The Forgotten Queen

by Matt Glicksman

  "No one is questioning the loyalty or courage of the paladins," Drevarius said. "However, it would make more sense to remain within the walls. Have the other cities send help and attack the demon armies from behind."

  Jak grumbled. "It's at least two days walking from any major city. Small troops could make it within a day by horseback, but they'd have no defense when they met the demon army. It would be suicide."

  "I'm aware of the distance. I've made the walk between here and Royal Oak many times. But if we stay defensive and wear out the demons over the next two days, then our reinforcements will be flanking an exhausted army and cut down whatever is left."

  Yewa agreed with her mage counterpart. "I also favor a defensive strategy. Staying within the walls will make it easier to heal the wounded."

  The king scratched his head. "How many casualties are you expecting to be inside our walls, though? It's my understanding that only a handful of demons are skilled archers."

  "That's true," Jak added. "But the Marksman is more than enough to worry about. He's going to be raining down hundreds of arrows of deceit."

  "So, we make precautions to defend against the arrows," Cato said. "Then what?"

  "Then we wait," Drevarius answered. "Keep an eye on the arrows. Keep an eye out for the Brotherhood. Whittle down the demon numbers from the safety of the walls, and by the time the other cities arrive with help, it'll be an easy victory."

  "There's no such thing as an easy victory," Jak challenged.

  "My apologies, I didn't mean to imply the strategy was perfect or foolproof. You're clearly a more seasoned fighter than I am. Is there another plan we should consider?"

  "It's not a question as to whether the proposed plan would be successful. I agree caution is the best approach, but only because there's too much we don't know."

  "Yes, you've mentioned that already. Anything new to add?" Drevarius asked.

  There was a brief silence before Cato turned to the new Candelux leader. "Prima Mashira, you've been particularly quiet during this discussion. Is there anything you'd like to say?"

  Mashira looked at each of the leaders before addressing the king. "This is exactly what he wants."

  "What who wants?"

  "Verago. He wants us to be scared. He wants us to stay in the city."

  Cato tilted his head. "Are you suggesting we open the gates and charge out?"

  "Not necessarily," Mashira said.

  "I'm not sure I follow then."

  "Verago is calculating. He's a strategist. Since the day he became the Devil, when was the last time he ordered all of his demons to attack anything?" When no one answered, the Prima continued, "Never. He's never grouped them all in one place. He's never let his full strength be known."

  Drevarius groaned. "We've already discussed this, the unknown of a massive demon army."

  "Yes, but you're missing the point. Don't you see what I'm trying to say?"

  "The Devil is not a gambler," Jak said somberly.

  Mashira pointed to the paladin. "Yes, exactly! This isn't a random attack or a test of strength. This is it. This is Verago's attempt to crush humanity, and he thinks he can do it. We stand here, confident that we can hide behind the walls. Don't you think he's thought of that? Don't you think he realizes we'll call for help from the other cities?"

  Drevarius folded his arms across his chest. "So what? Maybe you're right, and he's anticipated every one of our moves. Maybe at the end of the day, Light's Haven will be nothing but a smoldering pile of rubble. How does that change anything? Our goal remains the same. Defend the city and ask for help."

  "I'm just saying everyone fighting needs to keep an open mind. If we insist we're safe behind the walls, that will only breed complacency."

  "And telling everyone we're doomed, because Verago wouldn't attack unless he knew he would win, will only cause panic."

  "I have to agree with High War-mage Drevarius," Jak said. "Retreat is not an option. There's no way we can evacuate the city. We stay within the walls. And even if the battle outcome is bleak, we must keep morale high."

  Mashira frowned. "Is there really no other information? No hint or clue as to what attack might come from inside the walls?"

  "Other than likely being led by the Brotherhood, we have nothing. Our spies can't get past their introductory level. The proof of loyalty is too steep."

  "Right. The binding seeds. Well, there's got to be something we overlooked. Even the smallest detail could be important. We can't just sit back and wait for this to happen to us."

