by K R Leikvoll
“Enough! Bite your hypocritical tongue!”
“Because you love him, Lazarus. The bond has nothing to do with your inability to destroy him. I have never felt near the love you endure for him, despite the fact that you disguise your feelings as hatred. And if I know this, an idiot and a hypocrite, then he most certainly does as well. If you believe he won’t be prepared when he notices us detached, you’ll be dead before the Divinus.”
Crimson light surrounded us with the fury I felt at his words. It was the horrible truth I fought so hard to ignore: I did love Vincent. I still do. I will, likely forever.
I bit my thumb and pressed it to him faster than he could dodge. I channeled a curse in my fit, one similar to Cyndre’s. It was done in the heat of the moment, fueled by my unspoken desires. He was marked to transform into a lesser demon. I did not know how long it would take, but if he disturbed my peace or plans, it would trigger beforehand. I would not have to kill him, then. It was cowardly, but I hardly care.
All that has ever mattered was keeping myself comfortable during this painful existence.
I left Varnoc to return to my room for more privacy than what the deck would offer. I had to conceal my loathsome emotions from all. Did Vince really have the intuition to protect himself from the spell I cast that day? I cursed immediately at the thought. Of course, he did. This was the first demon, the incarnate of Azotl and the Traitor King I was bonded to.
I curled into a ball on the bed I hardly used. All I suffered through was hatred, pain, fear, and spite – the content bliss of my paradise was lost once I left. Since the beginning of my demonic life, I had been damned to never experience pleasantries again. Was there truth in the Void Lords’ promises? Did my Master know something that discredited them that he did not wish to share? What if I was doing everything for nothing, in reality? If I could not recall those emotions I longed to feel again, nor my homeland I wished to occupy, how could I possibly make it back to that place?
I had never been to Naadea.
Our fleet arrived from the north, with the full might of the Duskwraith regime. There was no way of transporting most of the Infernal Army, thus they kept guard over our continent in my absence. Only a flock of fiends flew above in the skies over our ships, letting out spine-tingling screeches of hunger. I was somewhat relieved I hadn’t followed my instincts to turn every mortal in Duskwraith into a demon. It would come eventually, but they were spared for now, while they still had a use.
One of the plague devices had detonated as intended; likely the one meant for the Capitol rather than the other two. It was different from the one in Kaza’mae, but the sooty, black veil in the sky was the same. While the one in Kaeda was geared toward the Kaz’moran and Evyans, this one was designed for the simple task of extermination. Only one device of three was all it took to decimate what land I could see from the ship. Life from the Himmelish border to the Luxian Capitol was non-existent. Even the watch posts were abandoned. They would not know we were there until the siege began.
When we were in the proper position, we waited patiently for my Master to make an appearance, and what a grand appearance it was. Levia was always a sight to behold. She flew over our command ship, allowing Vince to leap from the sky to join us. The moment he left her back, she rose above the black cloudline, out of sight.
He was wearing his armor, which I had yet to see before. It was the deepest shade of onyx, sharp and clawed like it was created with dragons in mind. It was far more intricate than any other suit that existed on Praetis, and that is an undeniable fact. I could not determine its origin of creation, as no notable details gave away a specific race.
“The time has come… Lux falls with their Capitol and Queen this day,” Vincent began, once we were all in attendance (save Varnoc lest Vince notice what I did). “Where is Guinevere?”
She approached him with a stone cold stare. She did not want to feel fear, but it was futile when Vince gestured to a few crew members. They brought forward a crate – it was similar in size to the one I had been placed in a while back.
“My sister has volunteered to lure Maundrell away from the Capitol,” he told us, smirking at her horror. He pulled her closer and entrapped her wrists in metal shackles.
She started to struggle when he heaved her near the box, shrieking, “No!” repeatedly, though she knew it was no use. In spite of everything I had witnessed and committed, I still felt uneasy near the crate. Vince had little trouble shoving her inside and clasping it with magical locks.
