered in a direction no elbow should, echoed through the night sky before becoming lost in the maelstrom of noise around us. A sound matched in volume only be the animalistic scream that followed it.


    The bandit could barely move after that, he attempted a punch sure. But half way through the swing he passed out from the pain and fell to the ground in a swirl of snow, leaving me standing alone on the battlefield. Though now I knew where to focus my efforts and without looking back rushed to the left, summoning a sword from a burst of fire as I ran, I probably wouldn¡¯t need it but I wouldn¡¯t be caught unprepared again.


    Our first problem was the sheer numbers and their ease of movement, with the terrain as open as it was it allowed them to engage us freely and without the added problems of getting in each other¡¯s way. So my first goal was to change that. A relatively simple matter I thought, subtlety using my mana to pull the water moisture from the air before making use of my high water affinity to snap freeze the molecules into a wall of magically strengthened ice. Judging by the strength of the bandits it would take at least a minute for them to break through, and even when they did it would be just a small hole effectively creating an artificial bottleneck between the bandits and us.


    ¡°Aare, hold up!¡± Shouted blue. Wait, Blue? I turned to find Rina standing stoke still behind me, her glazed eyes staring unblinking with her usual charming smile totally taken over by despondency. ¡°Have you seen how these bandits are acting? They are literally running into a slaughter with no regard for their own safety. This just doesn¡¯t happen naturally, I think they are being controlled, and looking at their coordination I think they controller is a single entity¡±.


    I nodded, having come to the same conclusion. ¡°Do you think you could find it?¡±


    A small shrug, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know, controlling this many people is almost impossible and directly going up against this person mentally would be a disaster. Even if I¡¯m just trying to find them.¡±


    ¡°Do we need to run?¡± I asked quietly. I wasn¡¯t against the idea if it guarantied the mercenary¡¯s safety.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. Honestly together we will have a solid chance. You could search and I¡¯ll hide and protect you.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but what about Rina?¡± I asked tentatively. Still worried that she wasn¡¯t in the right mind for combat.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem, Ill knock her out before I leave and your barrier should slow them down until we get back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it then¡± I replied softly, before raising my voice to a shout. ¡°Truog, I need you to hold out for five minutes. Red, protect my body until I get back.¡± I vaguely noticed Rina collapsing beside me as Blue joined with my mind once again before sinking to the ground and closing my eyes, not hearing the calls of those around me. At least until I got back, it would be up to them.


    ----------------------------------------


    A beautiful women with hair strands made of light sat cross legged on the floor of the forest, her unblemished skin bathed in a golden sheen as the sun began to tip the horizon, giving her an almost unearthly look that would have thawed even the most frozen of hearts. Though perhaps not today, right now her face was twisted into a scowl of displeasure which to a casual observer would have seemed out of place in relation to the scenery around her. Emanating from the strange women came a bubble of pure crackling energy, holding the winds of the ferocious blizzard at bay and resultantly the small clearing in the forest was lying free of frost. The trees were in full bloom, as if it were spring. With vibrant greens and reds swilling within their branches. Making it look like a small pocket of heaven.


    Yet the women was still unhappy. In reality her consciousness was far away. Weaving together hundreds of different stands of light to orchestrate an assault on a single caravan. At first it had seemed as if the battle would be easy. No¡¯med had never mentioned the small demon (as she had discovered that the boy was not a human as he had led her to believe) would have numerous companions, all of which adept in physical combat. No, she had expected a single talented mage who would be swarmed by competent numbers equipped to be immune to his non physicalized spells.


    But then the child had used an oblivion spell, and how could simple magical resistance stand up to that? An oblivion spell at its lowest level required the user to be knowledgeable about the laws concerning the creation and deconstruction of mana and matter themselves. This was knowledge that a god would only share with his personal celestials, its most trusted retinue that would serve him/her for life. So the child must have a divine benefactor, but even if a god did give a demon the knowledge to merely learn the spell. The demon would then need to understand the secrets given to him AND have the mana to actually cast the bloody thing. No it was impossible!


    She forced the thought from her mind as a tug on a single string alerted her to a breach in the suddenly erected wall of ice. Pulling gently on the fragile threads she directed the nearby bandits to swarm the breach while forcing the others to break more holes in the pitiful defence. The damn gargoyles were causing her the most trouble. Their vicious spikes preventing her from flanking and surrounding the small group. Each of which easily repelled her attacks when fighting one on one.


    Ten minutes passed by, and several gaping holes were made in the stupidly tough ice. The women had no idea how the group had lasted so long when she simply ploughed her soldiers into them like expendable arrows from an unlimited quiver. A particularly violent tug told her that one of her servants had caused a serious wound to the younger of the two giants, leaving the weakest side struggling against her unlimited horde.


    Sending a quick prayer to the goddess of life she wished for the quick deaths of the party. As in all honestly Kali ¨Cas the women was known- was glad she was so far away from the fight, just so that she couldn¡¯t hear the shouts of pain that were inevitably cascading out of the melee, screams so desolate in nature that she felt sick just listening to it. In fact if it wasn¡¯t for her orders she would have run by now. Battle just wasn¡¯t for her. But orders were orders, and so mercilessly she forced her puppets forward. Groaning inwardly every time she felt the tug of death that symbolised the severing of a particular thread.


    Though a new sensation pulsed from within her synaptic web. Mentally leaning forward to focus on the strange disturbance, Kali began to make out a small blue light, one that was almost invisible as it flashed in and out of obscurity. A lesser mage would never have noticed it, especially as it zigzagged to and fro to avoid detection.


    So someone had detected her presence, and by the way the light was moving it was following the threads back to the source, and trying to zero in on her minds core. But while it was troubling that the infiltrator had entered her mental fortress so quietly, it wasn¡¯t a cause of concern. To fight a celestial who specialised in the mental warfare, in her own mindscape was almost suicidal.


    Kali let out a slow laugh as an image sent to her by a puppet showed her original target sitting still at the centre of the group near the caravan. Eyes closed and vulnerable. So he was the one, perhaps today would be slightly challenging after all. So with a single tug she doubled the efforts of her puppets, trying to make her way towards the immobile figure before he found her.


    Forgetting about the real world, Kali completely absorbed herself within her own mindscape. Her objective was simple. It was only a matter of time before the party by the cart would be unable to protect the young demon. So she didn¡¯t need to remove the intruder, merely delay him until that happened.


    In the following seconds, the black expanse of her mind became a labyrinth of winding corridors made from an opaque brown stone that reflected the light emitted by the blue entity. The labyrinth¡¯s floor was dotted with hundreds of spiralling staircases that led to identical levels. Effectively creating a never ending expanse. But that wasn¡¯t the end, with sharp movements she sent spiralling forms of mana that would roam her mental maze, taking with it some of the threads to mislead the intruder. So like a god, Kali sat in a closed room at the epicentre of her maze. Watching the lights progress in a scaled down model of her mind before her.


    And so began a game of cat and mouse. On one side was a flashing ball of light flouting aimlessly in a world unknown to it, and on the other side was a celestial changing the world at her will. Fair? Not at all, but when was life ever fair. Of course given enough time a skilled intruder would find her, as no matter how hard she tried it would be impossible to mask her mana completely, and if this demon was capable of fighting No¡¯med and living it could possibly be one of them.


    After several minutes with no visible progress (both inside her mind and the wall of ice) Kali¡¯s objective changed. The ball of light was out of its element, it had barely made any progress at all! In fact whenever the ball of blue light managed to close in on her or her decoys even slightly Kali would alter the configuration of the labyrinth and the demon would need to start again.


    No, she wasn¡¯t waiting any longer. Merely delaying it was an insult to her status as a celestial. So instead of just baring the lights way, the labyrinth began to change, morphing into a temple of death. She willed the ground alive, and watched as it formed barbed blades to attack the light. As the light would only occasionally be visible the attacks were wild and almost destined to miss. But as the small handful of blades turned into hundred that subsequently turned into thousands it was only a matter of time before the mental probe was destroyed.


    Yet despite all odds the ball of life flickered past the onslaught of danger. Seemingly teleporting past potential dangers. ¡°At least you can run,¡± Kali¡¯s voice broadcasted over the maze, condescension evident in her voice.


    After what seemed like hours, but mere minutes in the real world the probe finally came across the first of several decoys, piercing through a weakened wall into the small chamber which was lit only by a single flame, dancing silently in the corner.


    ¡°I wonder how long your friends will hold out¡± Kali whispered, allowing her voice to be carried through the tunnels. ¡°If you continue like this. It wouldn¡¯t matter if there were thousands of them¡±. A sneer marked her face, blighting her brilliant features. After all, it was time to remove this rat. ¡°Here, this is a small taste of what is to come!¡± And with a light click of her fingers the decoy imploded, disintegrating and pulling in the walls around it.


    The light initially fought. Grasping for the safety further down the passages. But it was all for naught, and as soon as the probe touched the vortex that was once the decoy, it shattered. Breaking apart into fragmented shards of light that spun ominously to the floor, signifying the intruder¡¯s ejection from Kali¡¯s mindscape. Or at least it should have, but as it was, Kali¡¯s eyes opened wide in shock, the probe wasn¡¯t made of mana. No, in fact it hadn¡¯t been made of anything. Almost like a figment of reality, an illusion!


    With a shake of her head she found it. A small veil of shining blue mana had been surreptitiously placed around the frontal lobe of her brain. After a quick examination she identified it as non-lethal but it instead acted as an artificial inhibition on her thought processes. ¡°Shit¡±, Kali cursed loudly while simultaneously banishing the illusion. ¡°Such a simple trick, yet¡­.¡± She suddenly cut off with a gasp. In her chamber with her was the most beautiful young child she had ever seen. With silky black hair that went down to his knees, and a face which made it difficult to determine his gender. But it was the eyes that threw her, a piercing crystal blue that she had only seen once before. A coincidence she hoped. Though with all the facts laid out in front of her, perhaps not.  As to who the boy was, of course Kali knew him. She was contracted to kill him after all.


    ¡°So you found me¡±. She chirped happily. Having been momentarily caught off guard the Celestial gathered herself, making her way to her feet to stand imperiously over him. ¡°But to face me in the open? You are a stupid little demon.¡± With a quick thrust of her palm, hundreds of barely visible threads of light shot out, trying to encircle the demon in front of her, but once again they went straight though him. ¡°An illusion again¡± she muttered under her breath as she shook herself from her stupor. Her new clarity showed the demon rushing towards her, keeping the incubus¡¯ natural speed even in her mindscape. Not that it was a problem, light was still faster after all. ¡°Too slow, it seems petty tricks are all you have!¡± With her words the brown walls came alive as thousands of strands shot out for the incubus.


    The lights enclosed around the figure briefly before a blue fog exploded from the demon as a wispy mana incorporated creature slid out of hiding. With a wave of his detached hand the dream erected a mental shield, diverting the lines of light away from the incubus.


    ¡°A lucid dream¡±! Kali exclaimed in astonishment. ¡°So rare, you would be the perfect auxiliary for me! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be sure to treat you well after I finish with my target¡±. With another wave of her hand the diverted threads swung around. Crashing through the shield with a nauseating screech. Though by the time they had come around they found¡­.nothing.


    The incubus hadn¡¯t wasted the few seconds made by the dream which was now struggling to catch up, and his phantasmal body quickly crossed the space between him and the celestial. ¡°You dare come close¡± Kali whispered calmly as she closed her eyes. ¡°I will be honest, you have exceeded my expectations demon. But now, let¡¯s see if you survive this.¡± AND THERE WAS LIGHT!


    Millions of threads of all different shapes and sizes exploded from her body. Creating a kaleidoscope of colour within the small chamber. ¡°AARE!¡± Shouted the blue dream as it desperately tried to catch up with the child. Though he was too late. Far too late, and before the incubus could even begin to dodge the treads slammed into him.


    Kali grinned wildly, forcing her own probe into the boy¡¯s subconsciousness, ignoring the pleading shouts of the blue dream as she tore through years¡¯ worth of mental defence within seconds before winding her threads around the boy¡¯s brain.


    It¡¯s over! Finally over, No¡¯med¡¯s name would be cleared and she would be¡­¡­


    **You dare enter his mind. ** The voice was quite, exceedingly so. But it was also full of confidence, power and anger.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Kali replied in surprise, looking around the boy¡¯s empty mindscape. Before for the first time, noticing the giant blue gate situated far into the black expanse. ¡®How did I not notice that before¡¯ the celestial berated herself before summoning her threads to surround herself protectively.


    **That is of no matter. All I can say is that it is not yet time to reveal myself to the world, or my host. That time will come. However, this boy is far too important for him to fall just yet, and so I must remove you for now. Sorry to interfere**. A loud crash brought the celestial to her senses as the great gate before her crashed open to reveal a blue fog. Identical to the small dream from before. Which, without warning swept through the mindscape, clearing it of her threads before forcefully ejecting the celestial from the incubus¡¯ mind.


    ¡°A second lucid dream!¡± the celestial gasped as she was once more thrown into her own mindscape just as the incubus reached her. Calmly placing his hand on her forehead as if nothing had happened. What happened next was like having a dagger forced straight through her skull as his mana pulsed into her mind. Seeking out her location, an action very similar to what she had attempted earlier. But evidently when his eyes flashed successfully, there was no one to flush him out of her mind.


    A second past before the boy looked directly into her eyes, piercing into her soul with his crystal blue irises. ¡°Found you.¡± He alleged calmly before holding out his hand to the smaller dream that hovered carefully behind his master. Staring up at him in awe. ¡°And I¡¯ll be seeing you shortly¡±. As the last words left his lips the demon vanished. Leaving behind the beautiful celestial in her ruined chambers. Shaking with fear.


    --------------------------------------


    Once Kali¡¯s location had been discovered she tried to flee, desperately flying through the blizzard in the hopes of finding a sanctuary though with her exhaustion and her every movement being hampered by the blizzard she didn¡¯t make much progress. She had left the soldiers without a second thought, disposable as they were. Of course they would now be no more, as once freed from her dominating influenced they would have collapsed, their souls having been ripped out by the withdrawal of her threads. But that didn¡¯t matter for now. All she needed to do was get back to the demon capital. The overlord would save her once he felt her presence. Or at least she hoped he would.


    Unfortunately the demon had held true to his promise and it hadn¡¯t taken him long to turn up. The sound of beating wings heralded his arrival as he eclipsed the tree line. Held carefully in the air by a majestic crimson demon that swooped gracefully through the sky. ¡°Oh how far the great celestials have fallen.¡± He taunted as she fled ¡°Now youre kind turn their backs and run if not in the safety of their mindscape¡±.


    She ignored him, Kali had seen the demon fight and in a direct confrontation she was no match for him. It also needed to be said that with his oblivion spells she was nowhere near his level magically either. No, her talents were entirely centred on mental domination. But when she couldn¡¯t overcome him in her own dream scape. What was the point trying when they were outside of it?


    The demon gave her a few seconds to reply though it was fairly obvious she wouldn¡¯t rise to the bait. Accompanied by a low sigh, inaudible to even the demon carrying him he held out his hand slowly, clenching his splayed fingers into a tight fist. The small movements caused Kali to scream in animalistic fury as she spiralled down from the sky. Her wings having been torn from her back in an explosion of magic and blood.


    The crimson demon glanced down warily, though when the celestial failed to move for several minutes he graceful swooped down. Dropping Aare next to his fallen foe. The Incubus didn¡¯t waste time, summoning a sword from a swirling flame before stepping towards the doomed women. Surprisingly though she lay perfectly still as he raised the sword for the final blow.


    ¡°Are you not afraid?¡± The boy asked, seemingly concerned with her lack of response.


    ¡°I am, but not of you.¡± She replied softly, no longer caring about the fight as she laid face down in the snow.


    ¡°Oh, so what makes you afraid, if not death?¡±


    A sigh before her lips opened for the final time. ¡°Failing my master.¡±


    A long paused followed this moment as the demon bit his lip. Seemingly deep in thought. ¡°I see, so you were following orders. Even though you personally had nothing to do with this¡­. I hope you understand why I cannot let you live.¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. Such is the way of war¡±.


    ¡°Such is the war of way.¡± Aare repeated sadly. Another pause. ¡°Close your eyes, I¡¯ll make it quick.¡±


    A small smile etched over the women¡¯s face as the sword began to fall.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    -------------------------------------------


    Thanks for reading guys. Would be great to hear from you in the comments with suggestions and feedback :D

 Snakes and Hounds (Chp 11)

    Four months.....


    Thank you to anyone who waited for this chapter, the reviews and comments this time were amazing and I''m really grateful to all who has read this far.


    A special thanks to those who have stuck with this story since i started writing. The few of you who make yourself known in the comments really do make writing this thing worth while.


    As you saw in the description i lost a large amount of writing during the making of this chapter so note that i wrote every scene of this twice. So if something seems rushed it was because it was. Just wanted to get past this chapter to be honest,


    Hope you enjoy the read. Myo~


    --------------------------------


    It was sunset by the time Red and I had made our way back to the great cart and the sun¡¯s scarlet fingers of light had already bathed the land in a soft orange glow, amazingly breaking through the blizzard that was now beginning to settle.


    However with the illumination, the result of last night became even more apparent.


    The snow had been stained red in a wide semicircle surrounding the cart, and the bodies of the deceased laid void of life in the snow. Even with the winter driving away the majority of the animals, carrion birds had still managed to gather in the small time we had been away, and in a sickening display, begun ripping large chunks of vulnerable flesh out of the motionless figures. Yet that wasn¡¯t the worst of it. No, a number of physically unharmed bandits still scatted the red tracks of snow, writhing in pain from unseeable wounds, creating tortured wails that echoed into the endless sky. I grimaced slightly, recognising the symptoms of being suddenly released from a controlling presence.


    The stone gargoyles summoned from the now silent cart continued to prowl around tirelessly, mercifully ending the lives of the defenceless enemies and silently securing the perimeter. They made a scary sight, with their jagged spikes still splattered with blood, or in rare cases entire limbs. I let out a sigh of relief, remembering their part in the conflict. It was quite likely that they were the only reason we escaped without a single casualty.


    Alison, Henry and Rina were nowhere to be seen, presumably the twins had taken the sorcerous inside to lie her down. Rina had been unconscious when we left her and it would be surprising had she awoken already.


    Herog and Truog were still moving despite their injuries, without complaint taking it upon themselves to pile up the eviscerated bodies to clear a path ahead of us, a task made easier by the armour, weapons and shields having dissolved after their uses death, most likely in an effort to stop us from using them ourselves. Unfortunate really, the magical resistance would have come in useful. All in all moving the remains made sure that the cart would avoid the twisted bodies that tended to get caught up in the wheels.


    Speaking of the cart, a quick glance showed me that even now it was bolted shut from the inside. Likely leaving the inhabitants panting with fear as they were unable to know what was happening outside. I doubted any of the mercenaries felt the desire to relieve them of their fear.


    Casio noticed our appearance first. Standing up from where he had knelt to the ground to catch his breath. ¡°Well look what we have here¡±, proclaimed the fencer in a jovial voice. Out of all the front line combatants Casio had come out the least harmed. With only a single slash wound on his upper left arm. Most likely a lucky hit by a stray bandit. ¡°We thought you had run away little one¡±. He laughed as he walked up to me and characteristically tussling my hair. Shocking me in a way as his attitude towards me hadn¡¯t changed a bit.


    I smiled in return before waving my hand over his wound, briefly watching the skin knit back together before addressing the silver haired man. ¡°Never occurred to me. Though now that I think about it, running away would have been the easier option¡±. A pause as I felt my face crease into a frown before looking up into the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Nothing has changed I hope, you don¡¯t mind if we continue to travel together¡±? I asked, allowing a sliver of hope to seep into my voice.


    Casio¡¯s eyes widened slightly in surprise before he answered in a low voice. ¡°How I see it little one, is that you saved our group tonight, or at least prevented the situation from being worse than it was. Honestly I couldn¡¯t care less how you did it, just know that you have my gratitude¡±.


    We stood there silently for a moment before Casio¡¯s gaze shifted to Red behind me, and with a final pat on my shoulder the man swept forward to repeat his gratitude to the Shedim. Who despite his newly found confidence, lowered his head in shyness at the praise.


    Two booming footsteps caused me to turn sharply to find two hulking giants standing right before me. Without words I set to healing their wounds and within minutes the pus filled sacs that blighted their skin had been magically removed, once again becoming unblemished. ¡°Thank you, and well done¡±. Herog said calmly accompanied with a slight nod. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how it would have turned out without you¡±. I also noted the glint of respect in the giant¡¯s eye as he reached down to shake my hand, causing a grin to break out across my face.


    ¡°Right back at you¡±. I replied, feeling the muscles in my face strain with the smile. ¡°It was your quick thinking which saved us, I just provided support¡±.


    Another nod and a small smile came from the giant before he pushed his younger brother towards me with a pointed look that caused my grin to fall slightly. I noticed Truog¡¯s trepidation and I flinched somewhat when I saw the large figure in front of me raise onto the balls of his feet, allowing him to move quickly if threatened. I sighed, clearly not everyone thought as rationally as his older brother. ¡°Thank you¡±. Came the small voice. Nothing like the usual boisterous giant but instead left an unsure youngling.


    I tried to keep the smile on my face as natural as possible when I reached out to shake the giant¡¯s hand. Hoping desperately to remind him of the time we met. Where my first impressions of the two had left me hesitant to return the same greeting. ¡°Anytime Truog¡± I replied happily as he took my hand, his posture subconsciously becoming more relaxed. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Herog¡¯s nod of approval but I attempted to ignore it as the young one, still holding onto my hand continued to calm down until finally. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so strong Aare! You should join our training sessions, shouldn¡¯t he brother¡±!


    A small chuckle of relief was let out by the older giant as the crises was averted, ¡°we¡¯ll see, but for now let¡¯s clean up this mess and get out of here.¡± Herog replied while gesturing around the cart. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be good to stay long¡±.


    ¡°Do you need help¡±?


