by J. B. Jenn
Mercea rose. There was a deep anger burning inside of her. Her hands wrapped around the bars so tightly her knuckles turned white.
“Let me out of here!” Mercea growled.
“Tsk. Tsk,” a familiar, annoying voice sounded from just out of sight. When De’Nae stepped in front of the cell, Mercea growled again, noting the unusual deepness to it. It frightened her. “Is that anyway to talk to the woman who did you an enormous favor and gave you life?”
“What?” Mercea asked. This time it was her own voice. “What are you talking about? What did you do?”
De’Nae studied her for a moment. Mercea watched a slow smile parted the woman’s red lips. “It isn’t too surprising you don’t remember.”
“Then tell me!” It seemed with her increasing anger came another voice. It was that voice that scared her. Maybe what she believed to be a nightmare hadn’t been a nightmare. There was something inside of her, changing her. Mercea closed her eyes, fighting back the anger and the hate boiling inside of her.
De’Nae laughed. “You don’t realize it, do you? Or are you just in denial?” Mercea raised one of her thin black brows. “When I placed your hand on the glass globe, you became host for Verite. It won’t be long before you no longer exist. Verite will gain complete control of your body. You and the Gods have lost.”
Mercea paled. Once De’Nae said it, Mercea knew it was true. She knew the demon’s presence was inside of her. She fell to her knees, weeping. She had failed everyone.
By the time she gained her composure, she could feel the hatred burning inside of her again. She could feel Verite trying to break free of the seals the Gods had given to protect her. Somehow, De’Nae had gotten past them. Mercea looked to De’Nae. The woman had to be stopped.
“Once the process is complete, I’ll let you out of there,” De’Nae promised. She stared into Mercea’s golden eyes, flecked with green. “Before then, I’m afraid it would be too dangerous to me.”
Mercea watched her walk out of sight. For several moments after she could no longer hear her, she stood there, contemplating the idea that had come to her. She didn’t like what she had to do to accomplish it, but it had to be done if Ogden and the others stood a chance. De’Nae was too dangerous to be left alive. She didn’t think the others could handle the woman. If De’Nae could get through a Servant’s defenses, she knew Ogden would fail.
Her hands wrapped around the bars again. She had to get to De’Nae before it was too late. She knew there might not be a way for her to control it, but if she could reach De’Nae before then, it could be worth it. Either way, it was only a matter of time before Verite tore control from her.
Taking in a deep breath, she allowed the strength of the demon inside of her. He threatened to take complete possession of her. Mercea gasped. It was a struggle to keep him at bay. With what she allowed him, her hands started to burn hotter and hotter. She watched, distantly, as the bars started to glow. She bent them aside and stepped through. The barrier only affected the Servant side of her. Not the demon.
Mercea walked through the palace. She didn’t bother trying to hide. The demons roaming the halls seemed to sense the change in her. They stopped and stared at her until she was out of sight.
She climbed the marble steps to the center of the palace. Opening the door slightly, she peered inside. She stood there for several moments watching De’Nae who was kneeled in front of her dead husband. Mercea wondered if the woman even grieved over the fact she had killed him.
Verite was pushing her inside, wanting the woman dead as well. It was probably the only reason he was cooperating at the moment and not fighting her so hard. The fight would come after De’Nae lay dead at their feet. Despite knowing this, Mercea stepped inside.
Still, De’Nae didn’t move. Mercea waited for several moments, staring coldly at the woman. De’Nae was stroking her dead husband’s face, wearing a sad smile. She wasn’t certain if the woman knew she was there.
“I’m sorry it had to be this way, Barend,” she whispered. “Wherever you are, I hope you can forgive me.”
Before she had time to consider how to approach De’Nae, Verite broke through. He marched across the room. Mercea’s hand wrapped around De’Nae’s throat. The scream that started was cut short.