“I hope that Maundrell chooses not to spare you,” he called to her through her encasing. “I want you to rot on the bottom of the ocean until there’s nothing left of you but bones.”
The dockhands worked to wrap the box in chains while we watched. Though it was a vital part of our plan to eliminate Maundrell from the bulk of the battle, the action still felt like a threat. Vince could place any of us into any sort of horrific situation at any time. Everyone knew that very well at the moment.
“Lazarus, my beloved,” he turned his attention to me, and I tried to stand up straight and remain emotionless. “We will take her to the Eastern Naadean Sea and drop her in the trenches. You will wait on the coastline for Maundrell to come. Delay him from reaching us.”
“I should be in the assault, not dueling Maundrell on the other side of the country,” I replied through my teeth. “Devith will hold him off after we’ve made contact. It makes no sense to waste my time.”
“We need to get the shard back,” Vince demanded in turn. “If you trust such a task with this failure, then that is your own mistake.”
“Maundrell has no choice but to face us someday – doing the most damage to the Capitol is a better idea.”
“Don’t doubt me,” Devith added after my statement. Vince looked her over in a method that disgusted me like she was more of a broken object than a being suffering through more pain than he could ever understand.
“Very well. Prove me wrong, little one. Bring me Famine and his head, and I will relieve you of your suffering.”
“You can do that?” she asked with wide eyes, startled. “You can make this end?”
“I can do anything,” he replied before planting his lips on her forehead and kissing her. “Now… shut your mouth and let me finish.”
Devith shot me a look, as did Raven. Both for their own reasons. Devith believed him and was prepared to do all she could to free herself. I wanted to tell her the only method I knew involved her being relieved through death, but I could not bring myself to.
Raven, on the other hand, appeared somewhat anxious about our Master’s attitude. We had been on outs after I temporarily spared Varnoc’s life. I explained my intention to turn him into a lesser, as I was still incapable of ending it with a blade. Raven thought my method was flawed and argued that Varnoc was correct in his statement of my inability to destroy our Master. It was the only time my most loyal companion spoke negatively of me. I was not angry with him for it, merely disappointed in myself. I was supposed to be the prophet and the voice of our Gods. I needed to act as such.
“Lazarus will attack the eastern entrance and draw their attention while we dock in the north. Raven will search for the plague devices once we enter the city. It’s a priority to activate them. Once they are – and you will know – we can retreat.”
“Retreat? No… this city must fall, Master,” I demanded, unable to bite my tongue. If it was unsalvageable, it would cripple all of Naadea. The Divinus, regardless of the incarnation, was strong enough to pick up the pieces if we let her. He hadn’t even mentioned taking her head as a goal.
“The plague will destroy everything Levia’s fire doesn’t, beloved. We need not waste our time here – they will rally their surviving forces across the continent if we give them the opportunity to counterattack.” Vince studied each of us until he was satisfied we were compliant with his plans. I intended on searching for Lydris once I entered the city; I cared little if it was against his desires. He knew
I would not listen to him, anyway. “I will meet you on this ship after Raven finishes his task. Don’t bother returning unless you are each victorious. I have no use for the weak.”
Uncomfortably, I held onto my Master’s arm and Devith’s hand. When the ruby serpent flew near us, rocking the ship wildly, we phased onto her back in the form of wispy shadows. Vince had the chains attached to Guinevere’s prison in a tight grasp while it swung underneath us. He rode at the front, with me and Devith behind him. The Kaz’moran had never ridden on such a beast before, and she clawed my flesh in her uneasiness.
With supersonic speed, we shot in the direction of the Eastern Naadean Sea, clear on the other side of the continent. The land was very different from what I was used to. Though it was scarred from the damage of the plague, an abundance of strange woods still stood over a vast portion of the southern lands of Lux. There were many ancient holds and towns entirely deserted. I guessed that the citizens had flocked to the Capitol or borders to avoid getting sick or worse. It made them easy prey to those of us immune.