    ¡°No, we should have it. But if you could remove that wall of ice, that would be great¡±. I blinked quickly before shifting my gaze upwards at the sphere of enchanted ice that beautifully reflected the morning light, splitting the rays into a spectrum of different colours that for a moment took me away from the battlefield. It¡¯s a shame to get rid of it I thought as I reached out with my mana to reverse the freezing process, exciting the water molecules into a gaseous state that dissipated into the air.


    For a brief moment I felt the humidity raise suddenly as the air became saturated with gaseous water. Refreshing in a way when my clothes and hair dampened considerably, as if I had just emerged from a freezing stream. Closing my eyes in a moment of bliss, I felt the water as it seemed to wash away the events of last night before shifting my eyes to search out Red. Who was talking to the two giants just out of ear shot.


    I felt a pang in the depths of my heart as I considered the young Shedim, who without question or doubt, had flown me in search for the unknown power behind the attack. A power who¡¯s combat ability had been completely unknown.


    I felt a frown crease my face upon thinking about the encounter with our mysterious aggressor. The women with hair woven from light itself had no doubt been a celestial. Which brought up a worrying idea. Why had we been targeted by a servant of the gods? I reached behind my head to scratch the back of my neck in thought. Searching for a time when I could have offended anyone or anything capable of commanding a celestial. Generally the creatures were incredibly proud and to follow another went against their basic moral code, let alone calling that entity a master!  Was the master a god? But I had never even talked to a god, let alone call upon ones wrath. The only reason I could possibly come up with was the god discovering my resurrection and somehow being offended. But if this was the case why didn¡¯t the god merely come down to finish me off himself?


    I shifted through the memories of my past life. Forcing myself to remember the kilometre long scriptures dedicated to each god. Out of the hundreds that I had read only two could possibly have been insulted. One was the god of life and time, while her lover was the god of death and space. Both beings that would have killed me in an instant had they discovered my triumph over death, and considering I was still here, most likely meant that they were not the ones who called in the assassin.


    ¡°You¡­. OK?¡± Came a concerned voice.


    I whirled, never having heard the Shedim approach. ¡°I¡¯m fine Red. Thank you¡±.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­. Look fine¡±. The broken English came again.


    I smiled, attempting to assure him. ¡°Nothing we can do for now¡±. I said, choosing my words carefully. ¡°Though we will need to keep our wits about us if my hunch is correct¡±.


    A nod was his only reply as the Shedim spun and took the first step towards the cart, presumably to sleep off the weariness from the encounter. It said a lot about the young demon to not question me further. I could only assume we had reached a level of trust that if I didn¡¯t feel the need to say something he would leave it at that, and for a moment as I fell into step besides the crimson figure I felt blessed to have such a friend at my side.


    ---------------------


    The soft carpet brushed against my feet as I slipped out of my hard leather boots. Beside me, Red was doing the same. Removing the heavy armour that glinted in the candle light, looking closely, there were dozens of deep gashes in the smooth metallic surface that reflected the viciousness of last night¡¯s encounter. I sighed knowing that even with his dampened emotions, Red shouldn¡¯t have been subjected to such a trail.


    ¡°You¡¯re back¡±? Came the soft murmur from the corner of the room causing me eyes to automatically shift and find Rina, propped up in her bed as the twins slept by her side. Her face showed no hint of the childishness that usually lingered there as her mouth moved to speak again. ¡°Thank you for helping me back there.¡± She said as her face scrunched up into an ugly grimace, ¡°When I heard that thing¡¯s voice, telling me about the man you killed, I... I just froze¡±.


    Glistening eyes showed that she was on the verge of tears as I turned away to move to my small bed. So after giving her a few seconds to gather herself I replied. ¡°I would always help a friend. And Rina, I will always consider you one, I just hope last night won¡¯t step you from thinking of me in the same way¡±.


    A few sniffles came from behind me as I pulled away the white sheets before climbing into bed, not waiting for an answer as my head sunk deep into the softest pillow I had ever laid upon as sleep began to claim me. I barely heard the feminine, ¡°thank you friend¡±. Before the darkness covered my vision.


    ------------------------


    Truog¡¯s towering form began to sweat as he glared down at the table between us. A stray hand absently scratching his chin as his mind whirled between his current options. Sitting down with us were Red and Herog, the latter laughing at Truog¡¯s expression. ¡°He¡¯s got you good brother¡±!


    Truog¡¯s hand reflexively swatted his older brothers head before moving down to push forward three small wooden models across a world map, one of a young man holding a pitch fork, another holding a bow, and another who¡¯s hands were alight with a magical fire. ¡°I defend my wall with my peasant, archer, and magical corps¡±. He said somewhat shakily, contrary to the usual confidence the giant exuded. ¡°Your move Red¡±.


    The Crimson demon sitting to my left nodded in answer before picking up a large model depicting a great dragon in mid-flight, its back lined with several humans carrying long bows. ¡°I attack¡­.  Your wall¡­. with dragon riders¡±.


    ¡°Wait! Red, please. Do you know what you¡¯re doing? ¡°Truog suddenly spluttered as he grabbed Red¡¯s wrist before the dragon could touch his wall.


    ¡°Yes¡±, came Red¡¯s monosyllabic reply as he struggled against Truogs superior strength.


    ¡°B-but, you won¡¯t even gain anything. Your, unit will die and mine will just be weakened. You don¡¯t have anything else to take my wall afterwards and Aare will just take it in his turn!


    ¡°I¡­ know¡±.


    ¡°W-w-what, but you two aren¡¯t even on a team! Aare will just attack you after he finishes off my empire¡±, Yelled the now panicking giant as his remaining hand gesturing to what little land was still marked as his on the map.


    ¡°Always¡­. On Aare¡¯s team¡±. My crimson ally replied as his blank expression looked directly towards me whilst simultaneously giving me the thumbs up. The sight of the completely serious demon caused me to chuckle, before I smiled sinisterly at the larger giant.


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly stand between the two of us and victory¡±. I said to the shocked giant. Maybe if you hadn¡¯t betrayed your brother three turns ago, his empire might be strong enough to help you.


    ¡°No!¡± Truog shouted as Red pushed the dragon into contact with the wall. Suddenly the models came to life with the dragon circling above Truog¡¯s models as they shot arrows and bolts of magic into the sky. Small numbers made from light hovered above the fighting models showing the number of people/dragons left in the units and slowly but surely the numbers ticked down. Finally Red¡¯s dragons retreated. A white flag of light shining above the model as it moved away from Truog¡¯s wall.


    The final result was that Red¡¯s dragons had been decimated, but not in vain. The peasant¡¯s number had reached zero and had been removed from the game completely while the archers and mages had less than half their original number. Red, taking a second to wipe a tear away from his eye that had begun to form at the sight of his dragon retreating spoke resolutely. ¡°Aare¡¯s turn¡±.


    I grinned, patting my ally¡¯s arm in consolation before making my move.


    ¡°I move my legion of imperial knights into Truog¡¯s territory¡±, I said calmly as I pushed the small model of a heavily armoured human into contact with the wall. Watching with unconcealed delight as my model held firm against the first wave of missiles from Truog¡¯s entirely ranged army before cutting through them like a scythe through a wheat field. At last the wall was mine and I laughed in sadistic pleasure as Truog removed his models.


    ¡°I surrender¡±. Came the voice of the younger giant, dejection and disappointment evident in his voice. ¡°That was my last defence and I wouldn¡¯t be able to beat either of you let alone both of you together. Anyway we should be arriving soon¡±.


    I let out a sigh as I stood from the table, the game forgotten from my mind as I paced to the window and tried to get a glimpse of the fortress ahead of us. Although it was largely obscured from view I could still make out the white walls that loomed off into the distance.


    **Have you decided on whether we should stay**? The voice of Blue stirred in my mind as the dream demon wiggled to make itself comfortable behind my eyes. **A mercenary group attracts a lot of attention but who would think to look for YOU here**?


    Time passed by slowly as I pondered the questions, it had been three months since our encounter with the Celestial and Red and I had thought extensively over the pros and cons of staying at the Cobra¡¯s nest. But the idea of fighting under the command of someone I don¡¯t know made me break out into cold sweats. ¡°As long as this mercenary group doesn¡¯t bite off more than it can chew and get us all killed there shouldn¡¯t be any problem¡±. I said aloud as I turned to catch Herog¡¯s eye.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problem there lad¡±, the giant replied as he began to pack up the few belongings he had. ¡°The Cobra¡¯s nest is known for only fighting if winning is guaranteed. It shouldn¡¯t matter anyway. If you and Red are together I don¡¯t see you kicking the bucket that easily¡±.


    I nodded as the cart came to a sudden halt, signalling our arrival. ¡°Let¡¯s hope so¡±. I said more to myself than to the giant as Red and I left the confines of the cart first. The chilling cold hit us hard as the slow drifting snow began to settle in our hair. Placing a protective hand above my eyes to shield them from the weather I looked around.


    We stood beneath the ginormous gates of the Cobra¡¯s nest. Like Tesuit it was built to withstand a siege and its high walls were topped with jagged spikes and archers nests, stopping all but those who could fly. Unlike Tesuit however, these walls contained hundreds of small holes that presumably went into a hollow section inside that could house all manners of projectile wielding adversaries.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not wait around Aare¡±, came the smooth voice of Casio as he stepped fluidly past me, ¡°Its best to get inside and out of the cold. That goes for you too Red, especially since Green is with you¡±.


    I looked back to find a wrapped bundle in Red¡¯s arms, held carefully in his crimson plumage. For a brief second a corner of the silk slipped down to reveal a reptilian face, with shard intelligent eyes and emerald green scales. A wyvern to be sure, hatched from the egg we found when we first encountered the pillar demon. About a month had passed since it hatched and it had yet to do anything but eat and sleep, really not much to comment on.


    ¡°Cover her up Red, if Green catches a cold it could be fatal for a youngling.¡± I reprimanded quickly as Red fumbled to wrap the delicate bundle. Just quickly I would like to say I had no choice what so ever in the name. Green had been entirely Red¡¯s idea, chosen as soon as he noticed her colour, and after the wyvern had started following him around it seemed only natural to give Red the final choice.


    I blinked out of my thoughts as we joined the static line of those trying to fit though the small opening in the wall.  It quickly became apparent why the line was so slow, as right next to the entrance stood two surly guards dressed in tight fitting black robes that fell down to their ankles and hoods that covered their faces. They would stop each being trying to enter regardless of species, gender or size, ask a few questions, write something on their scrappy notebooks and bark orders concerning what to do inside. Nothing less than expected but the small doorway definitely slowed the whole process down.


    I sighed quickly before waving my hand above my head. Allowing my mana to form an almost translucent barrier above me and my companions. Making the snow fall harmlessly to the side, it did nothing however, to the biting cold that still lingered and honestly, I didn¡¯t want to use the exuberant amount of man necessary to heat the air around us for however long we would be stuck in the line.


    ¡°Step aside! Step aside you cur¡¯s¡±! Came the imperialistic snarl of Anotonius Farrell. Who strode down the line before coming to a halt besides us. ¡°What the hell are you doing, get out of there! Even if you are merely soldiers for hire, you are currently under my employ. And neither you nor I will be seen lining up like mere cattle¡±! So under the wrathful gaze of dozens of angry onlookers we shuffled guiltily to the front of the line.


    What happened next honestly completely surprised me. The soldiers who had initially brandished their spears threateningly at Antonius¡¯ appearance flinched considerably before hastily moving to the side as soon as Farrell showed them an unassuming brass ring drawn from his coat pocket.


    ¡°Welcome home Sir Farrell¡±. The first spluttered almost incoherently in what must have been his attempt at brownnosing.


    ¡°Should we notify Patriarch Farrell of your arrival Sir¡±? Choked the second.


    ¡°You will do no such thing¡±, snapped Farrell, who against all odds was in worse mood than any I had seen before. Before the two guards could finish their clumsy salutes Farrel stormed past, leading the way through the white gate.


    Herog reacted to Farrell¡¯s disappearance first, after a quick apology to the guards he moved through the small door, pulling his smaller brother along behind him. I went next, not even needed to look back as I knew Red would be a step behind me, and by the sound of the angry murmurings behind us the other mercenaries/servants had kept right on our tail.


    And so we found ourselves in a long white passage way. Brilliantly lit by a dozen naked flames entrenched in the stone above us. The passage way was too long to measure accurately, however stationed every few metres on either side was a guard dressed identically to those outside. What caught my attention however was that each guard held a unique weapon? Ranging from swords to scythes and made from a range of rune etched alloys to poorly maintained bronze. Not an organised force, more likely the entire fortress was run by this mercenary group.


    Our group led by Farrell continued to move forward for close to half a day, It was near impossible to be sure of exactly how long it had actually been as there was no sun to compare with underground but most of the servants behind us were seriously dragging their feet by the end of it so it seemed to be a fairly close guess. Barely daring to slow our pace, the group managed to keep up with the long strides of our ¡®fearless leader¡¯ and more than once I absently wondered how the man was so fit when all he did was sit around for the last three months.


    At last we reached the light at the end of the tunnel and after a few final stairs we emerged from the tunnel to find ourselves at the epicentre of the the cobra¡¯s nest. The first thing we noticed was that the temperature was mild and there was a definite lacking of wind. Looking up I noticed a faint shimmer similar to the mana shield I had deployed outside. However the open sky and its faint barrier did little to distract me from the awesome sight that was the Cobra¡¯s nest.


    The first point of interest was that the place was ginormous, towering walls created an artificial bowl which spanned over dozens of kilometres where the ground itself actually led all the way up to the tips of the wall in a natural incline, and standing in the centre we were able to see each building spread out for miles all around us. With every building made of a white crystal like material, it was like being in the centre of a great sports stadium made of living fire.


    However the most impressive sight were four separate castles, floating freely in the air on great mountains of limestone, each slightly different and bearing flags or varying shapes and colours.  ¡°Incredible¡± I whispered to myself as the skull white world filled my vision. However my wonder was cut short when Farrell suddenly broke into a sprint.


    I shook myself out of the trance I had been in and glanced at the immediate surroundings. Quite literally we found ourselves in an arena, and before I had a chance to move, Farrell had made his way out of one of the few open gates that littered the edges of a small wall around the outside moments before the rest shut ominously. A second of scanning more and I noticed the lattice of thin stone chains that created an artificial cage preventing us from jumping out.


    Perhaps you will chide me for not noticing such an oddity when I first arrived. However I urge you to understand that I had let my guard down upon realising that every possible combatant we had passed was human. Essentially meaning that it would be beyond easy for our group to fight back through the way we had come, after all, only a select few humans could match a demon in combat, even less if the demon slightly dabbled in the magical arts. My guard was also down because the area looked more like a contest arena than any colosseum. The chains, while aesthetically pleasing would barely stand against a single blow from Red¡¯s halberd which was now firmly in his hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on brother¡±? the younger giant asked as Herog drew the large battle axe from his back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it doesn¡¯t look good so draw your weapon, I¡¯ll need you with me if it comes to a fight¡±. Herog replied, his voice confident but filled with caution. ¡°Aare, what do you think¡±?


    I startled, not expecting to be included in Herog¡¯s council. ¡°Whatever they have planned for us it can¡¯t be good. However, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult to break open the door to where we came from, from there we could probably escape without too much difficulty¡±.


    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting about Farrell¡¯s attendants¡±. Came the voice of the giant as he gestured towards the few dozen civilians who had handled the cart on our journey here who at this very moment were pounding on the door Farrell had escaped through. ¡°You¡¯re also forgetting that we would have nowhere to go if we did escape¡±.


    I nodded at that, it would be near impossible to escape while protecting the lives of all the people Farrell had dragged into whatever we were in now and while the weather was calm inside the walls, the biting cold was still fresh in my memory.


    ¡°So we just wait to see what happens¡±? I replied carefully.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that we should find out what¡¯s happening before we make any rash decisions. This might just be a customary check for everyone who enters the Cobra¡¯s Nest¡±, the giant continued optimistically. He wasn¡¯t fooling anyway listening, let alone himself but it did show that we knew nothing about what was going to happen.


    Regardless, I drew my mana into my palms, not quite materialising it, but making it so it would be ready at a moment¡¯s notice. I would be ready. For the sake of my companions.


    ---------------------------------------------


    The soft glare of the sun dispersing into a spectrum of colours through his crystal ceiling, had been the first thing the Patriarch of the Farrell family had seen when he woke. He often told his servants that it was the best way to wake up, not that they would ever be given the same curtesy.


    It did not take the Patriarch long to wrap himself up in ceremonial garbs that the day warranted, made carefully from dark silk, interlaced with golden embroidery that somehow managed to compliment his grizzled appearance and slowly greying hair. ¡°The commonwealth games¡±, the man said slowly to himself as he strapped a ceremonial dagger to his thigh. The dagger would never kill someone, it was just to show his upmost position in the family.


    Seconds after he was dressed, the man strode confidently though the exit of his chambers, startling the guards in golden robes standing outside who immediately fell into step behind him.


    ¡°Good morning Lord Patriarch¡±. Said one who fell into step with the man. ¡°The Farrell family representatives are ready, the other primary families won¡¯t know that hit them, let alone the secondary scum¡±.


    ¡°I hope for your sake that you are correct, boy. I won¡¯t tolerate anything but complete success. If the Farrell family wishes to stay as a primary family we need to show our military might today¡±.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Of course Sir¡±.


    The Group continued to move forward confidently, brushing past the other members of the Farrell family who bowed subserviently at the sight of the Patriarch. Eventually they arrived at the edge of their castle, floating a hundred metres off the ground, suspended on a mountain of floatstone, or at least that¡¯s what the Cobra¡¯s Nest called it.


    It didn¡¯t seem to bother the group as they didn¡¯t hesitate as they reached the edge, calmly walking off the ledge and fell feet first towards the ground before remarkably slowing down and landing safely in a magical circle. As if it was a common day occurrence (which it probably was) the group began the long trudge to the centre of the city, down the hundreds of perfectly crafted white stone steps that led to the centre of the Arena. Although the commonwealth games wouldn¡¯t start for a few hours it would be best if the patriarch arrived early, lest the other families think he was worried.


    By the time the group arrived at the centre of the Cobra¡¯s Nest the sun was high in the sky, and could be seen clearly through the snowstorm above that the shimmering barrier made sure to keep out. For the Patriarch the next few hours would be the most boring of the year. The Farrell family¡¯s designated seating was with the other primary families and it would be impossible not to engage in small talk with the other heads of the families who would also undoubtedly arrive early.


    ¡°Exodus Farrell, we were wondering when you would arrive¡±. Came a cheerful voice from the seating area.


    ¡®Talk of the devil and he shall appear¡¯. The Patriarch inwardly groaned as he forced a smile to his face. ¡°Roy Lin, it¡¯s good to see you again¡±. The man known as Roy sat relaxed in a similar style of clothing to Exodus yet in place of the gold trimmings, were sky blue patterns that seemed to fly across the dark silk they were placed on. Exodus had never liked the man who was well liked amongst the secondary families. One should always remember his position, and to consort with those lower than himself would only breed arrogance in the lesser minds. ¡°I wonder which of our families will bring honour to us today¡±.


    The head of the Lin family laughed briefly. ¡°The honour isn¡¯t for us Exodus, but for the family. You of all people should know that¡±.


    The smile briefly dropped from the Patriarchs face as he replied. ¡°So it would seem¡±. He opened his mouth to continue when a Young girl of perhaps sixteen years of age leaned forward to whisper in Roy¡¯s ear. ¡°We have company?¡± He asked quizzically.


    ¡°Oh where are my manners¡± Roy gasped as he led the girl by the hand to stand before Exodus. ¡°Patriarch, I would like you to meet my granddaughter Aurelia¡±.


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you Sir¡±. Came the young girl¡¯s voice, the fire in her eyes showed her personality to be different from the meek girl before him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it would be¡±. Exodus replied quickly before turning back to Roy who was grinning with pride at the young girl. ¡°And why, pray tell, is she here¡±?


    ¡°It¡¯s her coming of age in two weeks¡±. Roy replied nonchalantly. ¡°And she¡¯ll be required to create her own cohort as is family tradition. Today the best fighters in our employment will ne here so we brought her along to take the first pick and give her a head start¡±.


    Exodus froze briefly, yes it was custom for a child of the family to create their own personal army, but this special treatment of choosing from the best fighters was usually reserved for the upper echelons of the family. What made this girl so special that she warranted such a choice?


    ¡°She¡¯s part demon¡±. Roy said pre-emptively, noticing the questioning look on Exodus¡¯ face. ¡°Her mother made¡­ Strange choices. However it is all for the best, she gained the beast¡¯s magical affinity and will serve as a strong bulwark of the Lin Family¡±.


    Exodus forced himself not to flinch as he gave the girl another look over. She was beautiful, possessing an adorable face framed by brown hair that curled tantalisingly down her figure which had already begun to fill out in the right places. It was a scary thought to consider that such a youngster could rip him apart mentally if it weren¡¯t for the dozens of guards that surrounded him at all times. ¡°I see, well I hope you find what you¡¯re looking for¡±. He said somewhat hesitantly. It wasn¡¯t the strength of girl that scared him, no. Exodus himself had an entire legion filled with demons of all types, it was simply that the simple minded demons tended to follow the strong rather than those who had money. If the Lin family had such a powerful leader it was quite possible that the demons of the Cobra¡¯s nest would rally to their side.


    It was only when a series of small whispers began to emerge from the few spectators who arrived early that Exodus took his eyes off the girl before shifting his gaze so that he was looking down into the contest ring beneath him. Where at this very moment small figures began to emerge from one of the 15 entrances of the city. It was the leader that drew his attention first. A snivelling coward who Exodus himself had banished from the city three years ago. Behind him where two hulking figures that could only be some manner of giant half breeds, after them came a duo that couldn¡¯t have been more different, a young child, presumably a girl by the long black hair that drifted casually to her feet, and a crimson demon of some description. Behind them came out a plethora of humans, some of which Exodus recognised as former Farrell slaves before the family had sent them along with his son.


