Devil Ash Deceit (Devil Ash Saga)

by Olson, Mitchell

  “They hurt Shiva. That’s enough of a reason for me not to like them.”

  “Fine, fine,” said Aura. “We’ll just let them take out Darko and the King for us, and then we’ll stop them.”

  * * * *

  The boys crashed hard in their own beds that night, happy to be home. They slept soundly until the formation of the next morning sun lit their room. Ash struggled to open his eyes and sit up while Aura continued to doze. The boy knew he couldn’t waste an opportunity to get to the bathroom first, and did just that.

  When the boys were up and dressed, ready to return to their daily training routine, Ash swung the door open to a familiar face blocking their path.

  “Ash! What a lovely coincidence seeing you here!” said Gio, clutching Ash by his shoulders.

  “You’re standing in front of my door. That’s not very coincidental at all, Gio,” Ash replied.

  “Yes, well, actually I did have a matter to discuss with you,” Gio said. “I was hoping you could put in the good word with Lady Shiva for me.”

  “What’s he talking about?” Aura said, still half-asleep but perfectly groomed.

  “What are you talking about, Gio?” Ash asked.

  “I would like to design her wedding dress, of course!” Gio said.

  “Whoa, keep it down!” Ash said. “How did you find out about the wedding?”

  Gio laughed. “You can’t be serious! You’re her friends and you don’t even know yet? Well, I hate for you to find out this way, but I guess you should see the morning paper…” Gio reached into his back pocket and pulled out a rolled up newspaper. He unrolled the paper and handed it to the boy.

  The headline read: SHIVA SATAN TO WED PHOENIX DAWNFALL

  Chapter Twenty-One: Everything Changes

  The boys were shocked to discover the entire Kingdom would now be aware of the upcoming Royal wedding. Ash feared the worst for his friend, knowing she would likely hate all the attention she’d soon be getting.

  “Whoa! So soon?” said Ash, glossing over the article.

  “Damn it! How did those noble bastards find out about the wedding so fast? I was going to sell them the information later!”

  “Aura!” Ash said, shocked about his friend’s scheme.

  “What?” Aura defended himself. “Everyone’s going to find out sooner or later. Why not make a little money off those stupid nobles from it?”

  “Because she’s our friend and we don’t want to ruin her life!”

  “Well it doesn’t matter now cause someone beat me to it.”

  “So, will you tell Lady Shiva for me, or will I have to seek her out myself?” Gio asked, crossing his arms and tapping his foot.

  “I tell you what,” said Ash. “I’ll ask her about the dress if you do something for me in return.”

  “Let’s make a deal then.”

  “I’d like you to do something to my coat,” Ash said, taking his peacoat off. “Unfortunately, I won’t always have the time to take it off before every battle. Maybe you could do something to make it a little more ‘fight-ready’?”

  “I don’t condone wearing the coat into a fight, but I suppose you have a point. Fine, fine, hand it over.” Ash handed the coat over to Gio. “I’ll see what I can do. But I want an answer about the dress by tomorrow!” Gio took off with Ash’s coat in hand, eager to start sketching out his new wedding dress design.

  “What a fruit loop,” Ash remarked.

  “What’s a fruit loop?” Aura asked as they headed off to the castle.

  * * * *

  Ash and Aura weren’t prepared to battle the crowds at the castle. With the news of the Royal wedding breaking, people were already lining up waiting to get into the courtyard for a chance at getting a glimpse of the Royal couple. The boys had to push their way through the unmoving masses just to make it to the front gate.

  As always when the boys reached the castle entrance the Royal Guards on duty traded smirks and stepped aside for the boys to open the gates themselves. This time Ash and Aura had a plan. Without even looking at the guards, they stepped up to the gate doors and pushed with all their might. The giant metal doors flung open with ease to the surprise of the guards. The boys walked through with smug looks on their faces.

  “Thanks dudes,” said Ash.

  “For all the extra training!” Aura added.

  The Royal Guard jerks stood in shock of the realization that they were indirectly helping their competition grow stronger. Ash and Aura continued on through the mega-busy courtyard, no doubt bustling with news of the Royal wedding. When they finally waded through the crowds of gathering visitors and climbed the stairs up to the main castle gateway, a familiar face was waiting for Ash.