It took hours to reach the spot Vince had spoken of – the trenches. I clung to him the entire trip, he probably thought from fear, but it was more of simply wanting to have affection where I did not have to deal with him, high above enemy territory. He was such an awful person and his desperate cling to life made me pity him. He had been given nearly ten thousand years! It was hard for me to fathom how he could rationalize needing more.
Devith and I knew we reached the trenches, only a few miles offshore because Vince pulled himself from my arms and stood up. He let go of his hold on the heavy chains and let Guinevere drop into the underwater chasm without as much as a parting glance.
I always wondered what their real issue was with each other. Vince had the authority to kill her and was not bonded with her through the Dark Sacrament, so I am still unsure of why he never killed her before. There must have been something to their relationship none of us knew. Surely Maundrell betraying our coven was not all she had done wrong in my Master’s eyes.
“This is you as well,” Vince said over his shoulder once he was situated. “Remember Devith, if you cannot return with the Dark Essentia and his head, don’t return at all.”
It was his way of saying she needed to die trying.
Without warning, Levia corkscrewed in the air, throwing both me and Devith from her back. Devith braced herself before she hit the water, while I called upon War. Dark, reptilian wings caught me instead of allowing me to plunge into the ocean depths. I had to shake off dizziness and avoid nearly being knocked out of the air by Levia as she flew past us. Vince shot me a loathsome glare I couldn’t miss until they disappeared above the black veil.
“Lazarus!” Devith’s small voice called from below me.
She was disgruntled to be wet and perhaps slightly injured from the fall. I glided near her outstretched wrist and caught her, pulling her with me to the shoreline. While I landed nimbly on the balls of my feet, she fought with the ocean to crawl to safety where I released her. Her lack of height and girth did not stop her remotely, though. I am sure her appearance played in her favor quite often. It was easy to underestimate her until you saw her manipulating the dead or running at you with a blade.
I gave her a few drops of my blood in hopes it would restore her. She was able to stand afterward, but she remained slightly out of breath. Losing Sendrys and Fevith did more to her than I originally thought, despite her decrepit state. She could feel her chance for revenge on the horizon and it gave her the strength to push through anything sent her way.
I suppose I pitied her because I saw my future in her.
And so we waited on the beach, for anything that might decide to show.
Devith spent the time sharpening her knives while I was in a deep, meditative state. I was reaching out to Naazvaba and the Void, seeking answers to help calm my consciousness from all that had been bothering me. To my dismay, the only image to grace me was that of Treachery.
The icy numbness was all around me, even in life. My promised paradise was becoming harder to picture. Evya was covered in the dead and flames every time I thought of it. My companion awaiting me had the darkest eyes and most malicious smile. Any dreamland I tried to create was corrupted immediately. It was more soothing to picture the nothingness of the Vast Dark than living out fantasies that had transformed into nightmares.
Finally, after I tried for far too long to strain on my destroyed memories, I stood and watched the horizon. Azra and Asinea were much the same in Naadea as they were in Kaeda, helping me feel more at home in my enemy’s territory. It was so absorbing, I hardly noticed that we were being joined by another presence.
“He’s coming,” Devith hissed.
I gestured for her to hide in the tree lining, as she was correct. I could see his scarlet form flying through the forest… even the shadowy mark on his chest where Famine had joined with his heart. To my utter confusion, however, I could not sense Famine despite how near it was. I had never encountered someone smothering the Dark Essentia’s nature before, and it blinded me to its location outside of regular demonic sight. I could recite the area Raven waited to sneak into the city; Vince was, alarmingly, inside the city somehow. Yet as I stated, I was blind to Sendrys’ old weapon.
I turned back to the sea and paid my silent respects to Guinevere. I was unsure if Maundrell would save her, and I imagined she was in some sort of horrid hell beneath the waves. Would the Void judge her as a traitor? It was up to Lord Baelarius. She had never betrayed me, but I knew little of her life. A shame, too. I always felt we had much in common; foremost the feeling of constant unrequited love. Love that could kill.