    Although he strained his eyes, the Farrell family stands were too far away to make out any more details of the emerging group, and Exodus could only seethe quietly as his son broke off from the group to make for the nearest door in the arena. Which upon his exit closed hastily behind him. Leaving the majority of his group pounding on the closed exit.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he one of yours¡±? Came the amused voice of Roy. ¡°What is he playing at¡±?


    Choosing to ignore the two questions, Exodus could only watch in shame as his youngest disinherited son scrambled up the steps towards him. It wasn¡¯t the reappearance of a banished family member that shamed him, but the fact that the man was in full view of each of his rival families. However Exodus held his emotions as Antonius knew he would. After all, a family must at least appear united, lest the other families take advantage of the internal conflict.


    ¡°Antonius¡±, Exodus¡¯ voice rang out with false pleasantness. ¡°It is good to see you again, though tell me, why have you returned¡±?


    ¡°Father¡±! Came the exhausted voice of Antonius Farrell. ¡°Three years ago you were forced to banish me, but now I have returned to regain my rightful place amongst the family¡±.


    Exodus sighed softly. He remembered that little lie. He had indeed told Farrell he had been forced to banish him, when in reality his embarrassments had simply outweighed his usefulness. ¡°Unfortunately child, I can¡¯t simply accept you back into the family, you know this¡±.


    ¡°I do Father, which is why I request a trial by combat!¡±


    ¡°Accepted, and I¡¯m guessing that group down there will fight for your sake¡±?


    A slight hesitation, ¡°they are all willing father¡±.


    An obvious lie, and a small ball of pity for the warriors down in the ring grew in Exodus¡¯ heart. He would of course go along with this farce, by sending a few elite soldiers into the ring he could be rid of the pesky nuisance that refused to leave his side. ¡°You¡± Exodus suddenly spoke to the golden robed guard to his left. ¡°Prepare the golden legion, though before they get here tell them to take it easy on the group, we wouldn¡¯t want any unnecessary casualties. Also, prepare a gold coin for each of their combatants, I won¡¯t have them be unrewarded for going though such a trial¡±. No one felt an inkling of surprise over the words as even though Exodus had more than his fair share of elitism, he was in no way cruel and his kind treatment of those around him was one of the many reasons he was still the head of his family.


    ¡°Yes sir¡±! Shouted the guard who ran from the stands to fetch Exodus¡¯ own legion. The barracks was only a few blocks away so it wouldn¡¯t take long before they arrived. Before then Exodus would set the stage.


    The Patriarch of the Farrell family took a steadying breath is he stepped to the edge of his stand for all to see. ¡°Brave warriors, I must thank you for bringing my son back to me, and I must also thank you for agreeing to fight for him to resolve his banishment¡±. Exodus grimaced as the panic began to become more evident in the civilians below, he would punish his son later for putting such people in this position. ¡°However, let it be known that none of you will die today, we assure you that a variety of mages will tend to any wounds you receive, though I must ask that in turn you do not make any fatal blows of your own against your adversaries¡±. Exodus smiled as a few of the figures still capable of thinking rationally nodded in understanding. ¡°Good, I must also warn each of you that today you will be fighting under the watchful eye of the four main families, fight well today and you will thrive here. That is all¡±!


    With that said the Patriarch turned, making his way back to his seat to find his infernal son sitting beside him. ¡°If I were you¡± he spoke calmly, ¡°I would hope that they win, after all. You will not get another chance¡±.


    ¡°I know father¡±! I even went far south to find those half giants, they are the best of the best. They even killed a great entity on the way here.


    ¡°And you saw this did you¡±?


    A hesitation again. ¡°Well no not really, I was doing important work at the time and I couldn¡¯t see out from the cart you gave me¡±.


    A vein began to throb in the Patriarchs forehead. How he had given birth to such a pathetic excuse for a human was beyond him. Regardless, after today he would be long gone. A memory that would no longer bring him years of headaches.


    ¡°Sir¡±, came another voice from behind the Patriarch. As a black skinned demon wearing a long golden cloak leaned down to whisper into his ear. ¡°I know you want the brat gone, but why bother fetching the golden legion. You could have sent me down, or do you not have any confidence for your strongest fighter¡±.


    ¡°Calm down Liriel. I¡¯m saving you for the games later, but if it seems the legion is having trouble I will send you down. But not before then¡±.


    A grunt was the only reply he got as the demon straightened up behind him. Looking thoroughly fed up with being on the sidelines. Exodus was saved from further questioning however when five demons entered the arena. Demonic hounds to be precise. That stood three metres tall on their hind legs with three separate heads that gnashed threateningly at those already in the arena.  Each hound was armoured to the teeth with golden coloured plate armour and golden cloaks made from interlocking scales from an unknown monster. They each held great broadswords, far too big to be carried by a human, yet lifted easily by the monstrosities in gold.


    ¡°You bring out demonic creatures against an unknown enemy¡±? Came Roy¡¯s chiding voice.


    ¡°If it was too easy to re-join the family then banishing them would be pointless¡±, Exodus replied curtly.


    ¡°If you say so¡±. Said Roy once again as he made himself comfortable to watch the show.


    The five hounds didn¡¯t waste a second, sprinting at a speed that would have seemed natural if they were on four legs. Exodus noticed that they didn¡¯t bother to go for the civilians but instead chose to focus on the eight figures standing their ground in the centre of the arena.


    The younger giant met them first, swinging his axe to deflect a broadsword aimed at his legs, before literally punching away one of the heads that swayed too close. The other hounds rushed past, looking at the more easy prey.


    The way the group positioned themselves was as follows. The red demon and the taller giant braced themselves before four of the hounds that made it past the first giant still desperately charging forward. While five human sized figures stood behind them. One of the human figures drew a thin rapier before standing in between his two larger allies while three others began chanting and raising their hands. Flinging pieces of the arena floor and arrows made of light at the charging demons. The last just stood there, seemingly confident that the others were perfectly capable of holding their own. Exodus laughed quickly at his optimism as he watched the dogs whether the projectiles and close in on the group.


    What happened next silenced the whole arena as just before the Hounds reached the group the taller giant simultaneously stepped beneath a Hounds lunging broadsword and dropped his axe.  Before literally grabbing the middle neck of the first hound and back handing the second. What surprised the crowd was that this apparently casual back hand launched the second dog over fifty metres where it fell down upon the sandy floor of the arena, unmoving. As if what the giant had done wasn¡¯t amazing enough the first dog that had been grabbed was then slammed to into the floor. Incapacitating it as well.


    The remaining two hounds ceased their charge, whilst not overly intelligent they both understood that the giant was out of their league. However, they would soon realise that the giant wasn¡¯t the primary concern as the crimson demon flashed forward, taking advantage of their momentary hesitation as its great halberd covered in a blazing fire seemed to jump between the two remaining dogs which fell to the ground, burnt and bleeding yet not dead. Quickly glancing back to where the first hound had engaged with the younger giant Exodus could only gape as the battle was already finished, with the younger giant standing victoriously while the hound tried to reattach a lost leg.


    Immediately medical personal filled the arena knocking out and dragging away the fallen hounds. Leaving the sand bare, with only a few patches of blood being the only evidence that a fight had occurred at all.


    Not even Roy said anything as he leaned forward in his chair, hands clutching the arm rests tightly. ¡°Liriel¡±, Exodus muttered in the confusion.


    ¡°Yes my lord¡±, came the excited voice.


    ¡°Take ten hounds and end this farce before we lose any more face¡±.


    ¡°I would be enough my lord¡±.


    ¡°I said take ten hounds. We cannot afford to lose right before the commonwealth games¡±. A grunt once more sounded behind him before Liriel dissolved into the wind, reappearing at the gate, where he led ten fresh hounds into the arena. The Patriarch pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. ¡®Why did Antonius bring these monsters before the four families, when he hadn¡¯t ascertained their loyalty, surely after this the families would descend like carrion birds upon the group, trying to convince the two powerhouses that their family would be the most lucrative.


    A quick thought made the Patriarch¡¯s head spin to the girl sitting beside Roy. Perhaps she would make a move to rope the red demon into her new army. How could the timing have been any worse?


    Watching from the stand, the Patriarch waited in anticipation as the Hounds bounded towards the group of unknowns. The heads shaking in undisguised fury, as they scrambled over the top of each other in their haste to be the first to sink their teeth in.


    As for Liriel, he laughed sadistically as he moved swiftly between the Hound hoard. Dodging between them as magical projectiles thundered around him, drawing countless splashes of blood which the Hounds seemed to ignore. ¡°Magic really is the only way to combat magic¡±. The demon laughed to itself as it began to reach for the mana inside it. Diving into his core to feel the boiling mana, rippling and straining to burst free, though as he tried to draw it from the surface it became unresponsive.


    ¡°What¡±? The dark demon whispered frantically to itself, of all the times where it wouldn¡¯t work, why now! Desperately searching for the answer Liriel followed the mana trails up to his palms before finding each of the dozens of mana points on his hands barred by a foreign power. ¡°When¡±? The demon whispered to himself. To inject mana into a mana point was a skill based on precision, to even block a single point required a certain amount of skill. But for the opponent to close every single point. Without him feeling it and in the small amount of time that Liriel had attempted to charge over was insane!


    There was no time to hesitate, instead Liriel drew a small knife hidden in a small pouch beneath his cloak and shadowed the Hounds. Once again showing impressive feats of agility as he dodged past the maelstrom of flesh and projectiles until he was at the front of the pack.


    He left the younger giant to three Hounds. Unlike everyone else Liriel had paid attention to every aspect of the previous fight, and whilst the younger giant had won his fight, it had been a close battle. Now that the giant had three times the number of opponents he didn¡¯t stand a chance. No there were three main problems, the first was the overwhelming power and skill from the elder giant. The second was the speed and technique of the crimson demon and the last was the unknown magician. The third was most likely one of the individuals launching the projectiles and would be taken care of swiftly once the first two were removed.


    And so, Liriel launched himself at the giant. Twisting around a flying yet unconscious body of a hound that had been slightly too enthusiastic about fighting the giant. Before thrusting forward his serrated knife in a series of faints and snake like strikes. To his credit the giant held his own, deflecting the majority of the blows with the palms of his hands before leaping back just as the knife was about to separate him from his intestines.


    The giant let out a sigh of relief as his feet nimbly landed on the ground, barely disturbing the sand as they shifted slightly to regain the partial loss of balance. ¡°It seems as though there is someone worth fighting here after all¡±, came the rugged voice of the giant. As he scooped his discarded battle axe off the ground, finally resting it in his hands after a quick flourish.


    ¡°So it would seem¡±. Liriel grunted before spiriting forwards. ¡°Unfortunately I can¡¯t say the same thing¡±.  To the eyes of many Liriel seemed to disappear. Blurring into nonexistence as he moved in a way only demons could. Completely avoiding the falling axe that had been the giants last line of defence before bringing his small knife to rest in the giants stomach. With a cruel twist Liriel withdrew the blade, still soaked in the odd pus that made up a giants outer layer. Meanwhile the elder giant crumpled to the ground clutching his wound, hopefully taken out of the battle.


    A grin spread out on the dark skinned demons face as he once again became a blur of motion that skirted around the hounds currently tying up the crimson demon and the silver haired human. Before finding himself in front of the three members of the group that help no type of close combat weapon. Who upon seeing the defeat of the elder giant, doubled their effort, tripling the size of the projectiles shooting towards Liriel.


    ¡°Petty human magic¡±, the demon laughed, as he sidestepped a particularly large chunk of ground that rocketed past, only to hit a hound behind him which flew backwards several dozen metres before regaining its feet in a moment of complete disorientation.


    The three humans never knew what hit them as the black blur fleetingly traversed between them, knocking each of them cold with a simple palm to the back of their heads. ¡°Rest easy¡±, the demon muttered condescendingly before aligning its gaze with the final member of the group. An infant incubus, with long black hair that fell to his feet. ¡°A beautiful but harmless specimen¡±. Liriel muttered to himself. ¡°Look kid, if you lie down ill knock you out quickly, no use struggling against a real demon¡±.


    Whatever reaction Liriel had expected, a relaxed smile hadn¡¯t been it. The child, eerily calm simply gazed in¡­ pity? ¡°Blue, it¡¯s over now, you can let him go¡±. Liriel hadn¡¯t moved since the child opened his mouth. The quite sentence still hung in the air, like a wisp of perfect clarity that echoed inside his mind. Such a level of magic in the voice of a mere incubus was impossible.


    A manic laugh tore the demon from his thoughts. **But it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve had such a capable subject**. The sadistic speech came from within Liriel¡¯s own head as a blue trail of smoke emerged from his ear, only to slowly float over to the incubus who¡¯s hand clenched tightly around it.


    This was accompanied by Liriel¡¯s entire world melting away into an abyss of blue, as the space around him warping slowly but surely into comprehension. Until finally Liriel found himself once again in the arena of the Cobra¡¯s nest. However now the situation was vastly different. He stood alone on the far side of the arena, crouched in a fighting stance aimed at an enemy that was not there. While far to his right stood the intruding group. Standing completely untouched over a pile of defeated hounds.


    ¡°An illusion¡±! Liriel spluttered. For him to fall to a bloody illusion! ¡°Damn you all to hell¡±, the demon screamed in a mixture of fury and embarrassment. He knew what it meant. The entire fight would have consisted of him striking the air randomly as those watching from above laughed as he brought disgrace to the Farrell family. What this group of unknowns had done was ruin his life in the Cobra¡¯s nest whether they knew it or not. For what family would display him as their celebrated fighter after such an embarrassment.


    So in a bestial rage the demon roared. Blurring into obscurity in a way that made his movement during the illusion look like child¡¯s play, each step bringing him closer to the damn incubus and its blue pet. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡±! He screeched moments before he was slammed to the ground. An invisible force pressed against his back and making movement impossible.


    Exodus gazed on from above, fingers white after gripping the edge of his chair since the beginning of the fight. The hounds had been defeated almost instantly as his best fighter had been slashing the air on the opposite end of the arena. Such a disgrace had been unprecedented in the Cobra¡¯s nest. The worst part lay in the fact that today was a competition, meaning all the family heads would be watching, judging silently but laughing in their hearts. And now, his prized fighter lay on the floor as an unknown magic pinned him to the ground. Searching the arena Exodus noted the demon child¡¯s outstretched hand and a new anger bubbled in his heart. A child was effortlessly disposing of his prized warrior. He could no longer watch as he stood from his seat before walking quickly from the stands. Heading back to the castle dedicated to the Farrell family, stopping for the briefest of instances to tell a golden robed guard to pay each member of the group brought by Farrell. Whilst he loathed to do it, a promise was a promise after all. And to back out of one when the great families had witnessed its making would be a poor decision.


    Today was supposed to be a memorable occasion true. But not like this. No, today was meant to be the day in which the Farrell family secured their position in the mercenary group. ¡°Father, did you see! The group I brought back has fought for my place in the family. I can now re-join the family and bring you honour once again¡±. Unbeknownst to Exodus, his son had seen his departure and rushed to keep up with him.


    Exodus fought to reign in his emotions, anger was not something to be acted upon and he would be damned if he did something he would regret. ¡°Not now Antonius, today¡¯s events has left me with a lot to think about. However, true to my word you may now re-enter the Farrell family¡±, and with a final glance at his sorry excuse of a son. The patriarch began his long climb that would hopefully allow him to rant and shout in his chambers, undisturbed by the cruelness of the world.


    Antonius for his part, grinned in pleasure before turning on his heels, striding confidently back into the arena. The guards knowing that he was now reinstated amongst the Farrell ranks, bowed easily. Before moving aside and opening the chain linked gates.


    Briefly poking his head through the open door Antonius said casually to the group eyeing him expectantly, ¡°your contract is at an end. I must thank you all for helping me regain my rightful place here. You may all be on your way¡±. With a flick of his wrist, the guards responsible for opening the gate to the outside sprang into action. Opening the once dormant door to the underground tunnel that would lead them outside.


    ¡°If the contract ends then you still owe us the money you promised¡±. Came the disgruntled voice of the elder giant. It was obvious he hadn¡¯t known about the sudden termination of employment.


    ¡°The money we owed you has been paid with the food you and your companions were given¡±. Chuckled Antonius. ¡°But I am a generous man¡±. With nimble fingers he reached into his pocket before withdrawing a single silver coin. ¡°Here, share it amongst your friends, but beware. Don¡¯t spend it all at once¡±, and with a gleeful laugh Antonius tossed the coin into the arena, where it came to a sudden stop upon hitting the sandy floor.


    The arena fell into silence as the door leading to Antonius closed.  It was too far away from the stands for the families to hear what was said but it was clear to all that the Farrell family had cut whatever ties it may have had with the group. So naturally the shouting came. A group strong enough to defeat an equal number of Exodus¡¯ personal army was well worth fighting over and in an instant the commonwealth games became the second most important thing that day.


    However, sitting in silence amongst the families desperately shouting offers were Roy and his Granddaughter. ¡°Which ones do you want¡±? Roy said easily, his hand already reaching for his back pocket, where his fingers closed around a small pouch that clinked satisfyingly at the touch.


    ¡°That one¡±. The girl replied, simply pointing to the smallest figure in the arena. Who had seemingly done very little in the fight over all.


    Roy eyes quickly glanced over to meet Aurelia¡¯s where he saw her usually chestnut brown eyes flashing blue. A sign that a veil of mana was currently covering them. ¡°The final bout of magic¡±?


    ¡°Stronger than anything I have ever seen before¡±.


    Wasting no more time Roy stood and began making his way down to the arena itself. Instantly Aurelia fell into step behind him, showing the necessary respect a family member gave to the leader. ¡°Then we better make sure he is ours, remember to smile¡±. The older man chuckled, before taking a deep sigh and signalling to the guards to open the door once again. If all went according to plan, there would be many changes in the Cobra¡¯s nest. All that mattered was patience and a steady hand. So with a genuine smile, the head of the Lin family strode into the well-lit sandy showground. ¡°Time to make history¡±.


    ---------------------


    Thanks for reading. Would be great if you could leave your thoughts below, as well as any mistakes you find. I will read them all and hopefully reply.

 Runes and Healing (Chp 12)

    Mwahahaha, beat the 6 months deadline...... Honestly when I''m proud of that it means my schedule is pretty poor.... or non existent.


    Thanks to all the people who left reviews or just said something down the bottom. I do read all of them and it means a lot and is the best motivation i have for writing more.


    Not going to say sorry for being later than i said. I feels its just expected now, and to all those who can still be bothered to read my story, thanks! I hope its good enough.


    This is the longest chapter to date with 24000 words so.... that''s gotta count for something right?


    Hope you enjoy


    Myo~


    ----------------------------------------


    The icy storm above belied the moderate temperature in the Cobra¡¯s Nest, as the tip of the sun (barely visible through the clouds), crested the tip of the stadium like bowl. Casting a soft glow over the blindingly white buildings inside, which were made to accommodate the lack of light.


    As if the light were a signal, people began to stream out of their homes. Coming in all shapes, sizes and species as the Cobra¡¯s nest make no distinction towards those it sheltered as long as they could be useful.


    Amongst them stood a tall and well-built man draped in the flowing blue robes of the Lin family. The quality of the material and the leather underneath presenting his affluence for the world to see as he scanned the crowd with a deep scowl. It said a lot about the mercenary that he could afford to stay in the large and expensive houses closer to the outer ring of the nest, rather than in the cheaper accommodation reserved for soldiers in the barracks. Almost comically the crowd of people parted ever so slightly to distance themselves from the man, most likely caused by the scowl that split his normally handsome face.


    To the man, or Clive as he was known. He may as well have been spat on by the patriarch himself.  After years of faithful service to Roy (a patriarch who Clive had an almost boundless amount of respect towards), he had been pushed aside to serve the man¡¯s half breed granddaughter. The injustice was visible as a red haze that surrounded the man¡¯s vision. However, like the good subordinate he had trained to become, Clive had simply bitten his upper lip and nodded subserviently when told about his new role in the family. Remembering this, Clive trudged his way down the side of the bowel, making a beeline through the streets towards the oblong shaped building with the sky blue roof, the barracks of the Lin family.


    It didn¡¯t take him long before he stood at the entrance. The white stone that made up the Cobras¡¯ nest giving way to a rustic wooden opening that reminded Clive of his family house back in his homeland.


    Many of the prominent family¡¯s would laugh at the lack of decorum that the Lin family used in their infrastructure. But for the soldiers under their command, there was definitely something more down to earth about it which made each of the members sigh pleasantly as they passed through the door. Where they would be pleasantly assaulted by the enticing smell only given off by varnished wood, a luxury not often given in the white metropolis that was the Cobra¡¯s nest.


    Stopping briefly in front of a tall noticeboard situated directly in front of the door, Clive ran his finger down the list of names, finally stopping his on ¡®Aurelia¡¯, who had apparently booked briefing room thirty four. With a soft sigh Clive ran his hand through his hair brushing back a few black strands that had fallen in front of his eyes. It would take him a while before he was used to not being in briefing room one.


    So turning quickly on his light feet, the man entered the building, taking a moment to delight in the familiar surroundings before making his way down the long corridor, with numbered rooms on each side.


    The number thirty four hovered above his gaze like a taunting smile as Clive reached for the door handle only to pull back at the last minute, a look of disgust crossing his face briefly. It had taken the man years to accumulate enough attention from the higher ups before being placed in Roy¡¯s personal unit, and to be reassigned like this had undone all of his life work. What¡¯s more was that Roy had seen the names of those joining his new unit. Each of them a monster of combat, and had proven themselves time and time again. Amongst this group Clive may well find it impossible to distinguish himself in the same way that he had once done.


    He couldn¡¯t do it, he couldn¡¯t spend his life as a common foot soldier again. Perhaps if he begged the administration of the Lin family, or even Roy himself he could ask for a post change. It was a long shot but it would be worth it. So with that in mind Roy turned to leave, only to pull up abruptly as he came face to face with two half giants.