  “Archen?” Ash said. Standing guard at the castle door was the former Commander. Ash had spent some time with in West Hell during the dire fly invasion, and remembered his aging face well.

  “Ah, if it isn’t Ash Kaplan,” Archen said. “Are you going in to the castle?”

  “Yes,” Ash said. “I don’t ever see you posted here.”

  “Ah, the usual guards were all occupied, so I got assigned to this post today,” Archen said. “And death toucher Aura Draxler, it’s nice to officially meet you. I’m sorry I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to you yet. I’m the former Commander of the Royal Guard, Archen Loil.”

  “You’re the Commander Archen?” Aura asked, stunned by his former fame.

  “I am.”

  “Me and Archen were in charge of evacuating everyone in West Hell. While we were working, we got to talking a little and he told me he was in the crowd that day when I kicked Apsat’s butt.”

  “Whoa,” Aura said with stars in his eyes. “You knew Commander Aster too, didn’t you?”

  “I was his best friend till the day he died,” Archen said proudly.

  “I’d love to hear more stories about Aster. We should hang out more.”

  Ash decided to pull Aura out of there before he asked for an autograph or something equally embarrassing. The two boys bid their new friend goodbye, and Archen proudly opened the doors for them to enter the castle. As the doors shut behind them, they heard Archen shout one last thing.

  “Oh, and tell Lady Shiva congratulations from me, will ya?”

  The two followed their usual path through the castle cafeteria, jamming their pockets with food for the day and gulping down anything they could carry in their hands as they went down the buffet. When they’d had their fill, the boys went to the private courtyard. When they arrived at the yard, Phoenix and Shiva were already there along with Leona, Wilhelm, and Goddard.

  “What’s new?” Aura couldn’t help himself from asking the obvious question.

  “Phoenix, would you care to explain it to them?” Goddard asked the man.

  “If you haven’t already seen the morning news paper, last night I received King Satan’s blessings to marry Shiva,” said Phoenix without a trace of anything resembling happiness. Shiva’s face turned redder than her armor.

  “What?”

  “No way.”

  “I know,” said Goddard. “It’s a pain in my rear too. Now I have to throw together a Royal wedding on top of all my other duties! You people will be the death of me.”

  “I plan on making it all up to you. Mr. von Gosick, I’d like to join your team. Together, my wife and I will make it our personal mission to track down and eliminate anyone who opposes the Royal Satan family,” said Phoenix. “With me on your team, we will find the rebels.”

  “I should count myself lucky to employ such a talented scholar. You’re hired,” said Goddard, grinning like he’d come out the winner. “Great, now I’ll be buried in security arrangements with Stryd until the day of the wedding,” Goddard said. He let out a long sigh. “It’s no good! Call it off! I’m against this wedding!”

  “You can’t object just because you don’t wanna do your job!” said Shiva, firing back.

  “If it would please Mr. von Gosick,” Phoenix said, cutting in, “I wo
uld personally help in overseeing the security details of the wedding. It’s the least I could do to ease your hassle. No one deserves that stress more than me.”

  “You’re a kind man, Mr. Dawnfall,” Goddard said with a grin. “Okay, I’m back on board. I approve of your wedding.”

  “Like we needed your permission!” said Shiva.

  “I would like to say something as well,” said Wilhelm. He’d been oddly quiet and distant this whole time. Ash expected the man to be smiling from ear to ear at the news of his granddaughter’s engagement, but the man looked haunted. “I am so proud of my granddaughter. I don’t think she could have picked a better man to marry than Phoenix. I believe the merging of the Satan and Dawnfall families will bring great success to Hell for generations to come. Shiva, Phoenix - I wish you the best.”

  He’s laying it on awfully thick for someone who looks so gloomy, Ash thought. Come to think of it, ever since I saw him arguing with Phoenix before our trip to the Hellwood, Wilhelm has seemed kinda down. He was always smiling and cheerful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him go this long without twirling his mustache.

  “Alright, enough gramps!” Shiva said, turning beet red. “Jeez!”

