Devil Ash Deceit (Devil Ash Saga)

by Olson, Mitchell

  “Has there been a change of plans?” Darko asked, grinning.

  “What do you mean, brother?” Shiva asked. “This is when Phoenix and I recite our private vows. Tradition states that the groom should be the one who goes first,” Shiva said, turning to her husband-to-be in armor.

  She was caught off guard by a sudden punch from her groom. She was surprised and hurt as her husband-to-be’s armored fist slammed into her cheek. As she tumbled to the floor, one word continued to run through her mind: Why?

  She climbed to her feet and addressed her man. “This isn’t the best time for a sparring session, Phoenix…”

  “This isn’t a sparring session,” Darko said stepping forward. “And that isn’t Phoenix.”

  “What do you mean?” Shiva asked, unable to comprehend what was happening. “Phoenix, quit messing around! Why did you hit me?”

  “Because I’m not Phoenix!” said a very feminine voice. ‘Phoenix’ lifted his helmet’s facemask to reveal that ‘he’ was actually a ‘she’.

  “Leona?” Shiva said in disbelief. “You want to marry me?”

  “Bwahahaha!” Dismas burst into laughter. “No, its nothing like that! We’re just here to regretfully inform you that Phoenix couldn’t make it. He had a prior engagement – whoops, what an inappropriate expression given the circumstances!”

  “So the wedding is off?” Shiva asked.

  “The wedding was never on,” Leona replied. “This has all just been one big distraction to catch the Royal Family off guard. Right now, Phoenix and Lionel are on their way to discovering the Royal Family’s darkest secrets.”

  “What!” Shiva said. “What secrets?”

  “It’s not our job to tell you anything about that,” said Dismas. “Our job is just to hold you two here for as long as possible. Oh, and since you’ll no longer be needed in the new regime, we’re allowed to kill you if you get in our way!”

  “Are you stupid? We won’t stand for that!” Shiva barked, standing beside her excited brother.

  “We came prepared to face resistance,” Dismas said. As if to demonstrate that fact, Leona pulled the decorative chains off her suit of armor, revealing them to be much more than just decorations.

  * * * *

  In South Hell, a lone Royal Guard arrived at the watchtower post next to the southern gate. There was already a guard on duty there that stood idly watching the horizon outside of the Kingdom. He allowed a single yawn to escape his mouth as the arriving guard approached him.

  “I’ve come to relieve you,” the arriving guard said.

  “That so?” the other guard asked. “Wait, my shift isn’t over for another hour…”

  The confused guard was then knocked unconscious by a blow to the back of his head from the rebel guard. As the man struggled to stay awake, he saw figures in the distance heading towards the Kingdom walls. He struggled to make sense of what he saw, until the other man threw him over the side of the wall. On the other side of the gate at the other watchtower, another rebel-in-disguise as a Royal Guard soldier was doing the same thing.

  The two rebels, seizing control of the gate, were now free to open the Kingdom to their comrades. In a matter of minutes, the gates were wide open to the charging rebels, all wearing colorful demon masks to hide their faces. Some of the rebels burst in riding atop fast and ferocious demons. They had somehow managed to train the beasts, which resembled giant wolves but with short and stubby legs. The first wave of masked rebels invaded South Hell, inciting panic among the people and forcing the Royal Guard into a conflict that the fate of Hell now rested on.

  * * * *

  Ash followed Aura all the way around the castle, moving down various halls and up and down staircases all in an effort to avoid running into anyone. It took them longer than Ash had hoped, but finally they made it all the way to the basement and past the Royal Guard barracks, to their destination at the entrance to the prison.

  “Why don’t we just go through the door?” Ash asked, seeing no one around to stop them.

  “No way! Think, man! The guard’s not in this room, so that mean he’s probably inside the prison somewhere. That’s why we’ll use the vents and go right over him!” Aura browsed the wall for the telltale crack that opened into a secret hatch. “Grab that ladder, and let’s go!”