Mercea had wanted to question the woman. She wanted to find out how she had broken through the Gods protection. There were so many other questions, too. She never had a chance to question her though as Verite was in more control than she was.
As De’Nae’s life passed, making her body go limp, Mercea struggled to gain control back. De’Nae crumpled at her feet. Verite forced Mercea to look down at the woman’s body.
This is what will happen to all your friends.
Zavad
He walked along the streets of Lovic. He needed to clear his mind. His men were at war and he was here at the palace. There were reports of demons getting through and turning people into those monsters. Gray and the others along the border had managed to stop most of them. Still, some had gotten through.
Zavad looked toward the palace and gave a small smile. The only good that came of this was he could be here with Balla. She was worried about him. She never said anything, but it was evident in the way she stared at him. He wished he could reassure her and cause her less stress during the pregnancy, but he was worried. His men were out there fighting demons.
He heard shouting coming from the north part of the city. He ran forward, knowing his guards would follow. As they drew nearer, they could hear more screams. Rounding a corner, Zavad skidded to a stop, staring at the ugly creatures. Their skin ranged in different tones; blue, black, red, brown, and differed in texture. Zavad paused at the sight.
His hesitation cost a young child her life. As she fled toward them, one of the monsters wrapped his long, horned tail around her, piercing her small body, and pulled her back. With razor sharp teeth, he bit into her neck, tearing a large chunk out of it. Blood poured down the creature’s brown mouth and dripped onto the pavement below. Zavad watched in horror as the monster tossed the small girl aside. It swallowed the piece of flesh he had torn from her.
Zavad grabbed his sword and led the charge. He engaged the demon. His sword twirled. As his sword snaked in, the demon kept blocking his thrusts. Zavad was growing more and more desperate.
All it took was one glance at the little girl to fuel him, knowing there would be more deaths if they didn’t stop them. His attacks quickened. The demon was hard pressed in keeping up.
There was an opening. Zavad had already started to swing when he saw it. He dropped to one knee and released his sword. Grabbing the dagger at his side, he struck upward with it. The blade tore a large jagged line from the demon’s abdomen down the length of its leg. The demon stumbled back. Zavad rose, grabbing his sword from the ground, and drove it into the demon’s throat.
All around him, the others were fighting. Two of his guard detail had already fallen. By the time it was over, three of his men were dead, and five were wounded. Zavad looked toward his soldiers. He couldn’t believe a group of those abominations had made it to Lovic.
“Double the guard. I don’t want to lose any more people here. Send word to the other towns and alert them to possible attacks. Tell them the capital was attacked,” he said, surprising himself with how even his voice was. Zavad looked toward the dead child again. Tears filled his eyes. He blinked them back. “No one is safe,” he whispered.
As his eyes were locked onto the child, he felt as if they were doomed. If these demons couldn’t distinguish life between an adult and a child, then there was no hope in ever understanding them.
“I’m returning to the palace.” He didn’t want to burden his wife with this, but he knew when she found out, she would be furious he hadn’t told her. Several of the soldiers bowed to him. He hesitated.
“Be sure to bring the bodies to the palace for an honorary burial. Any man, woman, or child who falls in this war will have a proper burial at the kingdom’s expense.�
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Maik
After a few small fights with demons, they had finally made it to Dawn Stone. His scouts informed him the army from Yul was right on schedule. Any day, they’d find themselves fighting the demon horde and attempting to enter the palace.
As he stood there in deep thought, staring at the dark palace, his soldiers were preparing camp. He wanted to attack now, but he and the army from Yul had to coordinate.
“Sir,” one of the scouts said, approaching him.
Maik frowned, noting the concern across the man’s face. “Bad news?”
“I don’t know, your Majesty. There’s an army coming up behind us. They’re less than a week away.”
“Behind us?” Maik furrowed his brow. “Were you close enough to see if they were humans or demons?”
“Humans, your Majesty.”
“Send a unit their way, ask what their intentions are. It could be Mercea succeeded and has arrived just in time.”