  Aura’s eyes were not on Shiva, but as usual the boy was focused on the lady servant Leona. He couldn’t see most of her face, hidden by her baggy hood, but he did notice one strange thing about her. She tried hiding it behind her back, but Aura could see. She was clenching her right hand into a fist so tightly that it was shaking.

  Is that jealousy? thought Aura.

  “That’s all the news we have to report,” said Phoenix. “Shiva and I will be very busy working with Goddard and the castle servants to prepare for the wedding, so don’t expect us to make every training session until after the wedding.”

  “Sweet,” Aura said to Ash with a nudge. “That means some days we can skip.”

  “I’ve asked Lord Wilhelm to step in for me and watch over your training until the wedding is over,” Phoenix said. Aura’s head and shoulders sagged with disappointment.

  “Glad to help out in any way I can,” Wilhelm said with a forced smile.

  “Great,” Aura whispered to Ash. “We’re getting stuck with the gloomy old guy!”

  Ash gave Aura a gentle shove to silence him, companied with a glare that screamed “Dude!”

  “I’ll leave them in your care then, Lord Wilhelm. As you know, Shiva and I have to make an appearance at the castle entrance to answer questions,” Phoenix said.

  Shiva groaned. “Do we have to?”

  “Yes,” said Phoenix. “There are many things that we do not like to do, but we must do them anyway. This is one of those things.”

  “Oh, Phoenix,” Wilhelm said. “What training exercise should we do today?”

  “Why don’t you hit them repeatedly until they can use their soul power again?” said Phoenix. He turned away, grabbing Shiva by the wrist. The couple left the yard with the servant girl Leona trailing closely behind.

  “Sounds like a marvelous time, but I have to be off as well,” Goddard said. “From now on, if you two aren’t in here training with Wilhelm you’re going to be out there tracking down those rebels! Have you seen any of the rebel graffiti that’s popping up all over the Kingdom yet? I want them all caught before the wedding!”

  The boys nodded and Goddard took his leave. They had serious doubts about the feasibility of his demands, but didn’t bother to vocalize them.

  With everyone gone, the remaining men got down to business. Wilhelm did his best to put away his sad face for a while and address the boys. “Well boys, how about for our first lesson we play a little game?” he said.

  “We like games,” Ash replied.

  Wilhelm disappeared for a few minutes to retrieve some supplies. When he returned, the old man stood shirtless and blindfolded in the center of the courtyard. Ash and Aura were equipped with wooden training swords, but so was Wilhelm.

  “You sure about this, Wil?” Ash asked.

  “Of course I am. Nothing clears the mind like a little blind swordplay. Now come at me!” he said.

  “Surely he doesn’t really want us to attack him at the same time, right?” Ash asked. “I wouldn’t exactly say he’s at the top of his game currently.”

  “I don’t know man, that guy is freaky strong,” Aura said. “Maybe he really can handle himself against both of us.”

  “Are you boys discussing wedding dresses over there?” Wilhelm asked. “Or were you planning on manning up and showing me what you’ve got?”

  “Screw it,” Aura said. “He asked for it.”

  The death toucher leapt forward, wooden-blade drawn. He attacked the old man from behind, and made no sound as he thrust forward. He thought he was absolutely quiet, but apparently not to Wilhelm. The old Satan spun out of the way and jump-kicked Aura to the ground. The death toucher boy collapsed in an embarrassed heap.

  “I have confirmed,” Aura said, “that he does have some skill.”

  “You may have gotten a little stronger from your trip to the Hellwood, but I’ve made the same trip several times in my life,” Wilhelm gloated. “How about you, Ash? Let’s see what you’ve got now!”

  He seems better now, the boy thought. “Okay, here I go,” Ash said. The boy charged forward with a different approach than his friend. Instead of attacking Wilhelm’s back, Ash circled the man cautiously first. The boy raised his blade slowly, letting out a tiny groan as he moved forward.

  Wilhelm knew at once where the boy was and raised his wooden blade in defense. Ash’s sword met with his and the two were held at a standstill. “Such an obvious direct attack,” Wilhelm said. “Not your most impressive, I’m afraid.”