  The boys moved the ladder into place and climbed up into the ventilation shaft, which was already in need of another good cleaning. Aura went in first, and Ash shut the hatch behind them. As the boys passed over the first couple of prison cells via the dusty shaft, they missed a key clue that something was not right. A Royal Guard entered the room behind them, followed by two other men.

  “It’s already begun,” said the rebel disguised as a Royal Guard soldier. The rebel-guard opened the prison door, ushering his guests inside. “Hurry! Everything rides on what you may find down there!”

  “Don’t worry,” Lionel said. “We’re just going to have a little look-see! Make sure we secure the castle, and we’ll be right back!”

  “Leave everything to us,” said Phoenix, stepping towards the entrance.

  With that, the two men entered the prison and passed unknowingly right below the two boys, who were also on their way to discovering the secrets hidden within the lowest depths of the prison.

  Chapter Thirty: Rebellion

  Chaos erupted in the streets of South Hell, taking everyone by surprise. Confused civilians fled in terror of the demon-riding rebels. Royal Guards everywhere scrambled to the people’s protection. They hustled to get the citizens safely indoors while a smaller faction engaged the enemy directly. The Royal Guard’s numbers were low, since most of the security focus was on defending the castle.

  The rebel’s demon mounts, monstrous wolves with short stubby legs, fought like land sharks. Their powerful, bared fangs were already at ground level, making it extremely difficult for the Royal Guards to get in close and attack. Not only were they on the run from the demon’s fierce bite, but the rebel riders were also raining down fireballs on everyone.

  “What is going on here?” Captain Meeter of South Hell shouted, arriving on the scene. One of the rebels riding atop his demon spotted the Captain’s distinct spiky armor. The rider decided he liked his odds and steered his demon mount towards Meeter. Only seconds away from a nasty chomping, Captain Meeter leapt upward and planted both his armored boots squarely on the rebel’s chest.

  The rebel rider dropped to the ground underneath Meeter’s feet. “What is the meaning of all this?” Meeter shouted at him. “What do you rebels want?”

  The rebel underfoot strained to lift his head up. “We want… you to…”

  “Speak up!” Meeter yelled, pressing his foot down harder. He should have been watching the rebel’s hands though, as the man reached into his side-pack and pulled out a long length of rope. With one solid throw, the rope extended ten feet and almost straight into the jaw of the rider’s demon mount, also known as a wargi.

  The wargi clamped down on the rope and shook it like a playful dog. The rebel, still holding onto the other end, was subsequently yanked away from Captain Meeter’s clutches. The Captain fell to the ground as the rebel climbed to his feet, jumping back on his mount.

  “We want you to bite the dust! Down with the Satans! Onward to the castle!” The rebel rider and tens of other masked rebel warriors with their own demon wargi mounts took off in the direction of the castle, where more rebels were interrupting the Royal wedding.

  Captain Meeter climbed to his feet quickly and would have pursued the demon riders, but more trouble was on its way. An entire crowd of masked rebels armed with weapons and fireballs marched in from the open gates. Behind them in the distance, a growing crowd of curious demons approached. Meeter gulped, knowing he was in over his head.

  “Attention Royal Guards of South Hell,” Meeter screamed at the top of his lungs. “Defeat the rebels! Do not let them take the castle!”

  * * * *

  Unbeknownst to Captain Meeter and most of
the Royal Guard, the castle had already been taken. Inside the chapel, masked rebel soldiers held the crowd hostage, even going so far as to put a seal on the chapel door to block the exit. The Royal Guards that were posted in the castle now scrambled outside to deal with the invading rebel forces in South Hell. Commander Stryd lay on the ground bleeding, and the situation seemed hopeless to almost everyone.

  “Listen up!” the rebel priest barked at the crowd. “We rebels have captured the Royal Family! Now we control the future of the Kingdom!” The rebel soldiers cheered, while the ‘brave’ Nobles cowered for their lives in the back of the chapel.

  “Aren’t you forgetting about someone?” came a voice from behind the priest. Everyone’s eyes found Wilhelm Satan, who stepped out of hiding among the crowd.

