Reborn: 6-10

by D. W. Jackson

  The soldier grunted and easily parried Ash’s attack. The force of the two blades hitting each other made Ash’s hands go numb. It was clear from the battle so far the soldier was easily as skilled as Ash or more likely even more skilled given how flawlessly he seemed to move with his bulky body.

  Ash had already used up most of his MP and SP so he could not afford to use his abilities carelessly. The lower his SP got, the harder it was for him to move and recuperate after each strike. The lower his MP, the harder it was for him to think. In a fight, either of those things could easily cost him his life so he paid close attention to both values.

  Ash found it odd that the decrease in the use of one’s strength, and agility were not determined by just the numerical value of one’s stamina, but the percentage of it that you had left. Once your stamina was less than 50% of the max amount the rest of your stats started to take a dive in efficiency. The lower the percentage, the more a person lost in stat efficiency. MP worked much the same way but it didn’t start to really effect a person until it was less than 25% of the total. Right now Ash’s SP was down to 30% so his overall stats had taken a great hit though he was not sure by how much as he was yet to figure out how they corresponded. His MP on the other hand was down to 15% making it hard for his mind to work quickly. It was almost as if he was trying to think after drinking a few shots of hard liquor.

  Ash continued his attacks, but very few of them made it through the soldier’s guard. Ash was starting to think that he would soon find his end when an opening appeared. One of the other battling groups threw his opponent and it hit the back of the soldier in front of Ash hard in the back, forcing him to stumble forward. Seeing his chance, Ash lunged forward, his sword aimed at man’s unguarded throat. The soldier was not completely taken unaware and was able to get his sword up, but only enough so that Ash’s sword was deflected slightly.

  Ash’s blade cut deeply into the side of the man’s neck. As the blood quickly flowed, Ash and the soldier both knew that his time was limited. With a feral roar, the soldier charged him and slammed into Ash’s tired and weary body, sending him toppling over the side, falling hard onto the ground below.

  Ash felt his breath rush from his lungs as pain erupted from his entire body. Groaning, Ash forced himself into a leaning position. From where he was, Ash could see the battle on the battlements. It was clear they were losing and badly. The ground was littered with the dead and dying and Ash knew that it wouldn’t be much longer before the fort would be completely lost.

  “Master,” Ash hear a loud shrill voice from behind him. Turning his head, Ash saw Allice running toward him. Seeing the fearful look on her face, Ash cursed himself for not giving her a specific order to stay in the medical tent.

  Grunting Ash forced himself to his feet but was nearly knocked back to the ground when Allice rushed into him crying. Ash awkwardly patted her back as he stifled a groan that threatened to escape from his lips. “Allice, I thought I told you to stay in the medical tent?” Ash asked. He tried to make his voice stern, but he failed as he couldn’t help feeling a slight wave of warmth when he felt her arms tighten around him.

  “I was master,” Allice said pulling back slightly. “But they needed people to help bring the injured to the tent and I volunteered.”

  Before Ash could say anything, a slow clapping was issued behind him. Turning around, Ash found two knights casually walking toward him while three others killed anyone that approached their group. Ash quickly recognized the man at the front who was clapping it was the knight commander that he and Jorin had met a few days beforehand. “You have fought marvelously,” he said sincerely. “We have lost far more than I had thought we would, but not so much that it would cause us trouble. Still one must honor those who fight with such passion.”

  “The fight isn’t over yet,” Ash growled.

  “It is,” the man replied, shaking his head sadly. “Look around, almost all the defenders are dead or soon will be. I would advise you that it would be best if you simply surrender. You can save many more lives by doing so then continuing this foolishness.”

  “Master,” Allice said, looking at him with pleading eyes.

  Ash separated himself from Allice and pushed her behind him using all his strength to lift up his sword. “I will not allow you to use me as some pawn against the duchess.”

  “So be it,” the knight said lifting his own sword.

  When the knight attacked the others behind him just watched and only moved when other defenders dared to get close. Ash was so absorbed in the fight that he didn’t notice anything that was happening around him. The knight commander had earned his title. That was something Ash was sure of. No matter how hard he tried, the knight was easily able to block his attacks.

  Three strikes had already broken through Ash’s guard, but only two of them had triggered his luck shield the last had left a deep wound on Ash’s left arm that almost reached the bone.

  Ash found himself staggering and his eyes starting to lose focus. He knew that his MP had fallen far too low. Even if his luck shield could block the next attack, he doubted he had enough MP left to stop the entire force of the blow. Just as he was thinking this, the knight commander came with a vicious overhand blow. Ash was able to get his sword up in time, but the blow knocked him to his knees.

  Ash moved his sword to block the next blow, but it didn’t come. Surprised he tried to look around, but his eyes had trouble focusing. He heard Allice scream from behind him and feared that something had happened to her. Mustering the last bit of his strength, Ash tried to move toward her but his legs would barely heed his call and ended with him crawling in the direction of the scream. “Allice,” Ash tried to yell but his voice came out weak and trembling.

  “Master,” Allice said, as she wrapped her arms around him sobbing lightly.