    A lifetime of combat prevented Clive from flinching away from the hulking figures but even he couldn¡¯t stop his hand reflexively closing around the long spear clasped to his back. An action the larger of the giants briefly noted before glancing up at the large thirty four above the door to the mission briefing room before falling back to Clive. A spark of recognition flashed across the giant¡¯s eye before he broke into an eye watering smile. ¡°No fear little one¡±, the giant¡¯s thundering voice echoed down the long passageway, drawing a few weary eyes. ¡°We have also been assigned to this unit so you can expect no difficulty from me¡±. A large hand grabbed Clive¡¯s own before shaking it with a deliberateness that couldn¡¯t be expected from such a large man. ¡°My name is Herog, and this¡± the giant continued, gesturing towards the smaller giant by his side, ¡°Is Truog. Pleased to make your acquaintance¡±.


    ¡°The pleasure is mine¡±. Clive replied automatically to the friendly greeting, withdrawing his hand as he stared dumbly at the being in front of him.


    Just as he regained his wits a great large placed itself in the centre of his back, lightly pushing him through the door which swung open in front of him, exposing him to a beautifully decorated entirely wooden room. The scent of crushed lavender stained the air as Clive recollected himself and rose to his full height. After cursing the giant under his breath he coolly inspecting the room. Amongst the carefully sculpted pillars that adorned the wide room were several dozen wooden benches placed on either side of a large rectangular table, which had been masterfully crafted into the likeness of a dragon, mouth open in a viscous snarl.


    The room was already half full and immediately Clive noticed several prominent members of the Lin Family sitting in isolated groups around the room, and from the looks on their faces, none where particularly happy about their reassignment. He couldn¡¯t blame them though, several of them were the most competent the family had to offer. To place them in such a new unit, with zero political standing was an insult, regardless of whether it was a special unit.


    ¡°Clive reporting in¡±, He said loudly to the group. Usually you would say your rank before your name, however having been reassigned, Clive¡¯s rank was currently non-existent. Many looked towards him and nodded respectfully, though immediately they returned their attention to the group.


    As for the giants who had forced him through the entrance, they stepped past Clive without a care for procedure before quickly scanning the room. Despite the smile that lingered on Herog, it was obvious by the glint in his eye that he wasn¡¯t as light hearted as he made himself out to be. The smile became a genuine grin as the giants gaze rested on two demons towards the back of the room. Before he trudged quickly ¨Cdespite his impressive size- towards them, oblivious of a few scowls he received due to his lack of respect towards the unit as a whole.


    Surprising even himself, Clive found himself following behind them. For even though he knew the names and faces of a few littered around the room he would hesitate to call them anything more than acquaintances.


    As they made their way towards the two demons at the end of the room Clive had more time to examine them individually. The one that immediately drew his eye was a crimson Shedim, who¡¯s mixture of shining plumage and sharp eyed gaze looked almost royal as it looked down to its companion, who sat with his/her back turned to Clive. The second was tiny, with perhaps the build of a nine year old, though with the small jagged tail that waved gracefully behind it, it could be far older.


    ¡°It seems you two arrived before us¡±, boomed the voice of the giant as he sat down next to his companions on a small seat that seemed to bend beneath him. Once again the voice drew a few looks of annoyance but the giant either didn¡¯t notice or didn¡¯t care.


    The Shedim simply nodded, apparently concentrating on something that was obscured by the Incubus sitting between them. Though said incubus turned slightly in its chair to glance over its shoulder, which caused the grizzled Clive to blink twice. Honestly the androgynous features on the demon in front of him where astoundingly beautiful. Where all incubus like this? It would explain their high price on the few in the slave market. Upon seeing the two giants the face lit up in a wide smile, ¡°Red was just excited, wanted to be here early despite my best efforts¡±. Behind the child the large Shedim shifted awkwardly, though whatever had its attention was obviously more important.


    The Childs eyes shifted to meet Clive¡¯s and its smile eased but didn¡¯t fade altogether. ¡°Nice, to meet you, my names Aare¡±. So the child was male, ¡°and that¡±. Said Aare, tilting his head to point out the Shedim demon. ¡°Is Red¡±.


    ¡°Clive¡±, he replied noncommittedly, Aare¡¯s voice had literally been mesmerising, also he had just caught sight of the small animal between the two. ¡°Who¡¯s that¡±?


    Surprisingly it was Red who answered his question, ¡°Wyvern¡­. Called Green¡±. The words were simple but the slightly wary tone and the protective gleam in his eyes transmitted a silent warning.


    Forcing himself not to recoil, Clive studied the small green creature that was jumping between the two, trying to catch the small orbs of fire that flew from the two demon¡¯s hands. A small part of Clive was impressed. While it seemed to be only a game for the wyvern the two demons were showing off a surprisingly high level of mana control. ¡°Impressive¡±, Clive muttered to which the Giant snorted.


    ¡°If you think that¡¯s impressive wait un¡­.¡± Though the hulking figure was cut off as the door slammed open to reveal Roy''s half breed Granddaughter storming in, visibly upset if the clenched hands and gnashing teeth were anything to go by.


    Upon standing on the small podium at the front of the room however the petite girl, drew several deep breaths calming in front of their eyes, eventually a small smile appeared on her face and although it was obviously faked, Clive was pleased by her control. ¡°Alright everyone, first things first. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all and sorry for that display earlier. My name is Aurelia and I will be taking command of this unit¡±. The girl glanced around the room, eyes briefly stopping on a few glares she received from the more experienced members.


    ¡°I understand that a few of you may think this reassignment as a burden but I assure you every member in this unit was picked because they are the best. And I promise that given a few years you will realise that you were rewarded for your service rather than punished¡±. Clive grimaced, if she thought that would make it all well and good she was too na?ve.


    ¡°As for a chance to prove ourselves we have been posted for a mission in two weeks¡±. Groaning resounded throughout the room, Clive himself was admittedly a part of it. No wonder Aurelia had been in a terrible mood when she walked in.


    The Cobra¡¯s nest was renowned for being run by a senate consisting of the four current primary families with each wrestling for control. The other families must have banded together to send the young women on a mission. Throwing away her first few weeks in the senate which were imperative for building a solid foundation and creating the necessary alliances. This ¡®mission¡¯ could potentially be crippling for her.


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand¡±, Aurelia continued ¡°if I, and subsequently you, have an invested interest in finishing this mission as soon as possible¡±. Harsh nods were viewable all around the room. ¡°Fantastic, until then we will be participating in small training exorcises to make this unit into a team. I promise you that not a single member of this unit will hold you back¡±. He couldn¡¯t help himself but Clive inadvertently made a small hidden glance to the black haired child, who seemed generally disinterested with the proceedings. He noticed others giving the incubus the same look. From experience they knew the consequences of a weak link.


    ¡°For today however we will participate in a small series of tests. We are a small unit and it would be easier to have a grasp on where you excel¡±.


    Clive nodded sagely, all together there were about fifty of them. The Cobra¡¯s nest was expensive and a unit wouldn¡¯t be hired unless they buyer would get his/her worth. More times than not this unit would find itself outnumbered. To not know the units specialities would be an oversight from a commander¡¯s point of view. ¡°You are dismissed, please gather at training ground thirty four as soon as possible¡±. With a swish of her cerulean blue robes she spun on her high heels before walking straight through the door with half the unit on her heel. The rest, generally the more experienced took their time as they gathered what they had with them. It appeared Aurelia had her work cut out for her.


    The group arrived at the training ground without problem, although to call it a ground was an understatement. Underneath the Cobras¡¯ nest itself, amongst the labyrinth of white tunnels were colossal dome shaped bunkers. Lovingly labelled the Cobra¡¯s Havens by the enthusiastic veterans. This particular one was several hundreds of metres wide and was oddly reminiscent of a professional sports ground. With a running track circling the great exterior, and several obstacle courses situated at key points. Hundreds of black lines and markings had been etched into the ground, no doubt to host numerous activities.


    The crown jewel however was a towering pyramid made of a light red stone, with a series of sharp steps that led to the top, bare metres below the roof of the dome. At the peak, instead of a capstone, lay an alter bearing a luminescent marble, which flashed almost magically in an undeterminable series of colours.


    The newcomers to the Cobra¡¯s nest looked around in awe, though the ones who came from the more prestigious units huffed haughtily. The sight before them, while resembling the upper training grounds was fairly lack lustre in comparison.


    ¡°Ok listen up¡±, came a deep familiar voice that commanded respect. Instantly Clive spun to see Roy standing beside a slightly smug looking Aurelia. ¡°I have great expectations for this unit, and have come to host the tests personally, however I will not have my time wasted so listen closely and don¡¯t fall behind. We will be starting with an endurance run so I want you all on the track in twenty seconds¡±. There was no sign of the joking persona Roy put on in front of the other families. Here, amongst his own he was dead series, and no one dared to not listen. After all, if you upset a patriarch from a main family, it would be impossible to find work in the Cobra¡¯s nest.


    So in record time the group was lined up on the track, each raring to run at Roy¡¯s command. ¡°I want you all running as a unit, no pulling away until someone drops out, OK, Begin¡±. Clive nodded as he and the group began a quick jog. Intermittently they were told to sprint and slow and soon the air was saturated with sweat. The training dome was naturally a great retainer of heat, and so even if the change was minimal there was definitely an increase of temperature as the group continued to run. Most likely it had been built with this in mind.


    Two hours passed before Clive noticed the first soldier fall, tumbling to a halt on the smooth floor purposefully softened to reduce the strain of a runners ankles. And almost as if this was a signal several runners came to a halt, some leaning over and retching off to the side, others hands on knees and panting heavily as their heads hung almost lifelessly.


    Another hour and Clive was beginning to struggle, there were only fifteen left and those who had dropped out had been moved onto the other tests, without barely a pause to catch their breath. Perhaps he should drop out early to have an advantage on the other tests? No, of course he couldn¡¯t. Roy was watching. His best was all he would allow himself to do. Looking ahead most of the other runners weren¡¯t human. In fact only three humans (including himself) were left. ¡°Sprint¡±! Came Roys commanding voice from the centre of the dome. Adjusting his speed, caused Clive¡¯s heart to ram against his ribcage, pleading with him to stop. But surely the other contestants felt the same and yet they kept going. A cry of pain and suddenly only two humans were left as the other fell to the side, his head hitting the ground at a nasty angle.


    Stepping over his fallen comrade Clive forced himself to keep going, if only to beat the child that ran gracefully at the front of the pack. The child that Clive himself had almost immediately written off as the weak link. But no, there he was, without a drop off sweat as he ran happily alongside the Shedim who¡¯s pace was matching the child. In the back off his mind somewhere Clive noted that the Incubus species as a whole were known for their speed and skill in transformation if nothing else. But still, to have a child outrun you was a blow to the ego that Clive didn¡¯t need. No he would keep running until the child fell. It was made worse that the demon would often pick up the wyvern that bounded behind them, happily mewling when it became too tired before jumping onto the child¡¯s back who would merely laugh. As if he had been walking for the last hour instead of running at a military pace.


    Another hour and a half past before Clive fell, his knees grazed by the poor landing. At least he had been the last human to fall. It hadn¡¯t escaped his notice however that the twelve remaining were the only demons in the unit(The giants had long ago dropped out). Was the gap between the species really that wide? Roy seemed to notice as well and he shouted something that the exhausted Clive couldn¡¯t hear over his desperate intake of breath.


    Then, the groups speed doubled, no, that wouldn¡¯t be fair. Tripled was closer and those still running seemed content to go at this pace? A small pang in Clive¡¯s chest alerted him to his own frustration. They had been holding back for him. Over the last hour as he desperately held on, those still running had been waiting for him to drop out so they could actually start to run.


    A single tear ran unbid down his cheek as a rough hand grabbed his shoulder. Looking over his shoulder Clive could barely find the energy to be surprised when he saw the understanding look of Roy. ¡°You¡¯ll learn to accept that they live in a different world, but to keep going for so long, you¡¯ve made us proud.¡± Behind him were the faces of the ¡®elites¡¯ from the higher divisions. Nodding their respects. Evidently they had finished their own tests and had stayed to watch the results. It was endearing in a way to find those you admired, giving you their respect. So with a clenched fist Clive rose to complete the other tests.


    Weightlifting, two obstacle courses, a quick problem solving test, several more endurances tests such as ladder runs and side jumps, shot put and finally a mana capacity test.


    By the end Clive could happily say that he had been exhausted to a point he never thought he could be. Each test under the watchful eye of Roy and the delegation of human elites forced him to press past his limits and no regrets were held even if he marked poorly on the final one, rank D was nothing to be proud of after all. Yet as a warrior he only needed to augment his own body so a particularly high rank wasn¡¯t needed.


    But still, a bitter taste was left in his mouth when he noticed that five demons still ran. The Shedim ran slightly erratically but still he seemed to be following the pace (which had increased every time another runner dropped out), the child who ran unhindered even with a wyvern wrapped tightly around his shoulder. Two purple skinned demons seemed ready to drop out, but another demon, an incubus as well, if his jagged tail was any indication, was keeping pace easily enough. How long could they keep running? How long had they been running already? Clive had forgotten and judging by the grimace on Roy¡¯s face so had he.


    ¡°To all those still running¡±. Roy shouted, his voice slightly husky from the humidity and genuinely hot air. It was only thanks to several natural water fountains that many hadn¡¯t died from dehydration, yet those running hadn¡¯t had such luxury. ¡°Just run three more laps, the last one however should be as fast as you can¡±.


    ¡°Yes sir¡±. Came the practiced response. One positive thing that had been drilled into them over the exorcise was the respect that they hadn¡¯t shown this morning.


    Quickly doing the math Clive figured that three laps would be close to two and a half kilometres and even at the pace they were going it would take a few minutes before the final lap, and as he turned to grab a drink he noticed the two half giants happily laughing over by the obstacle course.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny¡±? Asked a baffled Clive. For two such intimidating figures the giants were surprisingly laid back.


    ¡°Ahh, Clive was it?¡± Replied Herog, still trying to smother his own laughter. At Clives affirmative nod he continued. ¡°This little one¡±. The giant continued while playfully hitting his laughing brother over the head, ¡°Just received a DDD rank for the mana test. Giants are usually unable to use magic but seeing as we¡¯re half breeds he¡¯ll be one of the few that can. Anyway, he was so surprised he fell off the pyramid. Little tyke bounced all the way down¡±.


    ¡°Herog¡±! The younger giant spluttered, slightly embarrassed now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset brother¡±. Herog replied, ruffling his younger brothers hair with obvious love. ¡°This is a day to celebrate. Imagine the strength of a giant with the augmentation of human magic¡±! Clive himself had to nod in agreement at that statement. ¡°Anyway¡±. The elder giant suddenly became serious. ¡°They¡¯re reaching the final lap now¡±.


    Looking back over his shoulder Clive jumped in surprise to find the group of five running around the final corner before their last lap. ¡°In just that short time¡­.¡± Clive said in amazement as they crossed the starting line.


    The two purple demon¡¯s speed stayed the same, as tired as they were. As for the Shedim and the older incubus, their speed once again doubled, fighting it out between them for the second place. As for the child. He simply disappeared. Becoming a blur that phased in and out of the their sight each time seemingly blinking around the track before finally coming to rest on the starting line a mere ten seconds after his final lap began.


    Silence fell upon the training ground as the child casually prized the dizzy wyvern from his shoulder before placing it on the ground, where it shook its head briefly before trotting after him to the next test. It didn¡¯t take long before the other four demons joined Aare. Breathing hard but easily completing them and blitzing past the records made that day. In fact the large crimson Shedim demon managed to surpass the older giant¡¯s seemingly impassable weightlifting record with considerable ease.


    ¡°Impossible¡±. Muttered the gathered ¡®elites¡¯ as the Shedim was given a modified bar to surpass the supposed maximum weights


    Shot put wasn¡¯t much better as the Shedim as well as the two purple demons created large holes in the side of the dome where the shotputs had impacted. A quick apology was all they muttered to the gaping instructors who quickly wrote down the results on a clipboard.


    At this rate it didn¡¯t take them long before they reached the pinnacle of the red pyramid. Though before they reached the apex Clive managed to pluck up the courage to ask Roy what had been on his mind for the entire day.


    ¡°Sir, these results have been unprecedented. But we¡¯ve had demons before, why is it different now¡±?


    A grave look loomed over Roys face but he kept pointedly gazing at the top of the pyramid. As if looking away for a second would make him miss something incredible. Absently Clive wondered if that could be true. ¡°It¡¯s because of my Granddaughter¡±. Roy said at last. ¡°You need to understand that the demons still live in an incredibly primitive society where the upper echelons are decided by who can beat who in a fight. Even if they can be convinced to work for money, it goes against their very existence to be commanded by those weaker than them. I can only guess that by having a demonic commander they will fully exert themselves¡±.


    No wonder the bastards in the senate want her gone, Clive thought morbidly to himself. If just her presence can motivate monsters like this.


    ¡°Enough talk now, they¡¯ve reached the top¡±. At Roys ¡®not quite¡¯ command, Clive shifted his attention back to the pyramid. Sure enough one of the purple demon had placed his hands on the orb, a look of determination in his eyes as he gave a quick glance to the beautiful demoness that stood by Roy¡¯s side. It seemed as if Roy¡¯s assumption was correct.


    Slightly anticlimactically the examiner said in a shaky voice. ¡°Examinee number 46. Rank: BBB¡±. The Purple demon nodded its subdued emotions showing in its blank face as it waited for the second purple demon who at that moment was pressing its hand against the glowing orb. ¡°Examinee number 47. Rank: A¡± Without further comment the two purple demons began to walk down the side of the pyramid.


    The elder Incubus was next. With unnatural grace which seemed to be a trait of its kind, it waltzed to the sphere and waited for his judgement. ¡°Examinee number 48. Rank: CC¡±. Clive blinked. While that would be incredible for a human, a rank of CC was fairly disappointing for a demon. It must have shown on his face as Roy immediately launched into an explanation.


    ¡°Remember there are certain races of demons that are clearly above others. The Incubus for example is renowned for having a poor magical aptitude, CC is actually relatively high for them. Some argue that they developed their illusions because of their need to hide in the demon world¡±.


    Clive nodded in understanding as the Shedim stepped forward. His large clawed hands threatening to tear the orb apart. Still the test went without problem as the examiner said, ¡°Examinee number 49. Rank: BBB¡±?


    Clive wondered at the slightly questioning tone when Roy came to the rescue. ¡°That¡¯s another odd one¡±. The Patriarch said slowly. As if choosing his words carefully. ¡°I was under the assumption that Shedims where almost incapable of magic¡±?


    The Shedim looked back briefly at the child, only stepping off the pyramid when the child smiled. Unsaid words passing between them.


    Clive noticed the atmosphere darken immediately as the child stepped up to the orb. Beside him, Aurelia and Roy were holding their breaths. But hadn¡¯t Roy just said Incubi don¡¯t have high magical affinity?


    Yet while the world stood still, the smallest member of the group with unnatural elegance placed his hand on the orb and waited expectantly for the examiner. However before the reading was complete the orb suddenly became lifeless and split perfectly in two.


    Clive blinked, once, twice. What did that mean?


    The older giant¡¯s voice echoed across the silent training ground. ¡°Was he too strong for the orb¡±?


    The examiner, after regaining his wits flushed and looked slightly embarrassed. ¡°Nonsense, orbs can break. Not often, but when over used this can be expected. We¡¯ve had several high mana levels measured today alone and who knows how many years this thing has been down here¡±.


    Roy shook himself out of his shock. Looking slightly pensive, he whispered. ¡°Aurelia. Go look through this room¡¯s expense sheet. Find when that orb was bought¡±. Without a word in reply she spun and ran through the exit, no doubt on her way to the briefing room.


    The examiner continued, no doubt unaware of Roy¡¯s movements. ¡°Regardless. This orb is capable of testing up to S rank mana signatures. Do you really think an incubus could produce such a thing¡±?


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen¡±, the giant started. Scratching his chin thoughtfully. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be overly surprised¡±. The Room was hushed once again before soft laughter could be heard throughout the chamber. Not everyone was close enough to see the seriousness on the giants face. To them it might have seemed to be in jest. Though standing barely ten metres from the giant Clive could see quite clearly that this was no joke. Clearly by the dangerous look in Roy¡¯s eye, he didn¡¯t think so either.


    The examiner standing on the pillar chuckled slightly as well as his gaze turned to meet the despondent gaze of the demon in front of him. ¡°It¡¯ll take a few weeks before we can acquire a new mana crystal for this teams use, I hope you can wait until then¡±.


    ¡°Of course¡±, smiled the demon though even from the base of the pyramid Clive could see that it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. Was he upset about the barb towards incubi? ¡°I¡¯ll be back after the mission then¡±.


    Though as the progression walked down the side of the pyramid chatting animatedly between themselves, Aurelia rushed back though the door to her farther side.


    ¡°Well¡±? He asked expectantly, his voice still kept deliberately low.


    ¡°That orb was replaced less than two weeks ago, but this training room was kept clear in preparation for our new unit¡±.


    ¡°So that means,¡± He started before trailing off,


    ¡°So it means¡±, Aurelia picked up where he left off, ¡°That it was used for the first time today. There was next to zero chance that it could have broken¡±.


    Roy closed his eyes with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve hit the jackpot Aurelia¡±. As he opened his eyes and there was a new energy, dancing energetically within his iris. To the group he called. ¡°Congratulations, unit thirty four! Today you have exceeded my expectations, tomorrow the results of your tests will be posted in the briefing room, and I expect great things from you in the coming mission. Don¡¯t disappoint¡±! And with a final swish of his blue robes, he spun and walked purposefully thought the exit. The skip in his step evident.


    For Clive, today had been a turning point. Not only had he been given the ear of the patriarch but also his recognition and apparently his pride! Perhaps this unit wouldn¡¯t be so bad after all.