  “Not another step closer, Great Satan,” the priest said. He motioned towards the King, still frozen on the ground with his face twisted in a panicked state of confusion. The movement seal on him guaranteed he’d be stuck like that for hours to come. One of the other rebel soldiers held a blade at his throat. “We have the King at our mercy, so don’t try anything.”

  “Here’s something else to think about,” the rebel priest added. “We have your King, your Prince, and even the Princess. We’ve already won. So why not join our cause and help us to dethrone the Satan family?” He turned to the Nobles, cowering in the back of the room in fear. “I can promise you lot will be the ones to profit most from all of this.”

  While the Nobles tried not to look like they were seriously thinking over the rebel’s proposal, Wilhelm stood bravely as the spokesman for the rest of the room.

  “I will hear out your demands,” Wilhelm said. “My only request is that we do this peacefully from now on. I offer my life in exchange for my son’s, if need be.”

  “My Lord…” Stryd said, still leaking plenty of blood from his wound. “You don’t have to…”

  “As long as no one puts up any resistance, no one has to die,” the rebel priest said, casting an icy stare at the injured Commander leaking blood. “No one else, I mean.”

  “I think everyone can manage that, right?” Wilhelm asked the crowd and received blank stares in return. “Now, if you don’t mind, there is a certain duo in this room I’d like to address before they might act foolishly. Ash and Aura please come forward!”

  No one spoke or moved. A few anxious faces looked around, waiting for the two boys in question to speak up. “Where are Ash and Aura?” Wilhelm said, looking around the room. Amos Draxler turned around and saw someone else sitting in the seat his son had occupied earlier. Amos groaned and stood up. “The boys aren’t here!” he called to Wilhelm.

  “What!” Wilhelm shouted in disbelief. He scoured the crowd around Amos and could not see either of the boys he was expecting to find. This isn’t good, Wilhelm thought. Those two could ruin everything…

  * * * *

  Inside the ceremonial chamber, the scene with the wedding party unfolded. It was the rebel soldiers versus the Royal Family, and both sides were ready for a fight. Leona now brandished the same ball and chain weapon Shiva had encountered in the Hellwood, snuck in as a mere decoration on her fancy armor. She prepared to light the flames in her weapon, but someone coughed loudly for attention.

  “Wait a moment,” Darko said. “This could be fun if we lay down some ground rules to prolong my entertainment.”

  “Like we would obey rules put in place by a monster like you!” Leona said.

  “My rules will only benefit you, servant-wench,” Darko said. “I propose we fight one on one. You two can even fight first. I won’t interrupt.”

  “He’s got to be lying,” Dismas said. “We know he’s insane and we can’t trust him!”

  Darko sat down with legs crossed on the floor. Reaching behind his back, he grabbed the hilt of Infernos and tossed the sword across the room. “Please, begin your battle,” the Prince said with a kidish smirk. “Do try to make it entertaining.”

  “This could actually work to our benefit…” Dismas said. “You can beat up the girl again, and then I’ll take care of the Prince.”

  “Again?” Shiva echoed.

  “Hey Shiva,” Darko called to his sister. “If you can’t beat this chick, you aren’t worth saving. I’ll leave you to die if you’re that weak, got it?”

  “I got it, brother,” Shiva said, standing tall. “There’s just one last thing I need to know, Leona. That rebel I fought in the Hellwood, that was you, right?”

  “I wouldn’t say I fought you,” Leona replied. “It was more like a slaughter.”

  Igniting her weapon’s flames, Leona spun the bolas rapidly above her head. Shiva braced herself for another encounter with the weapon that nearly killed her once already.

  * * * *

  Outside of the chapel, Royal Advisor Goddard von Gosick poked his head out from behind a door to the hall. He’d managed to hide out in one of the private dressing rooms during the initial rebel takeover. He had the good luck to of stepped out of the ceremony at just the right time, avoiding the action entirely. The castle was now eerily quiet and lifeless. The Royal Advisor first tried the door to the chapel.

  Sealed shut, he thought. This isn’t good, the entire Royal Family is in there, along with Commander Stryd! Who knows how many rebels managed to sneak in… But if Darko’s with them, they should all be fine. I need to focus on squashing this uprising before it goes any further!