  Jak shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that's all we can do right now. We have no way to get any information on the Brotherhood. For angel's sake, we don't even know what Shinigami looks like, if that's even his real name."

  "What about his second-in-command?" the king asked. "The Sparrow?"

  "Yeah, Cabar. If we could get to him, we might have a chance, but he's just as elusive. They've both evaded us for years. I doubt we'll catch them in the next hour."

  Drevarius looked over at the Prima. "I heard a rumor his daughter's a squire. Maybe she knows something."

  "I know her, and that poor girl has been through enough," Mashira stated. "She's constantly being followed and investigated just because of who her father is. She's never even met him."

  "I'm just trying to consider all the possibilities, like you suggested."

  King Cato slowly rose to his feet as the discussion was interrupted by a loud commotion. Two watchers escorted a prisoner whose hands were bound before him. His robe was a mixture of red and black, adorned with figure-eight patterns. The guild masters parted as the guards forced the prisoner onto his knees at the bottom of the steps.

  "Your Majesty," the watcher said, "this man has voluntarily surrendered himself to the royal watchers. He claims to have information that will save the city and has requested an audience with you immediately."

  Cato towered over the prisoner. "Who are you? What do you want?"

  "I'm a former member of the Brotherhood. It's very important you listen to what I have to say. I'm sure you know the grave danger this city is in, but only by following my instructions will Light's Haven survive the night."

  "Is that so? Who the depths are you?"

  "My name is Shinigami."

  Chapter 19

  The baby wailed as the pan-mage carefully swaddled the infant and approached the woman lying in the bed. "Congratulations. You have a very healthy girl."

  Emotion welled up within Erynion as he witnessed the memory of his daughter's birth. He nearly jumped when a heavy pat landed on his shoulder.

  King Cato grinned. "Well done, Altheus. Oh, you, too, Nila. Have you thought of a name?"

  Erynion affectionately looked down at his wife, cradling the child.

  Though she was visibly fatigued, she mustered a smile. "It's all right."

  The demon lord turned to his parents. "With your permission, we'd like to name her Sereyna."

  Queen Zenda covered her mouth with her hand as tears pooled in her eyes.

  "Absolutely." Cato cleared his throat. "What an amazing way to honor your sister’s spirit."

  Erynion sank down onto the bed beside his wife and put his arm around her. His heart swelled with pride. "She’s beautiful."

  The newborn opened her eyes and appeared to lock her gaze on Erynion.

  "She has your eyes," Nila observed. "Just like your sister, right?"

  The demon lord nodded. "Sweet, beautiful Sereyna."

  When he mentioned her name again, the bed chamber and its inhabitants faded away, except for Erynion. The sudden shift disoriented the demon lord, and he shed his appearance as Prince Altheus. He was back in his demon form.

  The Seductress walked out of the shadows. Her hips sensuously swayed, and her bosom gently rocked, confined to the red dress. "I will take great care of you."

  Erynion reared back and fought the allure of the demon.

  She stepped in front of him and gracefully ran her fingers down the side of he
r neck, stopping just above her cleavage. "Like what you see?"

  "No, you’re my enemy. You killed my sister."

  "Did I?" she asked playfully, as if brushing aside the importance of the accusation.

  Erynion sneered. "You tried to steal my power and use me as your puppet."

  "No, I was trying to help you control your power. Remember?" The Seductress reached out, and her fingertips caressed his cheek. Using his shoulders as leverage, she lifted herself up on her toes and reached for his lips with her own.

  Unable to move away, Erynion pivoted his head to the side. "No! No! Stop it!"

  "Erynion, are you all right?" It was the voice of the female wolf.

  The demon lord suddenly found himself alone in the void of his mind. He drew a couple of deep breaths. "Yes. What happened?"

  "Perhaps that question is more appropriate coming from me. The last I heard from you, you'd stepped through a door leading to your bedroom in Thoris Castle. Then, nothing until you started shouting."