    ------------------------------------


    Aurelia closed her eyes as she pointed her head towards the glaring sun. Never before had she been outside the walls of her home, so the lack of a mana barrier meant that she felt the warm caress of the sun¡¯s rays for the first time. It was true that the snowy surroundings made this time of year cold, but with enough warm clothes the sun more than made up for it.


    It was a great respite from the shit storm she had been through concerning the senate. Upon somehow hearing the results of her squad test the other main three families had become even more constricting with her movements. Very few outside of her own family would even talk to her when they weren¡¯t in the senate let alone approach her. In all honesty she had been looking forward to showing her family that she could keep up with the fast pace political rubbish the patriarchs spat out. But the last few weeks had been incredibly disarming. It was made slightly better by the potential of her own squad however. Perhaps the fear she saw in their eyes would work to her advantage later on. Her Grandfather had certainly said so when she had confided with him.


    Aurelia was torn from her own thoughts when she heard the quite shuffling of clothes and the crisp sound of boots churning through the snow. Meaning her subordinates had started to arrive. Well damn them, they could wait while she enjoyed all these new sensations for just a bit more. A light breeze brushed against her face as she thought this, only confirming her choice to be the right one¡­. At least in her mind anyway.


    ¡°Ms Lin¡±, came the steady voice behind her.


    ¡°Yes¡±, she replied wistfully. Not truly in the moment.


    ¡°Master Lin, has ordered us to accompany you for the duration of your journey¡±. Suddenly the wind didn¡¯t seem so soothing. Those behind her were obviously sent to shadow her every move, and no amount of freedom the wind promised could help her escape this confinement. Opening her eyes was a task as her heart urged her to keep them closed though the white snow did paint an attractive image so not all was lost.


    Speaking of attractive however. There were now blank faced guards standing before her. Dressed in the white robes with blue trimmings that marked the strongest under the Lin command. The one on the left was not much to look at, all short and plump. But the one on the right, strong chin and cheek bones, check. Short stylishly cropped hair, check. Flawless skin, check. Slightly but not too toned, check! God he was the full package.


    She held herself back from cooing, she didn¡¯t need another reprimand for such behaviour. Instead she put on the calm fa?ade that she had mastered so well. ¡°Pleased to meet you¡±. She said daintily. ¡°I hope you fit in well with our unit, it¡¯s only new so they should be fairly accepting of new additions¡±.


    The plump one cracked an easy smile as his arm reached around to scratch the back of his neck, ¡°I¡¯m sure we''ll have no problem Ma¡¯am, the name¡¯s Nodran by the way¡±. An easy one to get along with then, Aurelia smiled in response, ¡°charmed¡±.


    Though apparently the lack of decorum that Aurelia honestly enjoyed was not to be. ¡°My name is Neo, Ms Lin, and I apologise for my associate here, I will talk to him later about how he addresses you in the future. As for fitting in there is no need. We are here to make sure you are safe, not to make friends¡±.


    The plump one, or dwarf, as his name suggested, frowned at his partner. There was no difference in rank between them and this condescension would not have been welcome. Aurelia had to force back the frown that threatened to match the dwarf¡¯s back as she re-evaluated the attractive blond. ¡®There goes the excitement of this adventure. Just when an attractive one shows u~ She never finished that thought when a voice etched with an almost crystal quality caught her ear.


    ¡°Are we too early¡±? Glancing past her newly appointed guards were two demons which couldn¡¯t be more vastly different. The Crimson Shedim that stood out in direct contrast to the snow, and the most attractive demon she had ever seen. Of course she had seen him before, but those features which would look equally good on both a male or a female caught her off guard each time.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right on time¡±. She cooed in response. ¡®Wait cooed? Damn¡¯ She hoped it would go unnoticed but judging by the way a single eyebrow rose in disapproval from Neo, and the great grin that almost split apart Nodran¡¯s face, she highly doubted it. Oh well, it¡¯s not like she hadn¡¯t got the lecture she would no doubt receive before¡­¡­ Who was she kidding, Roy was terrifying when he was mad.


    This would probably be a long trip.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------


    I laughed cheerfully as the scaly Green slipped from my neck to latch onto my wrist. Over the last week he had gotten stronger, and perhaps exasperatingly, more energetic. Gone were the days our reptilian friend slept happily in our arms, now it was all about chasing ice mice, and fetching variously sized sticks. In fact it didn¡¯t really matter what it was as long as it was made of wood and could fit in her mouth.


    Although Red had made it abundantly clear last time the small wyvern had run off with his halberd that somethings just weren¡¯t meant to be touched. I won¡¯t go into details but I will say that to this day the halberd was the one safe possession in the barracks.


    It was around mid-day and the weather was surprisingly clear for the middle of winter, leaving our group trudging through the ankle height slush. However, despite the fairly low atmosphere no one would disagree that the white snow when coupled with the umbrella shaped trees made a fairly picturesque scene.


    Red walked in front of me, deliberately dragging his feet to create a path for my smaller, more childlike body. I hadn¡¯t asked, the overprotective Shedim had simply taken it upon himself to help me out. I smiled at the thought even as the tiny wyvern leapt from my wrist to the crimson figure in front of me. Entwining its claws into the Shedim¡¯s feathers to haul itself up onto Reds shoulder. Impressive in a way considering the thing was only 2 months old.


    **There isn¡¯t much more I can do at the moment to improve these defences**, came the echoing voice from my mind.


    I cocked my head at Blues sudden speech. I knew that the dream had been playing around in my mind for the past two months. Ever since we had come across the celestial, Blue had been putting in place several vast planes of illusion. It was impressive in a way that you needed to pass through each stage before getting access to my mind. ¡®I¡¯m sure you can think of something¡¯ I replied in thought, ¡®but you know you are long past the point where I can help you¡¯.


    A small humph of pride echoed though my mindscape as the demon swam around its mental playground. I had long since removed the seals restricting the dreams actions, theoretically leaving me to its mercy. However I would easily put my life in the Blue''s hands if it meant he would have extra freedom to protect my mind.


    Which just left me to protect myself in the real world, and with Blue rapidly becoming more adept at defending my mind I was given more time to work on my other abilities. My hand reached out to the snow beneath me, as I willed mana out through the pores in my fingertips. Hundreds of individual snowflakes responded to my call and flew towards my palm, only to join into a small sculpture of an ice mouse. I grinned in anticipation as I waved my other hand over the sculpture letting my mana flow into the creation, equally dividing itself amongst the snow. I bit the edge of my tongue in concentration as I willed the mana construct to move, urging it to move in a similar way to a real mouse.


    So with my fingers moving much like a puppet master I watched as the mouse in my hand sprung to life, jumping to the ground and leaping through the snow. Unfortunately for the construct it didn¡¯t make it five metres before a green sack of scales barrelled into it, dispelling my creation in an explosion of snow. I laughed briefly before taking pity on the spluttering creature, who was trying to stand in the soft snow only to sink further in. Mimicking picking up the wyvern the snow once again responded to my call, echoing my movements as a hand of ice formed, and picking up the now still wyvern and depositing it in my outstretched hand.


    I was getting better. One good thing about living in the Cobra¡¯s nest was that I could always go outside to hone my water affinity with the almost unlimited supply of snow. And my work on mana constructs was becoming more and more natural. I hoped by the end of this mission to find a human subject to try it on. The process would be almost the same. Cycle my mana through their system. Divide the mana up equally in every part of the body, and move it in accordance to my will. It would have been a task beyond my control a month ago, but now? I could see a problem arising however. The targets own mana system would fight against my control. Which left me with either directly overpowering it, or cycling out their mana entirely.


    **I could just take control of their minds** Came the thoughtful voice from my mind. **Controlling someone through their mana pathways is pretty complicated and there are plenty of ways it could go wrong**.


    I chuckled inwardly, ¡®every enemy we¡¯ve encountered so far that has been worth controlling, would be able to resist you. Also I can¡¯t always count on you to be in my head when the need arises¡¯.


    **I still think it¡¯s a lot of work for something we can already do**. Came the disgruntled voice.


    ¡®Perhaps, but even then, just consider it another mana exorcise. I can already directly manipulate someone else¡¯s mana. This might be the next step before I can detonate it¡¯.


    **That, would be something to work towards**. Came the slightly happier Blue, no doubt imagining the result of one¡¯s own mana core exploding.


    ¡®You¡¯re sick¡¯ I thought dryly as the dream cackled in the back of my mind. I don¡¯t know why I put up with you.


    **Because I warn you of the advances from numerous smitten females, which by the way is approaching you now. Four O¡¯clock**.


    Shaking myself from my own inter-mental conversation I confirmed the approach of Aurelia, who had spied me seemingly lost in thought before making her way towards me. Her two bodyguards never too far behind and upon recognising me Nodran gave a small wave. Inclining my head slightly in return I quickly shifted my gaze to Aurelia to avoid the scowl I knew Neo would be directing at me. ¡°How are you holding up¡±, she said politely as she fell into step beside me. There was more than enough space in the trail behind Red.


    I shrugged in response, ¡°I would be a lot better if I knew where we were going¡±. I replied without much hope. The Cobra¡¯s nest had made it abundantly clear that rank and file soldiers need not know the details of their missions.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that¡±. The girl pouted playfully. Not typical upper class behaviour, but it was her reputation so I couldn¡¯t care less. "But I can tell you that it shouldn¡¯t be very exciting. One skirmish at the most".


    ¡°I would rather a lack of action than too much of it¡±. I murmured in reply.


    ¡°That¡¯s true I guess¡±. A small silence, ¡°That¡¯s amazing by the way¡±. She continued pointing back to the now motionless arm of ice sixty metres back. ¡°How long have you been practicing¡±?


    ¡°Since I was born¡±. I replied easily. ¡°Water and earth spells come easy to me though and some humans could do it to so it¡¯s not that impressive¡±.


    She scoffed slightly. ¡°Not as naturally as you did though. You seemed to barely think about it¡±.


    I smiled, slightly uncomfortable with the praise, and no praise was ever free. What did she want?


    ¡°Do you think you could teach me¡±? She asked innocently.


    ¡°Nope¡±. I replied instantly. I knew her affinity was wind. For her to learn something like direct water control would take years.


    She pouted, and I had to remind myself that this child was the sometimes professional leader of our unit. ¡°You didn¡¯t even think about it¡±. She whined softly.


    ¡°You¡¯re affinity is with the wind¡±. I explained. ¡°Teaching you anything to do with water manipulation would be a waste of time and I¡¯m hardly an expert with the wind¡±


    She shrugged, content with the explanation but not happy about it. She was about to launch into an argument when a soft mewling made me glance at the wyvern still dangling in my grasp. Honestly I¡¯d forgotten about Green and without another second delay I placed him back on my shoulder where he wrapped his tail loosely around my arm.


    A slight giggle from Aurelia allowed me to relax. She would be distracted for a few minutes. I made a note to sneak some extra food to the adorable wyvern later. He¡¯d deserved it.


    So after three long hours of deflecting Aurelia¡¯s attention onto Green we finally arrived at a small cattle ranch. Where upon Aurelia ¨Cwho snapped into a professional state in a blink of an eye- ordered the contingent to halt and lay down our packs. I sighed with relief as my burden fell to the ground, and I carefully sat down, massaging the feeling back into my shoulders. I had used mana to encapsulate and reinforce them but they were still tender.


    I glanced around, taking in the rustic ranch that seemed to come from an earlier time period, it was also in dire need of repair. It consisted of a large manor(out of the corner of my eye I noticed Aurelia take a deep breath and knock on the door), a great barn large enough to hold a group of cows through the winter, and four great fields filled with dead and dying plants. Obviously they hadn¡¯t been used since the beginning of winter as the fences themselves were largely broken or downright missing.


    The groups eyes suddenly snapped to the door of the manor as Neo suddenly shouted. ¡°You damn ingrate! Ms Lin is an esteemed member of the Cobra¡¯s nest. Just because she¡¯s a wom¡­ MS LIN¡±!!!


    Whatever the man who had opened the door had said to the leader of our unit must have been out of line as Aurelia had drawn back her hand and backhanded the man hard enough for his head to ricochet against the other edge of the door frame. Subconsciously my hand rose to touch my cheek as I sucked a mouthful of air though my teeth in shock.


    What followed was two minutes of the most aggressive talking I had ever seen. Whatever Aurelia was saying to the poor man, who was busy kneeling to the ground picking up a few teeth which had been dislodged, had caused Aurelia¡¯ desired effect. And after several minutes of fearful nodding, Aurelia dismissed the man who closed the door behind him far faster than he had opened it.


    Half of us gulped as Aurelia stormed towards us, and perhaps fairly, I gathered a solid shield of mana across my cheeks. ¡°Does anyone else have a problem with me being a women¡±? She asked carefully, malice laced through her voice. Suddenly the females in our group turned towards the rest of us, indignant as if they had been the one insulted. Those who remained, innocent as we were, could only hastily shake our heads. Thankfully, at our denial, Aurelia almost instantly went from furious to bright and cheerful.


    ¡°Great, you lot will be sleeping in the barn. You were told to bring blankets and the farmer has enough hay for you to sleep comfortably. If you need me, I¡¯ll be in the Manor. The Farmer was nice enough to spare me a bed¡±. She spun on her heels head back towards the manor, ¡°Get a good night sleep we¡¯ll be up early tomorrow fixing fences¡±.


    ¡°Fixing fences¡±? Came Herog¡¯s sullen voice. Apparently during the commotion he had sat down beside me. ¡°We¡¯re a mercenary group, who would pay a mercenary group to fix fences¡±?


    ¡°Does it matter¡±? I replied non-committedly. ¡°Easy money as soon as we¡¯re finished here¡±.


    ¡°True that¡±, came the gruff response from my side as the elder giant hauled his panting younger brother to his feet. ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to sleep, I don¡¯t want to be crammed somewhere because we were too late¡±.


    So with heavy feat the group of mercenaries trudged into the barn only to be assaulted by a pungent smell reminiscent of cattle and manure, and it was only after Herog had assured me that I would grow used to the smell that I found an untainted patch of hay to lie down on, barely noticing Red lying down an arm¡¯s length away from me. As Demons we didn¡¯t need as much sleep as the humans of our division, but sometimes it was nice to indulge ourselves.


    -----------------------------------------------------


    The red tint of dawn had barely crested the horizon when the division was woken by Neo.  Who¡¯s hollering voice echoed annoyingly within the confines of the barn. ¡°Everyone up, you don¡¯t get paid to lie around¡±! I let my right eye open slowly, absently noting the warmth of a cow that had settled beside me at some point during the night. ¡°All of you are to be outside in ten minutes or its coming out of your pay¡±!


    ¡°Condescending pile of sh¡­¡± Truog grumbled as Neo turned to leave, only to be cuffed by his older brother.


    ¡°Learn to get along with your allies¡±. Herog reprimanded. His heart clearly not in it as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. ¡°You may rely on them to watch your back one day¡±.


    ¡°Pfft, that¡¯s what you¡¯re for¡±. Came the cheeky reply as the smaller half giant leapt away from the fist which cracked through the empty air he had occupied moments earlier.


    Choosing to ignore the duo, I sat up rather awkwardly, the pains from yesterday worsened from the poor sleeping conditions to the point where not even a soothing stream of mana could completely alleviate the discomfort. As it was it took slightly longer to wiggle out of my sleeping bag, and compress it into the small container. The plan was to stay here over the next few nights so we didn¡¯t need to take our bags but to leave our things in the open was a sure fire way for them to be stolen.


    Besides me Red had already finished, having woken hours ago. Choosing to trade sleep in favour of cleaning the gleaming halberd that was now strapped to his back. Noticing my look the crimson Shedim asked. ¡°What¡­ doing today¡±? I frowned at the poor English but chose not to correct it.


    ¡°They won¡¯t tell us¡±. I replied, fastening the straps on the side of my pack. ¡°But I expect fixing this place up might be part of the deal¡±.


    ¡°Oh yeah, fixing fences¡±. Cut in Herog from the side who was currently burying his brother¡¯s head into a pile of hay. ¡°Sounds exciting¡±.


    It wasn¡¯t. The group had been split into two teams. The larger members of the group had been tasked with the heavy work. For example, cutting the timber, carrying it to the fence and holding the logs as they were set in place. For the rest of us, guard duty apparently. Although we had no idea what we were supposed to guard the farm from. So I sat in a small chair fashioned from compacted snow, creating miniature catapults that launched small amounts of ice out into the empty field that was apparently under my watch.


    It didn¡¯t take me long until I noticed the heavy mana shields encircling the field. Great barriers constructed just inside the wooden fences. We had been told earlier by the farmer not to go in at any point, for any reason. Though until now I had just assumed he meant that not to walk on and consequently flatten the suffering field more. What was the farmer keeping here that was so important? Especially if it warranted a contingent of armed men and women.


    I briefly considered merging my consciousness with the earth to scan underground but decided against it when a middle aged women sat down heavily besides me. Mildly disturbing a layer of snow beneath her. Glimpsing her out of the corner of my eye I noticed the coating of muscle that made up the majority of her body. Giving her a bulging figure that could only be gained from a lifetime in active service further accentuated by the tight black full body suit she was wearing. Turning my attention back onto the empty field I continued to exercise my mana control by firing off the series of catapults in time to one of the songs I had learnt in my childhood and didn¡¯t bother her for the rest of the afternoon. She didn¡¯t say anything either, choosing to stay in comfortable silence by my side. It was nice, I wondered absently. Her silent company was soothing and threw away the loneliness that had threatened to settle in. Yet it also gave me the peacefulness that I craved and so rarely received. A few hours passed before we were called for lunch and my companion quickly packed up the stacks of papers she had been diligently writing upon, and nodded in my direction before trotting off to join the throng of mercenaries digging into the pot of food that had been prepared by a thoroughly beat up farmer.


    I distractedly waved a hand, removing the bonds that had held together my icy constructs which consequently fell to the ground, before grabbing my bag and seeking out Red who was digging into the largest bowl of broth I had ever seen. Apparently the other group had made a ration system, with the more work you¡¯d done equalling a greater portion of food. So naturally Red¡¯s competitive instinct had come in handy and I was regaled with tales of him completing an entire wall on his own before lunch.


    My own portion was naturally small. All I had done after all was watch an empty field, so when a single ladles worth of soup was poured into my bowl I could only sigh and sit down next to my demonic companion who took one look and filled it to the brim. ¡°Need to eat¡±. Red said briskly before I could thank him.


    The rest of the day passed in a similar fashion. I stumbled around disinterestedly until I found a new field in need of a guard and made two chairs for both myself and for the women who once again sat down beside me. As she pulled out her stacks of paper I fashioned a table of gleaming ice for her which she nodded in thanks for before laying out her things and taking out a pot of ink and a quill which she spun expertly around her thumb. My interest only grew when she starting drawing sets of runes. Each beautifully made and without even the tiniest smudge of ink. Ten minutes passed and a small pile of completed pages lay at the edge of the table. Tantalisingly within my reach.


    ¡°Take one¡±, she said softly noticing my wide eyed gaze. ¡°It¡¯s just a simple explosive rune, haven¡¯t made one for a while so it¡¯s good to go back to the basics every now and then but it means I make too many of something I don¡¯t want¡±. I briefly noted the surprisingly feminine voice on the muscular women but didn¡¯t mention it as I nodded sheepishly. Ashamed at having been caught staring.


    ¡°Thanks¡±. I replied simply, picking up the small, almost mundane looking piece of paper, twirling it around to get a better look at it. Nothing special came to my attention bar the small electric hum of magic that buzzed incessantly, yet too quiet for any human ears. ¡°How does it work¡±? I asked when I could make heads or tails of the swirling patterns.


    A dry look was sent my way before a delicate gesture pointed to the small circle in the centre of the page. ¡°This¡±, she said, while lightly tracing the circle with her second finger. ¡°Is the central power rune. All you need to do is feed your mana into here and the runes will distribute it through the rest of the page. Be careful though, the fuse is set to ten seconds and the more mana you put in the bigger the explosion¡±.


    Absently wondering what would happen if I fed all my mana into the thing I asked, ¡°Can it be overloaded¡±?


    Once again regaling me with a dry look, my companion sighed with what could only be described as resignation before turning to give me her full attention, looking upon me with deep green eyes sparkling with intelligence. ¡°It¡¯s an exploding rune. The whole point is it overloads itself and simply redirects the energy outwards¡±. Once again reaching out to trace the swirling boarder on the outside of the page she continued the explanation. ¡°This is a low leveled stasis rune, built in to momentarily place the energy in a catatonic state, so you really don¡¯t have to worry about putting too much in¡±.


    ¡°Ah¡± I replied suitably out of my depth. There was no way I could put the complexity of the patterns into simple words. ¡°And you said this was the basics¡±.


    A nod. ¡°One of the first things I was taught¡±. Seeing my look of disbelief she continued quickly. ¡°It¡¯s a challenging but rewarding discipline. It¡¯s true that most don¡¯t stick with it long enough to be any good but those who do are in high demand¡±.


    I nodded before we fell back into the comfortable silence. Eventually, when I realised my companion wasn¡¯t going to keep talking I turned my attention to the piece of paper dangling between my fingertips. Naturally I couldn¡¯t go around setting off explosions lest I scare the rest of the compound so all I was left to do was explore the piece of paper.


    Slowly, incredibly slowly, I extended several tendrils of mana into the paper, much like I had done with my ice constructs. Though as soon as I slipped through the surface I felt the intricate system of mana, so many times more complicated that the pathways that made up a living creature, and as a single tendril brushed lightly against a small, seemingly unimportant, section the entire thing collapsed in a sound display of self-destruction. There was no change in the paper itself and the lines were still where they should have been, but there was no longer a soft hum and the inner workings had been completely shot.


    How delicate were these things. To collapse on the slightest inspection. Immediately I felt my respect for the art rise. Before I had only been admiring the outer workings when it was the innards that should have demanded my attention. I needed more of them. My head whiplashed as it turned back to my companion about to plead for more only to find her holding a small stack outstretched towards me. She hadn¡¯t stopped her work, still giving it her full attention but there was no doubt that she was intending for me to have them.