  Ash had taken a number of wounds throughout the day and he could not only feel his life draining away slowly, but could also see it in his status window. He still had the majority of his HP, but it was slowly disappearing as he currently not only had the bleed status, but the heavily wounded status as well. Ash leaned back, momentarily forgetting about the battle and felt his head rest softly on Allice’s lap. Forcing his eyes to focus, he noticed that she was looking at him with tear’s flowing freely from her eyes.

  In the distance, Ash could hear numerous cries and he was sure that the attackers were celebrating their victory. It wasn’t until he heard Allice gasp and the feeling of something warm spray across his face that he turned his head to get a better look of the situation.

  Large figures swooped down from the sky and large flames roared in from out of nowhere killing everything in their path. Ash was amazed at the sheer carnage that appeared before his eyes. He tried to stand, but found little strength left in his own body. Allice gently, yet firmly placed her head under his arm and helped him to his feet.

  “Demons,” Ash said as he saw more than ten of the creatures fighting against the knight commander and his retinue.

  Fear washed over Ash as he watched the battle. He had read about the demon wars of the past and seeing the large horde that had been gathered, he feared it was the second coming. The Hawkwing lands were on the border of the great mountains that separated the demon lands from the human lands. If the demons invaded, they would be the hardest hit and the first to fall.

  While the demons fought, Allice pulled Ash toward the medical tent. He tried to resist, but his body was too weak. Before he reached half the distance, Allice tripped and both of them fell back hard onto the ground. One of the priests ran out from the medical tent and started to hurriedly cast spells on Ash. His wounds quickly closed and his HP quit its rapid decent. Once again, Allice helped Ash to his feet and with the priests help started to move him toward the tent.

  Suddenly one of the demons landed in front of the three. Allice let out a gasp of fear and tightened her hold on Ash.

  Ash still gripped his sword in his hand, but didn’t have the streng
th left in his body to strike at the demon in front of him. All he could do was calmly wait for death. Surprisingly, the final blow never descended and instead the demon went down to a knee and deeply bowed to Ash. “My Lord, we have come to find you.”

  Ash pushed Allice and the priest away and took an unsteady step forward. “You have come for me…Why?” Ash asked more than a little confused at the current development.

  “You are our new Lord,” the demon said without a hint of ridicule in his voice.

  “I see,” Ash said before his vision started to blur and he was carried into unconsciousness as the last of his stamina was depleted.

  Demon's Heritage #8-11

  When Ash’s eyes opened he found himself in a large room laying on top of a soft bed. He tried to sit up, but his whole body ached. “Allice,” Ash called out worried.

  “My Lord, are you awake?” a soft alluring voice said.

  Sitting up slightly, Ash saw a tall woman with long flowing black hair and deep black eyes. Other than the large wings that sprouted from her back and the thin forked tail that swayed silently behind her, Ash would have believed that she was human. “Where is Allice?” Ash asked the only thought in his mind currently was for the young slave girl.

  “The young lady that accompanied the great lord is currently resting within her own apartments,” the woman said with a warm smile. “She was quite hesitant to leave your side and even demanded the commander general to take her along. It took a lot of convincing to have her leave your side so that you may rest.”

  Hearing that Allice was safe, Ash let out a relieved sigh. “Where am I?”

  “You are currently in your castle my lord,” the woman said as she handed him a glass of cold water. “I am guessing that you are confused about the current circumstances, but I will shortly call the sage. I am sure that he will be able to answer all your questions my lord.”

  Ash remained silent and quietly looked around while he was served a small feast. After he had eaten his fill, the woman took the empty tray and bowed to him the quickly left the room.

  The place he was currently at was far larger than even Emelia room. The bed he was on alone could easily fit ten people, if not more. It had a canopy that was lined with golden colored drapes. Before Ash had a chance to fully appreciate his surroundings, the door to the room opened again.

  The sage was tall, standing a little over eight feet. His face was flat and had a snakelike look to it. His eyes were slightly oval in shape with slit pupils. His skin was made of dark green scales. “My Lord, I am here to answer any of your questions. First off, I am the royal sage, Salvaren. May I ask if you have any dire questions that I may answer first?”

  “Can you start at the beginning?” Ash asked, his head swarming with too many questions to voice.

  “Certainty my Lord,” the sage said bowing. “Having grown up in the human lands I am guessing that you have only learned their warped version of history. First off, while we are called demons, even among our own kind the truth is a little different. We are not like the lower demons that cover the lands, no more than the people of the beast tribes are like the wild animals that roam the forests.”

  “Each race has its own characteristics and among the races, the demon and beast clan are the most diverse. The demon clan has a total of forty-two noble clans and many lesser clans. At the top of those clans is the royal clan. The highest position is the Maoh, also called by many as the demon lord. Whenever the previous Maoh dies, a new one is selected. Throughout history so far, it has been one of the previous Maoh’s direct descendants that have been chosen, but this time it seems it was you.”

  “When the Maoh dies. I thought that demons were immortal?” Ash asked as he tried to wrap his mind about what he was being told.