Maik took in a deep breath as the man left. Hopefully, they would return to them with good news. They had enough problems with some of the army already planning on betraying them. It wasn’t a certainty, but as more and more time had passed, the more uneasy he had become about them. He even noticed Ogden staring at the men from time to time. It was as if he was attempting to figure out which ones would turn against them.
“What was that about?” Ogden asked, interrupting his thoughts.
“There’s been a new development,” Maik answered. “Another army has come up from behind us. We don’t know if they’re friendly or not. The only thing we know is it isn’t demons. It could be Mercea.”
“What do you plan to do about them if they aren’t friendly?”
“There isn’t a lot we can do. We could divide the army. That’s only going to weaken us against attacking Dawn Stone, more so than the traitors among the army. However, if we ignore the army behind us, it could mean the death of us anyway.”
“I’m going to investigate the army myself. It won’t take me long to get there and back. I should be back by tomorrow. Trust me.”
“I do. Good luck.”
Trester
There was an army in the distance. They had gone in a northeast direction, cutting through the Desert. As the army’s position was to the south of Dawn Stone, he knew it was the one from Yul.
Without having to see them, he knew the Desert army was somewhere close. It seemed Hartland had come together to fight back this evil, just as he had thought they would. He had always relied on his instincts. Even now, they had served him well.
As they drew nearer and nearer to the army, he knew he’d have to identify themselves before it was too late and they found themselves being attacked. He was actually surprised Querra wasn’t next to him, telling him the same thing as if he were clueless. He wondered if she actually viewed him that way or if she was a woman who enjoyed being in control of everything.
Trester turned to Henter and Galtrand. “Gather some soldiers. We’re going to the army, flying white to let them know we aren’t enemies.”
“Let me do this, your Majesty,” Galtrand said quickly. “There is no need to put yourself in danger.”
“Nonsense. I’m going. End of discussion.”
Galtrand left to gather some men. Trester’s eyes strayed to the army camped ahead, wondering why they hadn’t seen anyone approaching yet.
When Galtrand returned, Trester took note Querra was among the soldiers. He couldn’t help but sigh. He should have known the woman would come. Querra couldn’t stay out of anything. Trester met her eyes. She smirked at him.
It didn’t take long before a group from the other army broke off and met them. A tall, younger man stared at them with uncertainty. It was the older man who interested Trester. He knew this man. He couldn’t forget such a heavily lined face. The older man raised his brow at seeing him, but said nothing.
“Lord Osrin,” Trester said, giving a friendly nod to the man, despite him being one of the men in his father’s council who had insisted on his banishment.
“Trester.”
“That’s your Majesty,” Henter stated, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword. Lord Osrin looked to Trester with surprise. “He is King of Cascade and you will treat him with respect.”
“How is that possible? I thought Janessa was queen.”
Trester lowered his eyes. “She’s dead,” he said. “Queen De’Nae killed her. For some reason she didn’t want any of the Stones alive. She attempted to kill me, too but failed.”
“Forgive me,” Lord Osrin said. His angry face was now somber. Silence passed between them for several moments. “I gather you’re here to help, your Majesty?” he asked, giving a small bow.
Trester allowed his gaze to sweep the army of Yul. There were more here than he had expected. “Yes.”
Arem
Dawn Stone was right in front of them. Changing the outcome of the entire war was within reach. There were demons everywhere. They patrolled the entire area around the palace. A few of the demon units had already been killed. He knew if too many patrols went missing, an investigation would follow. More and more demons would flood toward them until they were completely overwhelmed. Arem refused to let it happen. They had to find a way into the palace and end De’Nae’s life before any of this got worse.
Arem looked toward Relyck who appeared just as nervous as he felt. Despite his magic, Arem was fearful about trying to enter Dawn Stone through a horde of demons. He was certain he could conceal himself and a few others, but he couldn’t everyone. That was the problem. Those left behind would no doubt die. Arem took in a deep breath before he looked toward everyone once again. Regret shined in his eyes.