    ¡°Thanks¡± I mumbled as I made to grab them.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, but they¡¯re no use to me after they¡¯re done¡±, she replied noncommittedly.


    With a wave of my hand I extended the table of ice so that I also had a work bench, before placing the stack in front of me. How many were there, thirty, forty? It had been a long time since I had found a piece of magic that interested me as much as this did, so I couldn¡¯t waste a single one. ¡°I¡¯m Grace¡±. She said suddenly, still not making eye contact with anything but the paper in front of her


    ¡°Aare¡±. I replied distractedly before taking the paper at the top of the pile. Seconds later another ruined rune lay in front of me and I bit my lip in annoyance and concentration. It would be a long afternoon.


    ------------------------------------------------------


    Two hours passed before I grabbed the final piece of paper in front of me. The sky above me had been stained a beautiful blood red by the setting sun and we would soon be called in for our evening meal but I was determined to manipulate the final exploding rune. About forty minutes ago I had first managed to move the paper without disturbing the system inside and my companion had jumped in literal joy. Passing me a few dozen of the runes she had been making before giving me a crash course in something she called origami. With it we folded the paper runes into tiny animals that I would then try to move while Blue illusion them to look real. While it took three of us to even attempt it, it shocked me to realised we were theoretically able to create an explosive that could hide in plain sight as anything we could think of.


    After realising that controlling a mana system like a bird was impossible at this stage we tried creating a small frog to hop across the table. It annoyed me that no matter how easily I could make normal paper fly and move at my command, the mana system that made up the runes made it an entirely different exorcise on a completely different scale.


    So after my carefully folded frog had been placed before me I began the intrusion of mana. Sliding tiny lances of mana (so fine it was almost mist) into the empty gaps between the systems. Eerily slowly, and making sure not to touch the systems itself, I willed the paper to move. Watching as the tiny paper frog jumped three times on the spot. ¡°Now Blue¡±. I said, breaking up the silence. To the eyes of anyone who could be watching the paper frog seemed to morph into the real thing, where it would croak and puff out its cheeks. I bit my tongue at the added difficulty. It wasn¡¯t just about moving the construct now, but also making sure to separate Blue¡¯s mana from the system that made up the rune. With a level of finesse that was unrecognisable to how I was a year ago, I moved my hands in time with the frog¡¯s jump, launching it off the table before detonating the central power rune with the tiniest thread of mana. Where upon the frog crackled and exploded in a puff of smoke. After finding out that I could move the paper and safely detonate it from a distance, Grace had removed the timer until detonation greatly upping the potential of our combination.


    ¡°Amazing¡±, Grace muttered under her breath as she began to pack up her things. ¡°To think you only started today¡±.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big a deal¡± I replied modestly, inwardly uncomfortable with the praise. ¡°Being a demon has its perks¡±.


    She twirled somehow angry. ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯ve never seen demon with the control to do something like that. Normally you lot just throw the biggest spells you can think of. It¡¯s why your kind struggles against magically resistant foes¡±.


    ¡°What do you mean¡±?  I replied, intrigued by her last sentence.


    ¡°Well magic resistance is a lot like a suit of armour. With a bunch of plates that have mana negating properties. Of course you could try to overcome it with sheer force but for some beasts like the Wyvern for example that would be impossible¡±. She stopped speaking briefly as she carefully placed the unused paper back into her satchel before slinging it over her shoulder. ¡°But like every suit of armour there are vulnerable areas. Small gaps that you can exploit if you pinpoint your magic. It does go without saying though that the better ones magic resistance, the smaller these gaps are¡±.


    ¡°And because the demons just launch large scale spells, magic resistance enemies are usually left unharmed¡±, I finished.


    ¡°Exactly, when the spells are so large, they hit multiple plates at once and are easily negated¡±.


    I sighed, slightly annoyed that this was the first time I had heard about it. I had always assumed it just a part of their skin. ¡°How do you find these weaknesses¡±?


    ¡°Hmmm, oh, just cover them with a blanket of mana, if you make it harmless they shouldn¡¯t notice, and all you have to do it aim for the sections that don¡¯t vanish and you¡¯ve found the points within the plates¡±.


    I nodded seeing the logic, promising to test it out in the future. ¡°Cheers for the tips¡±. I said honestly. ¡°Most don¡¯t give away the secrets of magic¡±.


    She laughed at that, a melodic tone that seemed to light up the bleak snow covered landscape. ¡°That¡¯s another reason why we can fight off the demons. You¡¯re all so arrogant with your large mana pools. We lowly mortals have millennia of magical knowledge shared amongst us available to any who seek it¡±. She looked sideways at me warily. ¡°If you lot shared like we did, our frontline city¡¯s would have fallen long ago¡±.


    ¡°Even Tesuit¡±?


    ¡°Even Tesuit¡±.


    ---------------------------------------------


    When dinner was called I left Grace¡¯s company to search out Red, who was currently digging into a bowl of broth in what could only be described as relentless vigor. Green was perched on his shoulder, happily snatching up the small lumps of meat with his spiked tail and ignoring Red¡¯s increasingly aggravated growls.


    ¡°How was the work¡±? I asked as I sat beside him, catching Green as he jumped into my arms with a soft coo.


    ¡°Tied¡±, came the monosyllabic response before the towering crimson figure turned to look at me. ¡°You eaten yet¡±?


    ¡°Not yet¡±, I replied absently as I scratched the squirming Wyvern under the chin. Thought I¡¯d find where you were sitting first¡±. I paused briefly before glancing around. ¡°Have you seen the giants¡±?


    ¡°Went to the village¡±. I nodded in reply, I hadn¡¯t known there was one nearby.


    After handing the bundle of green back to Red, I stood to join the line of those waiting to be served. Which had thankfully shortened while I had been searching for Red, and as I stepped to the back I glimpsed Clive handing out the portions with two men I had seen but didn¡¯t know. I waved a quick greeting which he returned happily before serving one of the purple demons.


    It didn¡¯t take long before I reached the front of the line where Clive smiled and pulled a ladle, filled to the brim with broth. Before pouring it into a bowl he had pulled from behind the stand. All in all it was about three times the amount I had been given at lunch and just before I pointed it out one of the men grabbed Clive by the arm and took away the bowl before fixing me with a look that contained more than a hint of anger. ¡°Oi, midget. Weren¡¯t you guarding the fields all day¡±?


    I felt my eyebrow raise before I concisely registered it. ¡°Yes, is there a problem¡±?


    ¡°Yeah there is actually. This is a portion for those who worked. Not those who sat on their arse all day¡±.


    ¡°Leave him alone Harry¡±. Clive interjected. ¡°I poured the bowl, not him¡±.


    ¡°Oh shut up Clive¡±. Harry snarled in response before looking down upon me with hard eyes. ¡°What makes an entitled prick like you think you deserve this, we all worked for our food why shouldn¡¯t you brat¡±?


    There was nothing I could say really, I had seen these kinds of people before, those who looked for a problem for the sake of it. Nothing I could say would help me here. It didn¡¯t surprise me when Harry tipped the bowl, allowing the contents to drip to the ground with agonising sluggishness. I didn¡¯t bother saving the foul broth with magic. Something told me it wouldn¡¯t have helped my situation.


    I shrugged, turning away from the irate man. Hoping to just leave the confrontation behind. When a agile hand grabbed my tail holding me in place, it wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t rip it out of his hand with the jagged end, I was just briefly shocked to the point of immobilisation. It just went completely against the demon¡¯s culture to grab one¡¯s tail. ¡°Where the hell do you think you¡¯re going¡±? Came the sadistic laugh from behind me and I turned to find myself the centre of attention in the camp.


    I noticed the different looks I was getting. Aurelia from her table looked excited, Clive observing horrified, a few of the humans milling around a campfire seemed uncertain, the purple demons watched enraged, Green howled threateningly and Red¡­.


    I didn¡¯t finish the thought as a crimson blur shot across the snow covered field passing me before I could even raise my hand to rip the offending mercenary to shreds. I blinked as the hold on my tail vanished and a cry of pain tore through the air. There on the ground lay four fingers and a thumb, neatly severed and bleeding profusely from where they had been pulled across the serrated tip of my tail.


    As for Harry, he was being held by the jaw in a single handed grip by the snarling Shedim. Suspended in the air by arm strength alone. I watched as Red drew a deep breath, hastily collecting himself before throwing the poor man several metres away into the snow which crunched loudly in the silence. ¡°You¡¯re lucky¡±. Red said only two words before he turned and walked towards me, not bothering to move faster than a walk as Harry moaned in the snow behind him. I noticed the healers in the group twitch, eager to rush to the fallen man but no one moved until the Shedim walked far enough away and waved them forward. I reminded myself that my demonic friend had been one of the more important figures back in the mansion back in Tesuit regardless of his age, and knew how to dissolve this sort of situation far better than I did.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡±. Red stated. It wasn¡¯t a command, but the tone didn¡¯t leave room for argument. I nodded in reply. Respect for the demon increasing as he led the way out the group. Mindless of the yells of pain behind him.


    When we were finally clear of the group I spoke up. ¡°You know I¡¯m thankful but I didn¡¯t need your help you know¡±.


    ¡°Saw your eyes¡±. He said morbidly. ¡°If you killed him, no one would like you¡±. I blinked, I remember being furious but I had registered the amount of magic I had instinctively gathered when I had been grabbed. Red was right, that would have killed any human.


    I hummed thoughtfully at that. Partially annoyed at myself, but more annoyed at Harry. Who the hell did the bigoted prick think he was, why did he need to butt in? The two of us only stopped when we reached the outer edges of the farm. ¡°You didn¡¯t finish your meal¡±. I said slyly changing the subject.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Knocked it over¡­ got to you¡±. He said with a smile.


    ¡°To the village then¡±. I said wishing my bag was on hand, but only now remembering that I had left it where Red had been sitting. Oh well, Green would look after it, I hoped.


    It was more of a hamlet than a village. With only a small market and several resident halls that reeked of rot and mould. A tall church stood in the centre of the village, its cobbled stone walls and stained glass windows painting a pretty image that seemed so out of place with its surroundings. The place was heart-warming and welcoming however, the golden glow of the sunset bounced of the cobbled streets, augmented by the shining lamps that had been placed down each street. The entire village seemed to be out, whether they were talking happily in the street or bartering with the few shops still open at the time. None of them seemed to care that demons were in the midst. With the residents smiling and some even waving in greeting as we passed and for a while I was reminded of my second birthplace.


    The smell of cooked sausage covered with honey and rosemary wafted through the streets and my stomach protested when we made to pass. Longingly I glance over at the shop keeper who smiled eagerly. ¡°No money¡±. Red complained at my side as he emptied out the pockets of his blue robe.


    ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t need it¡±. I replied confidently. Leading the way into one of the empty stalls. It wasn¡¯t much, just a small wooden stand that looked eerily similar to the stand Lye had once made to sell lemonade. I grinned at the memory, of the better days where I could tease my friend for making it too sweet.


    Returning to reality, I rose my arms in a dramatic gesture. (Best to add a little showmanship) Before sweeping my magic across the market, dragging the loose snow through the air towards me. There were yells of amazement and some broke into claps as the snow settled to form a small shelter around the stand. Closing my eyes now I moved in time with the snow, imitating some of the more extravagant dance like moves I had seen the human magicians use. Finally when the shape I desired had formed, I snapped my fingers, igniting the mana that I willed between them before directing a lance of mana made fire to launch from an outstretched palm. A rush of heat rushed past my face as it engulfed the structure of snow before dying out without a fuel source. Its momentary use had been fulfilled however as the snow had melted to water, held together within a barely visible shimmering shell of mana. It was beautiful really, as the swirling liquid produced a myriad of different colours as the lights from the town danced within the construction.


    I almost felt sad when I willed the water molecules to slow down, watching the water flash freeze into a construction of delicate ice, fashioned in a series of patterns that lined the sides. Turning to the crowd which had gathered in the few seconds that had passed I called out. ¡°Good evening everyone! My name is Aare and this is Red¡±. I called, gesturing to the Shedim beside me who waved in a show of confident showmanship. ¡°As you have just seen, I¡¯m a Demon with a grasp on magic. For the foreseeable future I¡¯ll be living near the village and will be offering my services as a healer. I don¡¯t need much, just whatever you are willing to spare. Whether that be food, or a few bronze coins, it is up to you¡±.


    Silence descended across the market before whispered mutterings rose from the group. Evidently they weren¡¯t yet convinced. ¡°Red¡± I said quietly in a voice only he could hear. ¡°Cut off my arm, Blue, numb the pain please¡±.


    **Done** came the echoing voice from deep within my mind before the strange sensation of nothingness spread over my right side moments before Red¡¯s halberd slashed through the bone just below the elbow.


    Shouts of surprise washed over the crowd as a few leant over to empty their stomachs. Some might say this was overkill, but these people lived a hard life between the boarders of warring nations. It was likely that each person in front of me had seen something similarly gruesome in the past.


    I smiled as I lifted my other arm in a placating gesture, before concentrating on the stump. Willing my mana to fly to the area and consequently forcing a multiplied rate of cellular replication. First creating the bones, held together with stringy ligaments. Then I plastered on a layer of thin muscle making sure to match it with my other arm before creating the tendons to latch them to their respective bones. The small details came next, blood vessels, nerve endings and tissue that flew out to constrict tightly around the work in progress. Finally, as the last of the capillaries began to settle, I began covering the arm with a layer of skin, unnaturally white but quickly turning to its regular shade. Overall the process had taken close to seven minutes and during that time the audience had watched entranced as I worked.


    ¡°Hopefully¡±, I began, barely feeling the toll such magic had put on my mana pool, ¡°that has wiped away any concerns about my competence¡±. It wasn¡¯t an instant change but excited yells spread through the market as several people began to pull on their courage to go first. Finally, after what seemed like an age, an elderly man wobbled uncertainly to the front of the stand. Sitting on the chair before me in agonising slowness.


    I nodded at him before attempting a comforting smile. Absently feeling my horns morph to become blunter and more openly friendly. The man gulped and after a deep breath leant forward to begin a long tirade concerning the growing difficulties he had with walking. It didn¡¯t take long to find the actual problem. Turns out an earlier injury had shattered the head of the femur (The upper and largest bone in the leg). The problem hadn¡¯t been immediately apparent as the bone had eventually reformed. However a slight imperfection in the hip joint now caught the edge of the socket whenever the man took a step, only making the problem worse.


    From there it was easy to create a mana scalpel to carve away the splinter of bone before reinforcing the joint itself. I won¡¯t bore you with the details but the work was a lot easier without having to cut away at the body to get to the injury. Not to mention that magic works as a great sensing tool.


    I spent the next several minutes trying to shake off the gratitude the man had as he jumped to his feet. Throwing away his walking stick as if it were the cause of the injury itself, before reaching forward to clasp my hand. As he did I felt the hard cool feeling of several coins being thrust into my palm before the man turned and slipped through the crowd? Looking down I noticed several silver coins which was shockingly good for less than ten minutes of actual work. This alone would be enough to buy the two of us dinner for a week, yet as the now scrambling crowd dove into the queue I knew we wouldn¡¯t be getting away for a few hours at least.


    I was right. In the end the crowd wouldn¡¯t disperse until I had given my word that I would return tomorrow night at the same time, and even then they wouldn¡¯t leave until a blackboard was brought to remember the position of everyone still in line. I sighed as I watched them walk away contently. The night had gone well, and the stack of coins towards the back of the store had grown exponentially until the sack one farmer had given in exchange for curing a small headache had overflowed. Some of the other gifts had been more extravagant. The honey and rosemary sausages had made an appearance when the butcher brought his wife, after a self-inflicted ear piercing had caused infection. A beautiful oil lamp had been given in exchange for removing a stomach ulcer. But my personal favourite was a book on the basics of runes. Given to me by a provocative librarian who had discovered my budding interest as I removed a mole from her cheek.


    The walk home was made with a full stomach after stopping at the pub whose owner greeted us with open arms and a free meal. Openly hinting to a sick son in the back room who would see me tomorrow. By the time we arrived back at the farm, several pairs of mercenaries could be seen sparing by the campfire, surrounded by the rest who yelled encouragement. It seemed the commotion had died down as several members of the group who I didn¡¯t know greeted me openly before explaining that a tournament had been set up to discover the best fighters in the group.


    Spotting Truog standing on the outside of the ring I greeted him warmly as I stepped into place beside him.


    ¡°Hey Aare, Red¡±. He said in reply, nodding to both of us in turn. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been? Would have thought the tournament was right up your alley¡±.


    Red nodded eagerly. ¡°Rules¡±?


    ¡°Nothing fatal, you can win by knocking out your opponent or pushing them out of the ring¡±. The younger giant replied simply.


    ¡°How did you go¡±? I asked. Keen to know the scope of the competition.


    ¡°Fairly well, I was only knocked out last round by Salaar¡±. The giant grinned as he reached up to scratch the back of his neck. I cocked my head slightly at the unfamiliar name before the giant indicated the purple demon who was stretching by the side of the sparing ring. Indicated by a small line that had been dug out in the snow. Herog faced him, waiting imperiously on the other side of the ring, twirling his axe in lazy loops. I noticed the grim smile on the older giants face however, he wouldn¡¯t be going easy on the newcomer after he had knocked out his brother.


    On the outside, the group generally cheered for the giant. Half human as Herog was, meant he was their champion and I had no doubt the hulking figure would have knocked out a demon or two in the competition so far.


    The fight was over almost before it began, with the purple demon¡¯s hand snapping forward. A loud crack echoed through the freezing air as the space between the two shimmered with power as a wave of force slammed into the giant who merely stepped through it as it were wet paper. ¡°How¡±? The demon shouted as it tried to backtrack away from the now running giant. His hands spun to gather the ambient mana in the air in what looked like a complicated mana barrier spell. But it was all in vain as a single giant palm wrapped around Salaar¡¯s hand. Causing a soft pop as the gathered mana was released without direction.


    Then, with a single flick of his hand the purple demon sailed above the heads of the spectators before twisting his body to land on his feet. An effective display of agility but nonetheless placing the demon outside the ring. Ending the spar.


    I saw Red nodding in appreciation. He still wasn¡¯t able to touch the elder giant in one on one combat and to see that it wasn¡¯t just him would have helped.


    A booming laugh, as the giant stooped to shake the demons hand for a good fight. There was no malice, only quiet confidence and there was no offence on Salaar¡¯s face as he accepted the offering with a tired smile. Joyful cheers erupted from the crowd as Herog took his place on the side of the ring waiting for his next competition. It didn¡¯t take long before a similar purple skinned demon appeared across from him. Dropping into a ready stance without comment.


    I looked questionably at the giant by my side who only sighed in resignation. ¡°Safaar, though you should really learn the names of the people in your unit Aare¡±.


    ¡°I asked, at least it shows I¡¯m trying¡±.


    ¡°Fair enough, but when we get back to the nest I¡¯m not helping you anymore¡±.


    I nodded, seeing the need to know the names of the people fighting beside me before turning back to the ring in front of us. ¡°Who do you think will win¡±?


    ¡°Hard to say¡±, came the gruff reply. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to see my brother losing but Safaar is on a completely different level from Salaar¡±. I frowned, noticing for the first time that Herog¡¯s posture was no longer playful. His weapon didn¡¯t twirl as it did before but was now held in both hands to his side. Ready to crash down if the demon step too close.


    The battle began with the demon making the first move, his palms slamming down to the ground as several figures, identical to the smirking Safaar emerged from the soil just beneath the snow. My frown turned into a gasp of surprise as the clone of earth rose to stand at its full height. I¡¯d seen this spell multiple times back in my old life to know that this had nothing to do with the mana manipulation I had recently been learning. No instead it was creating a simple earthen construct and filling it with an artificial intelligence.


    Akin to creating life, this second step was an ability only gifted to the champions of life. A gift personally given by the goddess of life herself. I doubted that the demon in front of me had personally witnessed the goddess but perhaps a relative had, and passed on the knowledge. Around me the people cheered at the display, having no idea that they were witnessing a display of a gods might.


    Having completely formed, the three clones charged as one. Flying over the barely disturbed snow to close in on the giant who stepped forward to meet them. The first took a back handed swing to the neck, and as the head twirled from the body it crumpled into loose soil that would drift away with the wind. The second, having leaned better dodged beneath the second swing, before lightly touching the ground beneath him where upon a talon of earth lanced up to slice through the giants shoulder. Blood flew through the air as the third clone raised a ginormous hammer, hastily created from a mixture of mana, soil and snow, before swinging it down towards the giant.


    Herog, now pressed for space rolled to the side, wincing as his wounded shoulder momentarily took the brunt of his weight before rising to his feet and following up with a sweep of his axe that cut through the knees of the clone still kneeling on the ground.


    The original Safaar hadn¡¯t been standing still however, and as the giant lifted his axe to dispatch the wounded clone, (who even now was reforming it¡¯s legs) threw a wave of mana that lifted the giant off his feet and threw him several metres backwards, just to the edge of the circle.


    I could see the frustration on the giants face as he brought himself back to his feet. The second clone had already reformed and the third had discarded his hammer and was now lunging at the giant with a serrated dagger pulled from its robes. The original was gathering a second wave of mana that had proved so much stronger than Salaar¡¯s and if released would completely throw the giant from the ring.


    A single blink would have missed the movement that had Herog throwing his ginormous battle axe. Barely following it¡¯s movements I watched as it sailed through the air to split apart the head of the second clone who was only now rising to its feet. I observed as it exploded into a storm of soil, it¡¯s artificial intelligence destroyed by the well place axe. A yell from the third clone drew my attention back to Herog as he spun to grab the clone¡¯s wrist mid slash. Stopping the knife as it came within inches of his stomach.


    The crowd screamed in excitement as the ball of mana Safaar was building was completed and the demon snapped his palm forward. Releasing the wave of energy with a familiar crack of sound as it roared across the arena, air rippling in its wake. Herog didn¡¯t pause as he swung the arm of the clone behind its back before holding its body in front of him like a shield and bracing for impact.