  "I saw my daughter being born. It was incredible. I felt joy again."

  "It sounds like you were so focused on the memory, you blocked everything else out. Why were you shouting?"

  Erynion checked over his shoulder to make sure he was alone. "The Seductress was here. I felt powerless."

  "Her past invasion has unsurprisingly left an impression on your mind. As you get stronger, it will lose its hold on you. In time, it will fade completely. Are you ready to try again?"

  "Yes." The demon lord closed his eyes and imagined the black field with the patch of grass. When his eyelids lifted, he was back at Nesinu after his purge. "I'm at the staging ground, but I'm having doubts. When I tried to learn the healing spell, I just found memories of my past life. No spell. The same thing is happening now."

  "You're distracted. You may be thinking about trying to find the spell, but deep down, you really want to remember your life. If you meditate enough times, eventually you'll find what you're looking for."

  "Why can't I just release my dark energy onto Dulo and let him absorb it and become a demon?"

  "Because that only works in creating the fray. Verago believes Dulo is destined to be something much greater. I don't think you quite fathom how remarkable it is that Verago has bestowed this knowledge upon you. Creating an iymed is a spell he didn't even share with Umaro Lijjo."

  Erynion considered the comment. "Wait. The Zaidon didn't teach me this spell?"

  "Of course not. Verago's the only one who knows it."

  "Well, all my other spells were imprinted on me by the Zaidon. If Verago taught me the demon creation spell, that's something unique, something I can focus on."

  Eyzora sounded hopeful. "It's promising. Give it a try."

  "All right. I've only met Verago a handful of times." The demon lord inhaled deeply and conjured the image of the Devil in his head. His lips barely parted as he whispered, "Teach me. Teach me how to create a demon."

  As before, a stone path leading to a door materialized before him. He strolled to the wooden barrier and pushed it open.

  Erynion recognized the lush green bushes on the other side and sighed. "Failed again. It's just another mem—"

  Across the threshold, the Devil stepped into the middle of the path.

  "What is it?" Eyzora asked.

  "It's the royal gardens, but…but Verago's here," Erynion stuttered. "And, the sun is up. The only time I met Verago in the gardens was when he captured me at night. This can't be right."

  "How so? Go speak with him."

  The demon lord passed through the frame of the door and took the form of Altheus. He kept his eyes locked on the Devil as he heard the door behind him slam shut.

  "Don't be alarmed," Verago stated. "We're in your mind."

  "What's going on here?" Erynion's eyes darted around.

  "You're very close to the end of your training, and this is the last bit you're going to need. In the battles to come, you'll need to be able to turn souls into iymed. When I do this in the Depths, they can only come up through the Den, which is dangerously close to Alovajj. Or, I can send them through a twisted gate, which takes time, energy, and planning. Your ability to create iymed on the Surface will give you the advantage of quickly building and rebuilding your army."

  "So, what are we doing in my mind?"

  Verago tapped his temple with his index finger. "Because up here is where it all starts. What I'm about to teach you will lay the foundation for the spell. You're about to inherit knowledge that's been lost for centuries. Now, I've never taught this creation spell to any other demon, not even Umaro Lijjo."

  "Then why me?"

  "We'll get to that. But first, tell me this. War-mages wield fire and ice. Priests project holy light. Pan-mages can heal or change shape. How? Where does that power come from?"

  Erynion ventured a guess. "The mind?"

  "The mind plays an important role. It decides what the energy becomes, but it's not the source."

  "Then, I don't know."

  "Have you ever heard of the soul?"

  "Isn't that the same thing as a spirit? Like a wanderer?"

  Verago smiled. "It's a shame the knowledge that's lost over time. This is as basic as I can make it. There are three things that make you who you are. They're called the three vertices. They are the heart, the mind, and the soul. With me so far?"

  "I suppose. I mean, I know I have a heart and a brain, but where's my soul?"