“Here’s the dilemma,” Arem whispered. “I can only conceal myself and two others to get inside. The rest of you have a choice of staying here and doing what you can against the demons or turning back. No one will blame you for turning away. Staying will be suicide.”
“Who are you taking?” one of the men asked. “From what I see, either way is a suicide mission.”
Arem wished he knew the man’s name, but he hadn’t bothered learning them. They were here to protect him. They were tools. If he learned their names, it became personal.
“Relyck for certain and whoever else he chooses. He knows you better than I do.”
Relyck looked toward him with a sickened expression, not wanting to make the choice. He turned to his men with a heavy sigh.
“I’m sorry it has come to this. I wish we could all go, but without you, we would have never made it so far. Thank you for your bravery and for your swords.” He studied them for a while more before he made his choice. Arem watched the soldiers shift. “Garren, you’re coming with us. The rest of you may leave or stay. The choice is entirely yours. I won’t make it for you. No one will judge you.”
“We’re staying,” two of them said at the same time.
“If there’s even a chance at distracting some of those monsters from you, it’ll be worth it. We all want this to end. Hartland wants it to end. Too many have died or… or suffered worse fates.”
Arem nodded his gratitude to each of them. He looked toward Relyck and Garren. “Come on. We have to move now. The sooner we get this done, the better.”
Relyck nodded, though he glanced at the demons with fear. Arem hardly blamed him. He was certain he appeared scared as well. His heart certainly told him he was.
With each step, growing closer and closer to the palace, he had to steady himself. There were demons everywhere. So far, his magic had concealed them from their presence. Garren stopped breathing several times as some of the demons strayed a little too close. It was as if the man thought he would doom them if the demon could hear him breathing over their own raucous breath.
Anxiety was evident in their faces as they were pressed up against the palace’s walls. At least they had made it this far.
“This is the difficult part,” Arem whispered, after studying the area. Both men looked
toward him. “We’re going right through the front door. I have to warn you, there are measures De’Nae could have taken, which could reveal us. It’s risky.”
“Isn’t this entire thing risky?” Relyck asked. “Let’s go and see what happens.”
The three of them kept close to the palace wall. The front door to the palace opened. Twenty demons were leaving. They bounded up the steps alongside the departing demons and entered the palace. The large door slammed shut behind them.
The entry hall was empty and dark. There was no sign of any humans. Usually there were servants waiting to greet visitors upon arriving. There weren’t any demons either.
Now, all they had to do was find the wytch and kill her.
Ogden
He and Purity made their way to the army coming up behind King Maik’s. He knew Mercea was not among them. Something had happened to her. He could feel it. She was in Dawn Stone. The closer they had come to the palace, the stronger the feeling she was inside the palace grew.
When Purity skidded to a stop just outside of the army, Ogden patted her side affectionately. She disappeared the moment he started toward the camp. A unit of soldiers rushed out to him. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t expected.
He stopped where he was, folded his hands in front of him and waited. Their swords were drawn, but hesitation sat in their faces.
Ogden met them with a small smile. “I must speak to your king,” he said calmly.
One of the soldiers snorted. “I don’t think so. No one just speaks to the king.”
“I’m not asking. I’m demanding it. Politely.” He watched the men look between each other before offering an explanation. “I am a Servant of the Gods and must speak with him. If you do not comply, the army that is waiting to attack Dawn Stone will be forced to turn and attack you instead. We cannot allow failure and if your intentions are hostile, we must address them.”
“Follow me,” the man grumbled.
Ogden nodded. The tent the king was staying in looked like all the others. The man told him to wait outside while he informed the king he was here. Time seemed to pass slowly as he stood there, hands folded in front of him, staring at the barren land. When the tent flap opened again and the young soldier motioned for him to come inside, Ogden did as he was told. The man inside offered him a seat.