    The wave of energy collided with the clone, which served its purpose by taking the brunt of the force before collapsing into a whirlwind of soil and leaving the giant to weather the storm alone. The audience held their breaths as the energy rolled across his body before the giant took a single step forward, passing through the display of magic and simultaneously launching into a run.


    The rest was eerily similar to Herog¡¯s last match. The demon had tried to summon more automatons to fight for him but a single thrust of the giants palm launched him from the arena.


    Silence bar the heavy breaths of the panting Herog.


    Then all at once, several shouts of jubilation erupted from around the circle as the human members of the troop charged in to congratulate their champion. It didn¡¯t escape my notice that the giant was only half human but apparently that was enough.


    I sighed as I watched Safaar painfully rise to his feet and slink off unnoticed by many, nursing a wounded shoulder that had been dislocated at the end. I shrugged knowing that a simple injury would barely be a discomfort for the demon before turning and making my way back to the barn.


    I found Green where we had slept last night, curled up around our bags that we had left outside, which, judging by the muddied lower halves, had been dragged in by the tiny wyvern. I laughed softly when the creatures eyes flickered open, briefly widening as they registered my appearance before shuffling over to press against my side, stealing my warmth. I didn¡¯t really mind as I hung the gifted oil lamp above my head and igniting it with a spark of mana. It basked the mound of hay we had settled upon in a soft orange glow and with the light came a layer of warmth that caused Green to warble in delight.


    My face was once again lit up in a smile as I pulled out the beginner¡¯s book of runes from within my robes, while absentmindedly sweeping off several strands of hay from the cover. I would be lying if I said runes didn¡¯t intrigue me, and even if I knew that I would never have the time to properly learn such a discipline I wanted to be able to understand what I was looking at. I had been impressed at Grace¡¯s effortless application of her art and the unlimited power a ¡®simple¡¯ explosive rune displayed shocked me.


    So, resultantly for the next hour I lay in the dying light, flipping through the small and well-worn pages, attempting to understand the gibberish it kept throwing at me. Honestly I wasn¡¯t making much leeway, but at least I would be able to identify certain aspects of a rune when I saw them in the future. Eventually Red, Herog and Truog joined us on the mound. Finding their own spots and settling in with barely a word. Which was the signal for me to try and get to sleep. With a single wave the light above me vanished and the dark swallowed us up.


    I had woken long before the humans of the group, leaving Red and I to make our own breakfast from the leftover sausages from yesterday. Honey and rosemary sausages where frankly delicious and I fully intended to buy more tonight when I returned to the village. It didn¡¯t quite beat a good coconut, but it could definitely satisfy when the latter wasn¡¯t available.


    After the early breakfast I spared with Red. It had been a while and I was astounded by his continued growth and without magic I had long been unable to challenge him. Still, the Shedim adamantly demanded that I continue to hone my swordplay and had told me that I should ask for lessons from Herog. I had agreed conservatively, it would probably be a good idea as long as it didn¡¯t coincide with my other studies. Seeing the distracted demon gesturing wildly to articulate his point I launched a renewed attack, hoping to catch him off guard while he talked.


    So it was after only forty minutes that I sat to the side healing my broken bones and torn flesh, with Blue¡¯s demonic laugh echoing through my head in an almost sadistic pleasure. **Serves you right for attacking when he wasn¡¯t prepared**. A grimace covered my face in response though I couldn¡¯t bring myself to be too upset when the Dream demon had gone to the trouble of numbing all of the wounds. Still, it was kind of embarrassing to be beaten so convincingly by what was effectively a newborn by demon standards.


    To the side Red grinned down at me victoriously, waiting until all my ailments had vanished before pulling me to my feet. ¡°Weak¡± the demon snickered as he led me back to the barn where the noise of waking people drew our attention.


    ¡°Of course¡± I muttered in reply, not wanting to rise to the taunt.


    ¡°Too weak, Red: 1, Aare: 0¡±. I glanced to the side unimpressed before tapping my heel to the ground with slightly more force than normal, allowing my mana to seep into the ground with practiced ease.


    I watched with unabashed glee when Reds foot came down mid stride to find the earth collapse beneath him. A small yelp escaped the bird like beak as the Shedims leg became buried up to his knee. Whereupon I strengthened the bonds of the earth around his leg, effectively trapping him in a metre thick layer of rock. ¡°Earth: 1 Red: 0¡± I replied contently as I continued to walk without missing a beat. I didn¡¯t look back, knowing it would take less than minute for the demon to break its way out of his makeshift prison.


    I managed to grab a small second breakfast from a silently fuming Harry. Who didn¡¯t, or perhaps couldn¡¯t say a word with Red leering over my shoulder, before running off to find one of the smaller fields in need of a look out. It didn¡¯t take long for grace to join me and once again the three of us including Blue began to practice our runic manipulation. It wasn¡¯t often I found myself with partners capable of directly augmenting my magical abilities so I naturally found myself rather enamoured with the whole thing.


    It turned out that reading through the first few chapters of the rune book helped immensely with understanding the structured of the rune inside the paper, and once you learned the patterns you could predict how to move the mana tendrils in order to not disturb the rune itself. Of course I wasn¡¯t instantly a master but it was definitely a noticeable improvement from yesterday.


    Of course as the day came to an end I packed up and with content silence the three of us drifted back to the camp site where upon we promised to meet up tomorrow and parted ways. Red and I didn¡¯t bother staying for dinner, instead we walked quickly down to the run down village and found the ice that made up my temporary stand still upright and looking strong from yesterday. Out the front was the line from yesterday, eagerly waiting in the order dictated by the blackboard. However now the line had extended dozens of meters back. The word had probably passed around overnight and every injured soul in the hamlet was likely standing in the queue.


    I smiled civilly as they saw me, causing each person to explode into bubbly chatter until I walked through the entrance. Gesturing for the first women in line to follow. I quickly created three chairs. Two for Red and myself, while the last was for the women who sat opposite. A customary glance showed no immediate problems and the women leaned forwards with a blush.


    ¡°Are you able to cure STD¡¯s¡±? She said in a small weary voice causing me to double take. I spluttered unintelligently, before nodding slightly. The women grinned at my blush before turning to the open door meaningfully. With a quick sweep of my hand the makeshift ice door shifted to block the view of the people outside.


    For the first time I took in the appearance of the women in front of me, she looked to be in her late twenties and her face had a sort of plain vibe, neither beautiful nor unattractive. ¡°Great¡± she said quickly before lifting her skirt, revealing that she hadn¡¯t been wearing anything underneath. The heat rushed to my cheeks as the women was laid bare before me, awaiting whatever treatment I could provide and several deep breaths were made to calm my mind. After a few seconds I raised my hand, softly directing my mana towards the women who giggled in ecstasy.


    I gulped nervously.


    Several minutes later I was finished and was subsequently exhausted. She hadn¡¯t stopped making noises from the beginning and my patience had been wearing thin. ¡°Done¡±, I whispered in mortification. I silently cursed myself for being horribly embarrassed, I should have long been desensitised to the female anatomy but my new instincts screamed the whole time. Perhaps it was natural for an incubus or maybe just the beginning of puberty.


    ¡°Really¡±!? The women gushed as she jumped to her feet, still not bothering to cover herself. Thank you, thank you, thank you¡± she giggled happily, accentuating each one with a peck on the cheek. Once again the blush appeared at the unusual display of affection. Inside Blue was laughing in hysterics and I once again cursed myself for the reaction. ¡°You¡¯re so cute¡±. The women said softly when she was done. ¡°If you were just a few years older I¡¯d gobble you up¡±. I felt a small weight on my lap as the women dropped several bronze coins before spinning coquettishly and walking away with a wink.


    The door opened with a creak as the women left but at least she had the dignity to close it behind her. Leaving Red, Blue and I alone in the shimmering room. The former let out a whistle of appreciation as the door closed and I spun to give him an evil look, knowing that my blushing face would have taken away most of the effect. For a single second I wondered why Red was so unaffected but upon remembering the soldiers who he had trained with back in Tesuit. It wasn¡¯t so hard to figure out where he had picked up his habits,


    When Red only burst out laughing at my attempt at a chastising glare I let out a groan before turning to drop the bronze coins in the leather bag that the Shedim held open. ¡°Not a word¡±. I said seriously before turning to the door and opening it with a wave, plastering on a smile as I did so. Moments later an elderly mother brought in a small whimpering child who sat on a newly made chair to complain about a headache which had started a week ago.


    My smile widened into a real one as immediately I was placed back into my comfort zone. ¡°No problem¡±. I said confidently. ¡°Can you point exactly where the pain is¡±?


    The afternoon passed quickly with a small break to the honey and rosemary sausage stand. Where upon Red singlehandedly ate through the majority of our bronze coins. We still had numerous silvers but the golden gleam in the butcher¡¯s eyes unnerved me as I ordered yet another batch. The provocative librarian had come back later in the day once again. This time to fix a co-workers broken toe and this time had given me a book on the crafting of magic items. I had been longing to read that one for the rest of the day actually, and more than a few of the customers had mentioned a distant haze covering my eyes.


    After dinner Red and I split so that he could run back to the inter division sparing which was now scheduled to start every night back at the farm. Something I knew he regretted missing yesterday. The last case of the day was a young man called Jacob who had damaged his lower spinal cord a few months ago fighting off a bandit. Apparently he was planning to join the Cobra¡¯s nest until the injury had lost him all control of his legs. That singular case had taken more than an hour as I attempted to completely reassemble the bundle of nerve fibres that had been dislocated but the end result (fifteen silver coins and a book on advanced sword techniques) more than made up for the time spent.


    It was a disgruntled crowd that I sent away, once again writing their order up on the black board which had now been hammered into the ice that made up the doorframe, and several fights broke out concerning who was in front of who. I didn¡¯t really mind the hold up. It meant more business tomorrow.


    Finally after everyone had left I hoisted the days loot over my shoulder, preparing for the long trip back to the farm and Red¡¯s inevitable moaning about how he lost, unless both Safaar and Herog chose not to participate. I laughed, knowing that in a few years Red would hopefully surpass both of them.


    I twitched as a small hand enclosed around my robes and turned to find a tiny disillusioning out of thin air. **An incubus** Blue stated matter-of-factly. On closer inspection, and after releasing the ball of power gathered reflexively in my hands, I noticed the serrated tail that was wrapped around his left leg in fear. Coupled with the small bumps hidden beneath long strands of white hair it was safe to say the perfect looking child (as so many incubi are) was anything but human.


    Shining green eyes stared straight through mine and the pure force of will that shone through caused me to hesitate long enough for the child to speak up. ¡°Please help me¡±. He pleaded, tears gathering but not yet starting to fall. ¡°I haven¡¯t got any money. B-but my brother is sick and no one will help a demon¡±.


    I frowned having heard too many a story about supposedly poor or abused children leading off good people only for them to be mugged in a side street. But on the off chance¡­.. I nodded twice before summoning a shield of mana around my skin. Strong enough to withstand the attacks of any human. Before hurrying after the child that was leading me by the arm. We ran for less than a minute. Before arriving at one of the resident halls on the edge of the hamlet. I braced my shield before walking through the door, ready for a surprise attack that, didn¡¯t come.


    The room was empty, bar a single double bed at the far side of the rickety building. Several lighter patches of splintered wood indicated that the room once held many of this beds before they had been removed. It didn¡¯t take a genius to realise that most people didn¡¯t want to sleep in the same room as a demon. I sighed silently as I was dragged across the room to the bunk which contained a tiny figure, shivering in the cold despite the numerous blankets piled atop of him. The figures breathing was short and laboured, but deathly quiet at the same time. It was an ominous sight.


    ¡°What happened to him¡±? I said quickly as I slid to the floor beside the child. I did however absently seal the top of my leather bag with a burst of mana. It wasn¡¯t going to be taken while my attention was diverted.


    The white haired incubus didn¡¯t seem to notice however as he sat on the opposite side of the bed. ¡°He¡¯s always had trouble breathing, and the cold just makes it worse¡±.  With a quick and practiced movement he drew away the cover. Underneath was a child who looked identical to the first, except his hair was a pitch black. I watched his eyes scrunch up in pain as the cold assaulted his face and I hastily summoned several small orbs of fire in response that floated around the room turning the hash cold into a comfortable if not slightly warm state. A small cough drew my attention back to the tiny child and without waiting for further detail pressed my hands firmly against his chest, to more easily allow my mana to transfer to his body. First I checked the lungs: irregularities? Mucus? Anything that could be the cause and was easily removed. Failing to find anything I saturated the child¡¯s airways with a surface layer of mana, and there, just below the throat where the airway began to thicken I noticed a series of inflamed tubing, all the way down to where they connected with the lungs and shuddered. It was amazing that a child could still be alive when the resulting tubing restricted the airflow to such a degree. No wonder the child could barely breathe.


    There were two options, the first was a temporary solution which was to sooth the muscles and then isolate them with a coat of mana to prevent further infection. The only problem was that this coat would disintegrate over time, eventually becoming useless. I predicted I could make a coat to last at least twenty years and by then the demons natural immune system should have developed enough to overcome the disease completely. Only problem was that it wouldn¡¯t be definite. A lapse could still occur and without a healer the result would still be fatal. The second option was to remove the airway completely and then to reconstruct it. This way the child would survive but the pain would be almost intolerable, If it was a human the pain would most likely induce insanity. I couldn¡¯t even ask Blue to numb the pain as without it the child¡¯s body would be unable to operate the unfamiliar organ that I would install.


    I said as much to the white haired incubus who looked up at me with wide mist filled eyes. ¡°The second one, it¡¯s what Black would want¡±.  My eyebrow rose without meaning too, once again alerted to the lousy naming sense demons had. I blinked.


    ¡°Wait, your name is¡±?


    ¡°White¡±. Came the soft reply. My eye briefly registered the child¡¯s long white hair before I had to hold back a laugh. Now wasn¡¯t the time.


    The work was slow, first I encased the inner tube in mana to create an artificial airway before weakening the bonds between the molecules of the organic airway. At this point Black woke, and I had to briefly divert my attention to secure him to the table. The child screamed, his inners literally dissolving into a paste that worked its way up his throat before slipping eerily from the child¡¯s lips.


    ¡°What are you doing¡±! White screamed when the liquid swept from his brothers mouth to form into a sphere which lay suspended in the air above our heads.


    ¡°I had to remove the disease itself¡± I answered calmly, keeping my attention on multiplying the mitosis rate of the remaining tube ¡°Otherwise when I reconstruct the organ the disease will just latch on again, now please be quiet. This bit is tricky¡±.


    The new organ was almost completely formed however with the demons magical defence fighting my every move, I couldn¡¯t just join the completed airway with the lung or the new organ would be rejected as the body recognised my mana as an intruder. Instead the organ needed to be guided from further up the airway. Slowly I allowed the organ to move into contact with the entrance into the lung and could only watch as the reminiscent effects of my mana sped up the reattachment. Finally when the job was done I drew away my hands. Effortlessly removing the mana barrier inside the new airway.


    For the first time I allowed my eyes to fall to rest on Black¡¯s face. Tears streamed down his face but even as I watched the boy took deep full breaths and soon his lips broke into a smile as a small laugh escaped his lips. I removed the pressure my mana had installed onto the child to keep him from moving and Black hopped to his feet only to punch my in the cheek.


    ¡°OOWWWW¡±. The child screamed as his hand came into contact with my mana barrier. Ah, I¡¯d forgotten about it.


    ¡°Sorry about that¡±. I replied automatically. Which caused the agonised child to stare at me oddly.


    ¡°Why are you apologising¡± he said while scratching the back of his head. ¡°You just healed me¡±.


    ¡°So you knew¡± I smirked, ¡°and tried to hit me anyway¡±?


    ¡°It fucking hurt¡± came the confident tone. ¡°What was I supposed to do¡±?


    ¡°Black¡±! Yelled White, who was looking at his brother in shock. ¡°Don¡¯t be rude¡±.


    ¡°Say thank you¡±? I suggested cheerily. They were both so full of life now, completely different from before¡±.


    ¡°Pffft, why should I¡±? Black laughed as he indicated the bag of coins that lay forgotten behind me. ¡°You got your money and I got my health. It was an equal trade¡±.


    ¡°Actually brother I didn¡¯t pay him¡­..¡± Came White¡¯s soft interjection. ¡°He came even after I said we had no money¡±.


    Black briefly looked aghast before turning to his brother and throwing a punch. Something white expected, dodged and countered. Leaving Black on his back and rubbing his cheek. ¡°White you idiot why didn¡¯t you say so¡±. Black, making his way to his feet again turned to face me more fully before bowing deeply. ¡°Thank you so much fellow incubus, my life has been saved by you and I now owe you a debt¡±! All in all it looked quite funny from an entity that looked no older than six.


    ¡°No problem¡±. I replied easily as I stood to leave, picking up my bag and slinging it over my shoulder.


    ¡°No there is a problem¡±. Black said again as he ran to get in front of me. His socks slipping slightly on the wooden floorboard. ¡°You¡¯re the healer White keeps talking about, yeah? The one who came to the market yesterday and today¡±?


    ¡°That was me¡±. I replied wearily, not happy about where this was going.


    ¡°Then consider yourself lucky, because the great Mr Black will help you out from tomorrow on¡±.


    ¡°Black, leave him alone¡±. Whined White. ¡°You¡¯ve already caused enough trouble¡±.


    ¡°Shut up, White you idiot. It¡¯s your fault we¡¯re in his debt in the first place, now we have to pay him back¡±! Black commanded with a look of superior confidence plastered across his face. Suddenly two pairs of green eyes found mine, one filled with apologies and the other with satisfaction. ¡°See you tomorrow boss¡±!


    -----------------------------------


    The next day passed much the same. After falling asleep late (intermittently reading the book concerning magical items and listening to Red talk about his epic defeat to Herog in the first round of the spars), I woke early to spar with my crimson brother. Breakfast was the foul broth given moodily by Harry who still didn¡¯t feel confident enough to speak against me with Red permanently hovering over my shoulder. Guarding the fields became more enjoyable as we started folding the explosive runes into other animals. Caterpillars, small cats, green wyverns and even dream demons were all attempted with varying success. However no matter how many times we tried to replicate my demonic partners appearance Blue said it didn¡¯t quite match his ¡®good looks¡¯.


    ¡°Strange¡±, I had mentioned absently as I began to fold the paper for another attempt. ¡°I thought all dreams of each category looked the same until they turned into an epic dream¡±.


    That, putting it lightly, had been a mistake. Blue had politely informed me that he was the most beautiful of all the lucid dream demons. I had replied equally politely that it was easy to look good when you can change what you look like with a thought. To which he had said Incubi are not only shapeshifters but hypocrites to the last of them.


    Over lunch I sat with Herog reading through the book on ¡®advanced sword techniques¡¯ given to me yesterday, but he had told me after looking at it for barely a minute that most of it was demonstration swordplay only, designed to be flashy rather than effective. At my look of disappointment he had offered to teach both Red and I in the mornings before breakfast as long as we shared some of the Honey and Rosemary sausages we had brought back. ¡°I don¡¯t care if I¡¯ll be left incapable of work for a week, if I¡¯m told to eat that damn broth again I¡¯ll eat those mushrooms over there instead¡± Herog had stated pointing to a few dark brown mushrooms in the corner of the barn.


    After lunch, Grace was pulled away to work on a runic array that us ¡®common soldiers¡¯ weren¡¯t supposed to know about. She had apologised profusely and left a giant stack of explosive notes as an apology which I had taken and practiced on for the next few hours.


    Dinner came around sooner than expected and once again Red and I made our way down to the Hamlet.  Where we trudged past the eager line to get into my stand of ice. I hadn¡¯t really been looking, instead focussing on my magic items book, but as I sat down in a swiftly constructed chair I recognised that it was a lot quieter than usual. With a small wave the door opened and an absolutely gorgeous girl of around twenty years old walked through.


    She had a lithe figure that was generously filled out in the right areas, her long pitch black hair drifted enticingly over her shoulders complementing a small button nose and piercingly green almond shaped eyes. I blinked twice shaking myself out of my stupor. ¡°How can I help you¡±? I opened when it seemed that the girl wouldn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°What are you talking about¡±? The girl sneered as she pulled a clipboard from between her cleavage. ¡°I¡¯m just here to tell you that your first appointment is with a seventeen year old human child with a broken arm¡±.


    ¡°What¡±? I replied slowly just as the door opened once again to let an identical women with snow white hair poke her head through.


    ¡°Black¡±, she said professionally. ¡°Can I send in the first patient¡±?


    ¡°Please no¡±. I whispered before filtering a small amount of mana over my eyes, dreading what I would see. Of course as soon as I did the beautiful women were gone. Instead replaced by the kids from yesterday who stood in their place. For a second I was amazed by their flawless transformation, and the ability to seemingly change their size, then again, both Lye and my parents could do it so perhaps it was just me that couldn¡¯t. ¡°What are you doing here¡±? I asked calmly.


    Black just looked at me as if I was an idiot, twirling the pen in between his fingers. ¡°We said we would help, so here we are. We don¡¯t go back on our word. That¡¯s our code¡±!


    ¡°Ok, fine¡±. I conceded. ¡°But why do you look like that¡±.


    White seemed to look ashamed, however Black once again affixed me with a stare of disappointment. ¡°For someone who knows so much you¡¯re actually an idiot¡­..you¡±.


    ¡°You¡±?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know your name¡±.


    ¡°Aare¡± I said blankly, literally at my wits end. Behind me Red was looking on in confusion, no doubt he couldn¡¯t see their true forms.


    ¡°Ahem¡±, said Black unabashed. ¡°Then ill repeat. For someone who knows so much you¡¯re actually an idiot Aare¡±.


    ¡°And why is that¡±. My teeth were grinding now.


    ¡°Because as soon as the humans see this form they shut up, wait patiently and listen to every word I say as if it¡¯s the funniest joke in the world. It¡¯s just the best method for controlling the masses¡±. I blinked. That actually made sense.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with¡± I groaned, dismissing the two with a wave, ¡°let the first one in¡±.