  Goddard left the chapel doors to gather more data on the situation. Hearing footsteps nearby, he stopped to look around the next corner of the hall. Lumbering towards him was a lone Royal Guard wearing a mask. Is he friend or foe? Goddard wondered. There was only way to find out. The Royal Advisor jumped out from around the corner and addressed the man. “You there! The Royal Family has been taken hostage inside the chapel! Where is your Captain?”

  The masked soldier answered by drawing his sword and charging at Goddard. The Royal Advisor could fight if need be, but only if the situation was equal for both fighters. Against an armored opponent wielding a sword, Goddard knew what his best option was. And so he ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

  He moved back down the hall towards the chapel again. His goal was to make it back to the private dressing rooms and hopefully evade being found again. When he turned the corner he was almost spotted by another man, this time unmistakably a rebel. His back was turned, but he was riding atop a wargi demon that looked like it was having a very challenging time fitting through the castle hall.

  Goddard jumped back behind the corner, managing to not get caught by the rebel-rider. But his pursuer was still after him and could be heard charging down the adjacent hall. The Royal Advisor knew he had to find another way out, but could see no option other than to duck into a storage closet. Inside, the room was dark and he could not get a sense for how big it was.

  His hands fumbled around for a candle on the wall and came across something that felt soft and squishy. The more Goddard poked and pulled on it, the more confused he became. He found a soft crack that he could fit his hands inside. Wiggling his fingers around, he felt something wet and hard.

  “Um…” Goddard whispered awkwardly. “Is my hand inside someone’s mouth?”

  “Mmm-hmm!” came a muffled voice, and Goddard ripped his hand away at once. He had to remind himself not to shout out in surprise and disgust.

  “Why would you stick your fingers in!?” came a familiar voice, whisper-screaming at the Royal Advisor.

  “I’m a scientist! I try to gather as much information as I possibly… wait a minute, is that…? Oh, God!”

  “Yeah, its me,” Gio said. “Suck it up! I hear someone coming!”

  Goddard tried not to throw up as the sound of footsteps came closer. It was the armored rebel pretending to be a Royal Guard, still in hot pursuit of Goddard. He charged right past the storage closet, and after a few minutes of silence the men spoke again.

  “What’s going on out there?” Gio asked.

 
“The rebels are invading the Kingdom,” Goddard whispered. “My team couldn’t find them in time, and now they’re really invading…”

  “Surely Prince Darko will stop them,” Gio said. “Or Lady Shiva. We’ve got more than enough capable fighters to handle a few rebels.”

  “That’s right! Ash and Aura are in there too!”

  * * * *

  Unbeknownst to Goddard and Gio and pretty much everyone else, the two troublesome boys were not in the chapel. Ash and Aura were slowly crawling on their hands and knees through the dirty prison air ducts. They’d only been inside the ducts for twenty minutes, but their progress had been minimal. The ducts were too clogged with dust and grime again already.

  Aura led the way, having to eventually close his eyes to avoid the dust. He wanted desperately to light a tiny fire, just small enough to burn away some of the crud. He resisted though, knowing the fire would spread too quickly and incinerate both him and his friend.

  Ash trailed behind him slowly, regretting their decision to skip out on the rest of the wedding. As he continued crawling forward at a snail’s pace, a clump of dust dropped from a connecting pipe above and landed in Ash’s face.

  “Aaaaachoooo!” Ash sneezed, blowing even more dust into the air. Aura held his breath as the cloud of crud engulfed him. The boy held on as long as he could, but was eventually overcome with the urge to sneeze as well. They both sneezed loudly several more time together.

  “Aura this sucks!” Ash shouted. “Let’s get the hell out of here already!”

  “Okay, okay!” Aura agreed. “I think it’s safe to drop down now. Let’s do it! Where’s the nearest hatch?”

  Their voices traveled through the vents, echoing through not only the prisoner’s cells but also upwards. The air ducts all led through various parts of the castle to bring in air, and as it just so happened one of the pipes near the boys carried their voices all the way up into the storage closet floor vent that Goddard and Gio were standing above.