The muffled thud of someone landing in the sand a few feet behind me drew my attention back to everything outside my thoughts. I took my time facing my newest foe. I was apprehensive, as I could feel commendable power radiating from his being before I even laid eyes on him. And after I did, I was met with far more than I expected.
Kirin Maundrell, first and foremost, was far taller than anyone I had come into contact with, save Lilith. He was easily twice my size – he could even make Varnoc and James appear like ordinary men. It was difficult to tell exactly what sort of mix of races he was based on appearances alone. He had a rather narrow face, with a long pointed nose, framed by jet black hair that hung past his shoulder blades. His skin was ashen and slightly gray like he was part Femoran. The most peculiar aspect about him were his eyes. Though they were sunken like he was starved, causing his cheekbones to protrude, they were rather otherworldly. They were white silver, glowing unlike any other demons I knew.
He held Famine in a tensed grip with gloved hands. His clothing was obviously that of someone wealthy, despite his demonic state. He was cloaked in heavy black furs and fit with quality boots and a long, high collared tunic. His brows were furrowed and he appeared unsure of his next move as if he did not know whether or not I was hostile.
“I thought you intended to let her drown,” I said in Luxian, with a muddied accent. He understood me through it, but he did not lower Famine in the slightest. His eyes scanned the ocean before they met mine again.
“Lazarus… the prophet?” he asked in perfect Evyan. His accent was that of A’roha, just like mine. He grew more intriguing by the second.
“None other.”
Famine evaporated, retracting beyond my reach. He clutched his chest when it happened, and kneeled in the sand. It was obvious why it hurt him. He was starving the Shard, horribly so. Though he was a demon, he went through no effort to conceal his fangs like Alexis, nor his energy as I expected he would. He refused himself sacrifice. I was not sure how long it had been going on by looks alone, but at least as long as he held Famine. It had to have been close to a year or more. His celibacy was insanity – certainly something pushed on him by his light-worshipping allies.
“I always knew you’d show,” Maundrell said when he recovered. “After that destruction in Kaeda… it was only a matter o
f time.”
“Are you afraid?”
“Afraid? No.”
“Maybe you should be.”
I walked past him while he watched me carefully as if I might attack. If he wished to remain passive, that was his choice. I had much grander things to attend to; Lydris was somewhere in that forsaken land, hiding away where he thought he was out of reach. Not for long.
“Wait.” His voice was hoarse.
I paused in my walk and peered at him over my shoulder. He was back on his feet, looking worse for wear. Though his physical appearance suggested that he was weak and that he might not be a match for Devith, I knew better. His abstinence from sacrifice had not depleted his strength; rather, I could feel the power within him… more so than my demonic brothers and children. In fact, his source of hatred and turmoil was greater than that of anyone I had met besides myself. It was almost like looking in a mirror.
“If you are the prophet of Naazvaba, then you are the voice of the Void, are you not?
“I am,” I muttered, feigning I did not have time to listen to his ramblings, though I was truly curious what he had to say. I may have even paced a few feet away to give him the illusion I was eager to leave.
“Then it’s your duty to hear all of us, regardless of faction.”
I faced him and gave him my attention with a tired sigh.
“I desire a proposition – a contract.”
“Speak, Maundrell.”
Kirin Maundrell took one giant step in my direction and sank to his knees again. Even kneeling he was only slightly shorter than I stood normally, but it was supposed to be an act of respect regardless. He looked at me, distraught. I could tell he wished to touch me, to connect with me, so he could better understand what I was. It was not often he was near his own kind, after all.
“No more,” he choked out. I was not sure if it was hard to utter those words, or if he was overwhelmed by his losses just like me. “No more of this. No more destruction – this plague will eat Naadea alive. You’ve won. Leave this world alone and move on.”