  “The only reason my attack isn’t impressive is because I’m holding the sword with one hand,” Ash said. “If you weren’t blindfolded, you would see that.”

  “One-handed, you say? So what? Why does that matter?”

  “Because my other hand’s holding a nasty surprise,” said Ash, blasting a small fireball into the old mentor’s side. It was too close of range for him to dodge, and the old man was knocked back.

  “You have improved!” Wilhelm said. “I guess I no longer have to go easy on you!”

  For the rest of the afternoon Wilhelm used his soul power to dodge the boys again and again. They made it to lunchtime and still hadn’t managed to land a single blow on the old man. Disappointed, the boys went to the castle cafeteria for some much needed nourishment. After eating their weight in meat, Ash and Aura followed their ears to the castle entrance. The front doors were left wide open for a change, and the boys stood in the lobby watching the chaotic scene outside.

  On the castle steps, before a packed courtyard, Goddard mediated a formal appearance of the Royal couple. Prince Darko stood next to the couple, his arms crossed in boredom. The King stood a few steps above them all to look taller. With King Al’s smug face looming over them, Shiva and Phoenix stood taking questions from the gathered mob of Royal wedding enthusiasts. The castle courtyard nearly filled to capacity, as more and more curious citizens wandered in. Of the many hands raised in the crowd, Phoenix called on one man near the front to speak up.

  “We hear you’re a very promising scholar, Mr. Dawnfall,” the man said. Phoenix nodded politely and flashed a modest smile. “Is it true you’re also a close friend of Prince Darko?” All eyes in the crowd focused in on the bored Prince.

  “Darko and I go way back,” replied Phoenix. “I consider him a dear friend. He gave me his personal blessings for marrying his sister.”

  The crowd roared with delight and applause. Darko stuck his fingertip inside his ear to clean it out. Phoenix pointed to the next person for their question.

  “This question is for the Royal Advisor,” the gray-haired noble Glebeck said. “Is it true there’s been a spike in rebel activity recently?”

  King Al became flustered. Darko smirked, no longer bored. Shiva looked at the ground, angry with herself for failing to capture th
e rebels she’d already encountered.

  “That’s preposterous!” Goddard replied. “The Royal Guard takes all matters of rebellion very seriously, and works tirelessly every day to stomp out any chance of an insurgent attack. Need I remind everyone the penalty for treason is death? Next question!”

  “Shiva! Pick me!” came a familiar voice from the crowd.

  “Yes, Gio?” Shiva asked with a sigh, pointing to the tailor.

  “Has Ash asked you about your dress yet?”

  “No.”

  “Can I make your dress then?”

  “Knock yourself out.”

  “Woohoo!”

  “So when’s the big day?” someone else shouted.

  “Somebody already asked that!” Shiva snapped. “Pay attention!”

  “We haven’t set a date yet,” said Phoenix.

  “Please let it be soon,” Shiva whispered under her breath. She didn’t actually mean it, but Phoenix heard the comment and decided to make a snap decision.

  “I’ve just made up my mind on the matter. We will be wed by the end of the month,” he announced. The crowd exploded into a frenzy, with more people shouting out their questions. Goddard groaned, not pleased with this new information as it meant he’d have to work overtime throwing together the security and a boatload of other details.

  “That’s one short engagement,” said Aura.

  “I’ll say,” Ash replied. “I wonder what the rush is.” Ash turned to leave, but hesitated. Wilhelm was watching the scene from one of the castle windows. It looked like he’d reverted back to gloomy Wil. When he noticed Ash staring at him, the man put on another smile and waved for Ash to return to the private yard.

  The boys left the mad crowd scene, returning to the private yard where they’d spend the rest of their day swatting at Wilhelm to no avail. Shiva showed up later, but by that time the boys were pooped and ready to call it a day.

  * * * *

  Over the next week Ash noticed a change in the Kingdom of Hell. The buzz about the Royal wedding grew every day. Extravagant banners hung on nearly every building in North Hell with messages of congratulations for the Royal couple. Crimson and dark blue became the most popular colors, for crimson was the apparently the official color of the Royal family and dark blue the color of the Dawnfalls.