  “If you ask if we can die from old age then no, we can’t, but we can still die. Everlasting life is not a great honor. The longer one lives, the more of a burden that it can become. The previous Maoh’s son died due to a rare illness and he wished to follow so he accepted the call of the gods. Shortly after he died, we started to feel your presence. When it became strong enough, we dispatched the royal army to bring you here.”

  “I still don’t really understand what is going on. I am happy that I was saved, but everything just seems so…Well, too good to be true.”

  “Do you know how demons were created?”

  “I figured the same way the other races were created,” Ash replied.

  “Well, not the same way that the three great races were created. Humans, elves, and dwarves were created by the gods. The demon and beast tribe were created by humans.”

  “Created…Created how?”

  “With forbidden magic. Well at the time it wasn’t forbidden, but what they were doing didn’t agree with the God of Creation and in the end he sent his knights to destroy the mages that created us. They were trying to make the prefect soldiers by mixing strong warriors with creatures that had abilities that were useful in battle. The beast tribe was created first, but they found them hard to control. When they created us, they forced a connection between all demons linking us to one demon that they could use to control us and send orders. That was the first Maoh. The connection was made through spiritual magic and has continued to pass down generation after generation. After the mages that made us were killed, the god’s emissary’s set us free, but we had no purpose. The second Maoh brought us to this land and we started a friendly relationship with the humans.”

  “We would help the king of the neighboring kingdom wage war. It was what we were bred for, but after hundreds of years of war there was nothing left to conquer. It was at this time, the human kingdom turned on us. They had seen out power and feared that with nothing else to fight we would turn on them. We were strong, but we were still in our youth as a people. In the end, we collapsed the mountain and hid ourselves away from the world.”

  “What about the people born with demon blood. I know that demons cross over and attack human lands,” Ash said as he thought about the number of people he had met with mixed blood.

  “Just like with humans, there are demons who are both good and evil. At times, demons who are no longer content to hide away cross the border. The previous Maoh did not discourage this because it caused fear among the other races. I know that you have human blood, but be aware that there are still many demons who hate humans. They have never forgot that it was the humans that betrayed us.”

  “I understand,” Ash said. “What will they think about me being the next Maoh?”

  “They will think that you are the Maoh. As I said, we have to listen to the Maoh. The magic used on us was much like that used on slaves, but much stronger. Most the time the slave brand is bonded to a person, but in our case it was made to a blood ability.”

  “Blood ability, I have heard about that but I am not sure what it is.”

  “A blood ability is an ability that is passed down from generation to generation. It is a unique ability and at most, only two people at a time can hold the ability. I can’t tell you where the abilities originally came from or how the mages gave it to the first Maoh. That is knowledge is beyond me. I do know that all the demon clans have a blood ability that is passed down, though I can’t tell you what half of them do without looking it up. There are just too many.”

  “What ability is it?” Ash asked leaning forward on the bed.

  “Demon Absorption.”

  Ash had a thousand questions still bussing through his mind but all of them well silent when he heard what the sage had said. True among his many abilities, Demon Absorption was the strongest, but from what he had just heard, it had been around far longer than he had. It was also a manufactured ability and not one granted by the gods or from normal monsters. He had read of nothing that could make an ability and if there was a way, why hadn’t they made more of them. The sage had already said he had no information so it was pointless to ask.

  “What am I supposed to do as the Maoh?” Ash asked as he tried t
o digest what he had already learned.

  “There is not much for you to really do as the Maoh unless there is a war. The main reason that we brought you here was that so you could go through the inheritance ritual. After that, I would suggest you go through the normal training to strength your abilities, but that will be up to you.”

  “So there are no real duties to being a Maoh?”

  “Not really. The clans each control a section of the country, much in the same way the human nobles do. Every so often there is a war between the clans, but as long as they keep it within reason there is no reason for the Maoh to interfere. We have been cut off from the outside world for so long that there is little else to do.”

  “Sounds easy enough,” Ash said skeptically. “What is the inheritance ritual that you were talking about earlier?”

  The sage looked at the ceiling then let out a long breath. “As I told you, the mages used spirit magic to link all demon bloodlines to the blood ability Demon Absorption. Whenever a Maoh dies, we can feel the next inheritor. It calls to us and until they go through the inheritance ritual, we continue to feel that call. Each day it gets slightly louder and we can see the inheritor more clearly. It can be almost maddening. The inheritance ritual is simple enough, you just have to wear the crown that has been passed down and have it bonded to you. In the past, the new Maoh had to bond with each demon, but we learned that we could use the same method that the humans did for their guilds. When each child is born, they are bonded to a plate that records their clan and is thus bonded to the crown. Now instead of months, it only takes a few moments to link all the demons to the new Maoh.”

  “When will we do this ritual?”

  “If there are no problems my Lord, we would like to do it tomorrow. Most the time, the ritual is done four to five days after the passing of the previous Maoh, but that amount of time has already passed and the calling is getting stronger with each passing moment. If we let it go on too long, I would fear the consequences.”