  "You're thinking too literally. I'm not referring to organs in your body. I'm talking about the principles of life. The heart is physicality, strength, and represents action. The mind is cerebral and represents intent and thought. All living things have these two vertices, but humans are unique. We have a third point known as the soul. It's ethereal and connects the heart and mind in such a way that gives rise to our very being, our personalities, our life choices."

  The Devil froze in place. The memory appeared to be stuck. Erynion surveyed his surroundings to figure out why, but then Verago spoke again.

  "As a living human, the three vertices are separate, but connected; independent, but dependent. It's a concept known as three-as-one, and it's what allows humans to pull energy from their souls, manipulate it with their minds, and manifest it with their hearts."

  Erynion was stilled puzzled by the temporary pause, but everything appeared to be back to normal. "So, mages and priests use their soul to cast spells?"

  "Exactly. The soul is the source of the purest form of energy, which can then be changed into any other type of energy the caster is capable of summoning."

  "And how exactly does that happen?"

  "Such a thing can't be explained with words. In fact, the mages and priests of today simply follow a series of mental exercises that allows them to tap into their soul energy. But, none of them truly understands how it happens. And, you will be no different."

  "Oh. If I don't need to know it, then why even bring it up?"

  "Because the concept of the vertices is critical to understanding how to create demons." Verago closed the gap and placed one hand on Erynion's forehead and the other on Erynion's chest. "The mind and the heart are given these names because of where they're believed to reside in the body. These two vertices anchor your soul to your physical form."

  Verago stepped back. "When the body dies, the heart, mind, and soul transform into what's called the true spirit. The form is no longer three-as-one. It's simply one."

  "I'm not sure I understand."

  "Here's what you need to take away from this. When a human dies and the three vertices combine, there is only one true spirit, and that is who you are as a person. In order to create a demon—and I'm not talking about mindless fray, I mean a veritable thinking demon—you need to split someone's true spirit."

  Erynion stepped back. "Split someone's spirit? What are you talking about?"

  "I'm talking about taking someone's heart, mind, and soul and dividing them into two pieces, two separate entities. One that would
ally with me and one that would ally with humanity. A demon side and a human side."

  "It's not possible."

  "The thousands of demons I've created would disagree. When the split is complete, dark energy is granted to the demon side, giving it strength as the human side is locked away in the recesses of their shared mind. Now, before you jump to conclusions, I must remind you that any, and I mean any, spell dealing directly with the soul requires complete agreement from the subject. To put it plainly, the spirit must agree to the split, just like you'll have to do if you want to fulfill your end of the bargain."

  "I thought you could only split a true spirit, someone who's died," Erynion pointed out.

  "That was true for many years, but thanks to an unexpected turn of events, I have discovered a way to do this without killing you. It's quite a bit more complicated and cumbersome, but well worth it if you complete your purpose."

  "And after that's done?"

  Verago brought his hands together. "Your two sides will be rejoined. The dark energy will be removed. And you'll be human again."

  "You're saying every iymed you've ever made has agreed to this split?"

  "There are those who wish to become demons, like the members of the Brotherhood. For them, it's a welcome concession, ridding themselves of their attachment to humanity. Then there are others who might consider it a more difficult choice. For them, I simply determine what they want out of their afterlife. Up on the Surface, you're probably taught I'm a trickster of sorts, but you can't deny how straightforward I've been with you. After all, did you ever imagine you'd agree to be my demon lord?"

  "A means to an end. I don't plan on being your demon lord forever."

  Verago smiled. "And that, Altheus, is why I'm teaching only you this spell."

  ✽✽✽

  "So, what did you think of dinner?" Sundancer asked.

  "It was…" Millan searched for the right word as they headed back to their tents for the night. "Interesting."

  "First time having fish?"

  "Yes. There were so many tiny bones."

  The bloodseeker laughed softly. "It takes some getting used to. I didn't realize how much I missed seafood until tonight."