    The rest of the day went quickly, for as annoying as the two were they knew how to work and I probably saw at least double the number of people today than either of the other two. They were both efficient and knew how to manage the people even if their methods were deplorable.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent the rest away Aare¡± Came White¡¯s small voice as he slipped into the stand finally letting the illusion slip. He was paler than usual now, the constant drain on his magic would have been tough.


    Black seemed to have no such troubles, and he in turn swaggered up to stand above me. Or at least he would have if I hadn¡¯t made my chair slightly higher today for the exact reason. Instead I looked down at him remotely unimpressed. ¡°How was that, not too shabby if I say so myself¡±.


    ¡°You did well¡± I sighed in resignation. ¡°Here¡±. Carefully so as not to drop them I picked up ten silver coins in each hand before holding them out to the kids who looked on in awe.


    A silver coin if spent sparingly could be used to feed a family for a week, ten coins was quite likely more than these two orphans(As I had found out today) had ever seen in their lives. However as White reached out to take his share Black slapped his hand away. ¡°White you idiot¡±. He sighed. ¡°We did this to replay him not for money¡±. Them to me. ¡°Thanks but we can¡¯t. At least not today, see you tomorrow¡±. Then with heavy footsteps the two left the stand, with White spinning and waving a goodbye briefly before shutting the door with a slam.


    I stood still for a second, surprised by the display of chivalry. Before grapping the leather bag with today¡¯s goods. Most of it was food and money but one small item of note was a silver ring that when waved over food could detect poisons and other harmful concoctions. It was an interesting design and while not incredibly valuable to me it would be nice to study as a basic magic item.


    That night I didn¡¯t bother to read, and instead listened to Red¡¯s epic loss in the second round to Safaar while Green curled up and went to sleep in my lap. I didn¡¯t want to break it to my crimson friend but it was likely that the spars were rigged by our human allies, so that the demons would fight each other early, while the humans could battle it out amongst themselves. Otherwise what were the chances that Red would be knocked out in the first and second rounds to the two best members of the competition? I shrugged, what Red didn¡¯t know wouldn¡¯t hurt him, and personally he seemed ecstatic that he was facing the stronger members.


    I didn¡¯t get to finish that thought as Neo opened the door of the barn with a slam. ¡°Alright, everyone up. Scouts have caught sight of the enemy we¡¯ve been expecting and they¡¯re thirty minutes out. I want you off you arses and out the door ready to fight in five¡±. All sleepiness was gone from my eyes in seconds, was this a joke? This was why not telling your soldiers basic details was a problem.


    Nodran, who looked like he had just woken up himself, stumbled through the open door after Neo. ¡°What should I do¡±? The dwarf mumbled unintelligently.


    The uptight bodyguard just glared at the dwarf briefly before gesturing to the door. ¡°I need to go inside, just hold the door and make sure these idiots don¡¯t get locked in¡±.


    The dwarf yawned in reply ¡°Hodor¡±?


    ¡°Yes Nodran¡±. Neo replied, shaking his head as he left the barn. Next to me Red was already fully dressed in his plate armour and was now in the process of placing his Lin house robes over the top. Jumping to my feet I hurried to catch up to him. Quickly slinging my chainmail over my midsection and fastening the tighteners. It wouldn¡¯t do much but it was better than nothing and wouldn¡¯t drastically slow me down.


    It only took three minutes before the division stood in the central field by the main house, a quick count off revealed there to be fifty four of us which made me frown. I probably knew less than fifteen of them by name.


    Aurelia stood at the front of the unit. Her usual attire switched for a more lustrous set of robes that flashed blue and gold intermittently. On her head lay a diamond studded crown that showed off her rank as a member of the Lin family. ¡°Ok listen up, the enemy has been sighted less than two miles from here so we can expect them at any moment. The goal is to make sure no hostiles enter any of the fenced off fields surrounding this farm. Due to the mana barriers that are in place it will take them several minutes to create a breach but know that if they do we can kiss all hope of payment goodbye¡±.


    Murmurings spread out amongst the unit as the seriousness of the situation was put in front of them.


    ¡°Remember to stand by your allies¡± Aurelia continued. ¡°I don¡¯t care how many you kill or how many times you stop a breach, whatever we are paid will be split equally. However, if you leave your post without explicit orders from your squad commander I¡¯ll kill you myself¡±. She paused briefly before shouting once again. ¡°There are three fields that need to be protected, and fifty seven of us including Neo, Nodran and myself. Which means nineteen members for each field, your postings are on the wall behind me. No complaining and good luck¡±.


    Indeed behind her, on the wall of the main house was a large poster which spilt the troops up into three squadrons and as I got closer I couldn¡¯t help sneak a glance at Red who was staring pointedly in my direction. This could be the first time he would fight for his life that I wouldn¡¯t be there, and though it hurt to know something could happen I trusted the crimson demon enough to keep himself safe.


    When the crowd in front of the poster thinned I darted in, scoring a place where I could run my finger down the list of names that made up the group. I found myself quickly, right up the top of group one with Aurelia. Most of the names I didn¡¯t know but Salaar, Truog, Harry and Clive where all posted there amongst the unknowns. ¡°Keep him safe¡±, Truog huffed from behind me, upset that he would be separated from his brother. I didn¡¯t bother answering, it was obvious I would do my best.


    Quickly looking up Red¡¯s position, I noticed him under Nodran¡¯s command along with Safaar and Grace. It relieved me somewhat to see Safaar in his group, a familiar and strong face even if I didn¡¯t know him personally.


    Apparently I was taking too long as I was eventually pushed away from the poster by larger and heavier soldiers leaving me to make my way over to Aurelia who was calling us over.


    ¡°Ok¡±! Aurelia shouted when we had all gathered. Let¡¯s move out, Aare you¡¯re with me¡±. I was surprised at being called out, but as the small group of nineteen began to walk resolutely behind their captain, I jogged to the front so I could walk beside her. ¡°I¡¯m not going to play games with you Aare but our side is likely to see the most of the combat. The enemy was seen to the south and the road they are traveling on leads straight to the south eastern field which is where we¡¯re going¡±.


    I nodded, slightly surprised that the Lin family would post a family asset such as Aurelia at the crucial field without her bodyguards.


    ¡°The enemy consists of approximately two hundred entities, most of which are human but there are also a few lower demons mixed in. The leader however is a problem, apparently it¡¯s an archdemon and a strong one at that¡±.


    ¡°Which is why I¡¯m here¡±. I guessed.


    ¡°Exactly, Herog said you were the only one who would definitely be up to the task, and after the tests I¡¯m ready to believe him, it was a shame you didn¡¯t attend the spars though, Neo thought we should have kept Safaar with me¡±.


    ¡°So the spars were to see who could fight back against the archdemon¡±?


    ¡°Of course they were¡±.  She replied amusedly. ¡°Until I know this unit like the back of my hand each activity no matter how small will be a test¡±. She paused briefly before pulling out a piece of paper from her pockets. ¡°Oh, this is courtesy of Grace, we set up a minefield earlier today with those runes of hers. She said you would know how to use them¡±.


    The paper was crumpled but as I rolled it out I could faintly make out the features of a map. It showed the main house in the house on the top left of the page with the south eastern field in the middle and the row of trees that made up the encircling forest on the bottom right. ¡°The red crosses indicate the explosive runes¡±. Aurelia added quickly causing me to chuckle to myself at the sheer number that littered the ground between the field and the trees.


    ¡°This will make quite a blast¡±, I warned. ¡°Will our client mind his land being turned into a bunch of craters¡±?


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a say¡±, she replied, ¡°but we will lose a percentage of our pay for damages so do try to use them as a last resort, just know that I would rather a hole in the ground than a loss of life¡±.


    ¡°Of course¡±. I didn¡¯t say anything more as just then, the largest of the three fields came into view. I hadn¡¯t been to this particular field before as the working portion of our group had been station here to construct a new fence. However, this ¡®fence¡¯ could really only be described as a fortified wall. It was several metres high and made from a mixture of hardened logs and jagged stone. There was a single ladder which we were told to climb and as we reached the top we found a small hidden walkway that would allow us to both stand at the top and shoot and array of projectiles down at anyone underneath. ¡°You¡¯ve spent a lot of time and resources on this single wall. Wont the enemy just attack one of the others¡±? I remarked softly


    ¡°They very well could¡±. Aurelia agreed instantly. ¡°Which is why we posted Safaar and Herog with the other two teams, as for the wall. We thought we had more time. These bastards just arrived a few days early¡±. The conversation all across the wall fell short as Aurelia split our team into groups of four, which she then sent to equally cover the perimeter. Being one short I was left with Truog and Harry, who looked visibly upset to be in what he said was ¡°the weakest group¡±.


    I ignored the bastard, but almost seriously contemplated throwing him off the wall when the battle started. ¡°You ready Truog¡±? I asked as the giant fastened the straps that secured his gauntlets.


    ¡°Always¡± He replied jokingly. Looking as if he¡¯d had been on the battlefield since the day he was born. Although in an instant his eyes where covered with steely resolve and he pointed towards the Teeline. ¡°Here they come¡±.


    There was complete silence for a few seconds before an ear splitting roar seemed to shake the world as an enormous bull-headed demon crashed through the tree line. Much like the Minotaur, the archdemon was a bipedal abomination with the upper half of a bull. Yet that was where the similarities ended, its lower half was that of a red skinned demon. With hoofs that left waves of purple fire wherever it stepped. Two bright red wings sat comfortably on its back, curled up now that they weren¡¯t in use, but if spread would each be as tall as he was. Its eyes closely resembled the gateways to hell, each with a swirling iris of black and red light, and in its hands lay a glaive that was at least seven metres long, which alone should hint at how tall this being really was.


    At its feet, (barely reaching its knees) were hundreds of human soldiers, mercenaries obviously judging by the mismatching weapons and armour. Although some were standing in small clumps holding large orange devices that looked vaguely similar to a battering ram. A few others ran in lines, holding wide and easily climbable ladders that would no doubt scale the wall if they got close.


    ¡°Holy shit, there are so many¡±! Cried Harry as he took up his sword and shield and getting closer to the edge. Before he was yanked back by the giant moments before a volley of arrows rained down on top of us.


    I ducked behind the wall, allowing the arrows to pass over us before taking a peak over the top. There was a single road leading towards the field but besides that most of the ground was uneven and muddy from the snow, making it difficult for the men to carry their contraptions.


    I stood to my full height, briefly creating a solid wall of mana between the enemy archers and myself. It wouldn¡¯t last for long but it wouldn¡¯t need to. I reached inside me, feeling the magic surge from my chest, along my arm and then out through the mana points dotted across my hand, and a small smile crossed my face as I let the magic sink into the ground beneath the enemy. Watching as the soil loosened and became saturated with melt water. Screams broke out amongst the enemy as the ground beneath them gave way to a bubbling mix of sludge, pulling them down into the depths. Many on the side simple waded to the side and pulling themselves out but those in the middle stood no chance as their heavy armour only sealed their fate. Bulling them beneath the surface where they would drown on muddy water.


    Unfortunately it was only quick quagmire spell that would have little to no effect on some of the more demonic enemies, as right before my eyes the archdemon and a few dozen lesser demons (who appeared mostly humanoid except for a pair of wings and two long fangs that they bared as they hissed) launched themselves into the sky on leathery wings. Eyes wide with fury they dove towards our positions. Weapons swinging threateningly above their heads as they swirled around a whistling wave of razor sharp wind, launched from somewhere along the wall, no doubt Aurelia¡¯s doing.


    Thrusting my hands upwards caused the surrounding snow to gather into an icy blizzard and surge towards them. The first demon wasn¡¯t quick enough and was resultantly torn to pieces as the icy shards passed straight through him unimpeded though the rest performed several impressive feats of acrobatics to move aside. The archdemon however didn¡¯t bother. Instead he rose a single hand and the air around him ignited into an inferno. Melting my shards of ice upon contact. It didn¡¯t completely nullify the spell however so with the last amount of control I had on the spell I forced the melting ice into spears of water that cut deep into the demons flanks.


    A quick scream was the only confirmation I got that the spell had hit as my attention was dragged away by a flying humanoid demon it landed on the edge of the wall, eyes narrowed in anger and hissing incomprehensibly. **That one¡¯s mine** came the voice in my head as a blue wispy form flew into the mind of the demon. Causing it to writhe in agony before launching itself at its brethren in what seemed to be righteous rage.


    Next to me Truog stood resolutely before Harry, swinging his battle axe to cleave through a demon which then slumped bisected beside him.


    ¡°They¡¯ve reached the wall¡±. Came Salaar¡¯s shout from across the field. I didn¡¯t have time to see his position but with a quick glance downwards showed me that what remained of the human were scaling their ladders to try and reach us.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t¡±. I said easily, enclosing raw mana around their tiny forms. Without any natural magical resistance their fragile body¡¯s simply caved in. Crunching horridly as their bones and internal organs where compressed into the size of a sugar cube. It wasn¡¯t much of a victory, after fighting a celestial, mere humans were barely worth the effort.


    The archdemon¡¯s cry split the skies and I looked up to see his body completely healed and heading in my direction, glaive raised high and in the process of coming down. Sending mana down to augment my legs I leapt to the side, watching the landscape blur as I dodged past the glaives blade which was just as long as the wall was high.


    There was a cracks as the piled up logs split down the middle causing the entire section of wall to rupture and fling both Truog and Harry, who hadn¡¯t moved out of the way, into the air. I finished my leap in a roll, bringing me onto my feet and under the swinging claws of another hissing demon who had tried to finish me off. ¡°Piss off¡± I said becoming frustrated with the distractions. Quicker than the demon could see me move I placed a single finger on its forehead before sending a sizeable amount of raw directionless mana straight through its brain, liquefying the contents.


    The hissing demon had done its work however, and in the time it had taken to fall at my feet the archdemon¡¯s glaive had been lined up for another swing. This time it thundered along the top of the wall, slicing through the barricades which had been saving us from arrow fire. The group that had been placed next to ours screamed as the blade cut straight through them, eviscerating their human bodies in an explosion of blood. I grimaced at the death of my allies but I didn¡¯t have time to see who they were as I jumped off the side of the wall, falling to the ground. I landed gracefully, having reinforced my legs for the landing before swinging around to face the archdemon who had finished cleaving through our defences and was now once again fixated on me.


    Around me stood several humans who ran after they noticed they were standing so close to something that had caused their masters ire, and for the first time I was left alone with the giant entity. I opened up with a wave a pure force, attempting to create some distance and hopefully some time to cast something big enough that the demon couldn¡¯t shrug off, but the archdemon¡¯s resistance allowed him to charge through before swinging his glaive in an arc that sliced through the ground as it came towards me.


    I knelt to the ground, summoning a wall of magically hardened stone that erupted from the saturated soil, I waited for it to take the brunt of the archdemon¡¯s attack, and sighed in relief when the stone splintered but held strong. I didn¡¯t waste the moment, quickly disillusioning myself with a wave of my hand before leaping over the wall where the demon was desperately trying to yank out the glaive. The apex of my leap situated me within a meter of the demons bare chest, and the smell of burning brimstone filled my nostrils as I pulled the moisture out of the air to form a lance of water-made-ice. With a flick of my wrist the lance flew forward into the demon¡¯s body, carving though its chest to create a body sized cavern all the way to the other side. A quick glance showed me the still beating heart which had been ruptured by the attack, and for a brief second I hoped the beast was dead. Instead the demon simply let go of its weapon before swatting me out of the air.


    The mana veil covering my body took away the force of the attack but I was still throw somewhere close to twenty metres before I fell to the ground in a heap. A broken rib ached as I brought myself to my feet but with all my recent practice it took barely a second to reconnect the breakage. It amazed me at how much easier it was to heal your own body, as there wasn¡¯t an independent mana source constantly fighting the intruder. I grinned when the archdemon fell to its knees before me, its wounds healing but after every second the effect becoming slower.


    I drew back a hand, ready to launch another barrage of energy before holding myself back. I knew the demon had magical resistance, I had always known it would. Yet I still threw these spells which would inevitably turn out to have little to no effect. Was it because of my pride or inexperience? I remembered grace talking about magical resistance working like a set of plate armour. The larger the spell the more plates it would hit. So why did I always throw these overpowering spells. I frowned remembering what grace had said. ¡°But like every suit of armour there are vulnerable areas. Small gaps that you can exploit if you pinpoint your magic¡­..just cover them with a blanket of mana, if you make it harmless they shouldn¡¯t notice, and all you have to do it aim for the sections that don¡¯t vanish and you¡¯ve found the points within the plates¡±. I frowned, before releasing the majority of the the mana gathered in my hand before sending it forward much like a net.


    Carefully, whilst attempting to hold the mana back from instinctively lashing out, I manoeuvred the net around the wounded demon. eyeing where the mana vanished, negated by the resistance, and where it settled, safely in the gaps.


    Done.


    I watched intrigued as my mana lit up the archdemon¡¯s weak points, showing the gaps between his natural armour. It was easy from there, much like attacking a human I felt my mana surge forward. Unstoppable as it crashed through the gaps in the demons skin to surge along the demons pathways to evenly distribute itself amongst the body. The practice manipulating runic structures made dodging the demons own efforts to mentally expel look ludicrously easy, and as I felt my mana fully encircle the demon I attacked. Separating the water molecules insides the demons body and calming them down. Essentially flash freezing the dry husk of the former archdemon.


    I turned back to the wall as the archdemon crumbled behind me, watching as my comrades fought off the last of the demonic/human force. It wouldn''t take much to finish this. I broke out into a sprint, rushing back to my team just as Truog decapitated the last human soldier attacking their position. With a brief nod the two of us turned as one, rushing along the wall to support our allies. Harry, as annoying as he was followed two steps behind, sword slick with demonic blood.


    ---------------------------------------


    The villagers of the hamlet watched as the sky above the nearby farm lit up in spell fire. Dark red and yellow lights flew through the air in time with cries of pain, terrible screeches and panicked shouts. The sounds all echoed together, augmented by their own silence. Subsequently the mood was dark and most refused to leave their buildings bar from a brave few who watched from the courtyard in front of the church.


    However as the battle reached its climax the churches central spire lit up, shining in a myriad of bright colours showing that even the gods were giving their attention and with a final gasp from the people a Black skinned figure, complete with golden eyes, a stunning spiked halo and wings formed from pure holy light, appeared in a booming flash that temporarily blinding the people in the square. Instantly all eyes were on the celestial who drifted slowly from the building roof to gently land on the cobbled ground without a single sound. For a brief second the divine being glanced towards the site of the battle and a cruel smile spread upon his lips, perhaps he would join in. But only after he had finished what he came for.


    ¡°Greetings mortals, my name is No¡¯med, chosen celestial of the god of space. I come before you today to look for a particular demon child¡±. His voice boomed, confident, commanding and most of all unforgiving. ¡°Tell me where he is and I will be on my way, but do not bother to lie, there is a strong scent of his magic so I know he has been here recently¡±. His golden eyes panned through the group until he noticed several looks of recognition.


    One man in the group spoke up. ¡°There are two of them here¡±. His voice was harsh, as he indicated two young incubi standing alone in the crowd. ¡°We always knew they were trouble¡±.


    No¡¯med grinned as he walked towards them, he loved it when they shook in fear and the one with white hair was certainly doing so. The other, who looked almost identical, bar his black hair stood firmly in front of the other. ¡°Leave us alone, we¡¯ve done nothing wrong¡±! The child was backing away, simultaneously pushing the white haired boy behind him. Most likely the child could see the hatred in his eyes and tell that he wasn¡¯t there for a good reason.


    It wasn¡¯t immediately recognisable but as No¡¯med stepped closer to the child he could tell it wasn¡¯t Aare. The magic, while having a distinctly similar feel, was nowhere near as strong or apparent. Instead it just felt as though Aare was inside him. Just before the child turned to run No¡¯med¡¯s arm snaked out to grab the child around the neck. ¡°You¡¯re not Aare¡±? The celestial growled, ¡°But you do smell like him¡±. The child screamed but by the widening of the eyes he knew who Aare was, and perhaps where he was.


    The child opened his mouth to say something but the celestial didn¡¯t listen. Instead he honed in on Aare¡¯s scent, ripping open the child¡¯s chest to find a magically reconstructed breathing apparatus connected to the right lung. He tuned out the child¡¯s screams and his brothers yells of indignation, and turned back to the crowd who were looking on in justifiable terror. ¡°The one I¡¯m looking for has healed this child¡±. He said simply. ¡°Tell me where he is or I kill the lot of you¡±.


    ¡°He was with the mercenaries¡±! Came a sudden cry. He¡¯ll be a part of the battle. The young man who had spoken was pointing towards the spell fire lit skies.


    ¡°You coward¡±! Yelled the wounded child in Nomed¡¯s hand cutting off any reply he might have had. ¡°He helped you all¡±!


    ¡°He brought the gods wrath to us¡±. Was the frantic reply, spit flying from the man¡¯s mouth in terror. A site which caused the Celestial to laugh, it would seem the bravest person here was the demon child.


    ¡°Much appreciated¡±. Came the celestial¡¯s low reply as he turned to leave, done with the hamlet for now.


    ¡°Leave Aare alone¡±! Yelled the child in his hand as a set of teeth bit into his thumb. It didn¡¯t hurt, No¡¯med had been introduced to far worse pain over the years but the act of defiance still riled him up.


    ¡°Learn your place child¡± No¡¯med spat as he flung the child into the church wall, there was a crack as the child¡¯s head impacted with the wall before he fell to the ground lifelessly.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was unconscious or dead, nor did he care about the white haired child who ran to his side in a new bout of tears. All he did was allow his wings of light to fully extend before taking off into the sky, at long last ready to confront the child which had caused him so much suffering in recent times.


    -------------------


    Thanks for reading and sorry to leave it on a bit of a cliff hanger.... especially considering my update schedule its a bit cruel.


    Would be great if you post something down the bottom if you see any mistakes, or just to tell me if you liked it or not.


    Thanks.