The Forgotten Queen

by Matt Glicksman

  A door appeared before him and he stepped into the awaiting memory. On the other side, Verago stood in a dark tunnel lined with prison cells.

  "Welcome to the dungeon of your mind," the Devil said.

  "Looks a lot like the royal dungeon." The door slammed shut behind Erynion.

  "It's easier for the mind to create places from memory as opposed to using your imagination. Of course, it's your mind, so you can change it however you wish."

  The demon lord strolled to an empty cell. "So, for instance, if I wanted these bars to vanish."

  Verago gestured toward him. "Give it a try."

  Erynion focused on the metal separating him from the inside of the cell, and the bars faded away. "Maybe a few more torches in here. I was never really thrilled about dark spaces."

  At the suggestion, more torches materialized on the tunnel walls and increased the light in the immediate area.

  "Are you ready to meet your human side?" Verago asked.

  The demon lord joined him once again. "He's here? You locked him away in a dungeon. How appropriate."

  "You'll find that much of what we say metaphorically in the outside world takes on very literal meaning inside the mind. Injuries you sustain inside here won't manifest on your physical body but will have a very real impact on your mind. Shall we?"

  "Why not?"

  Verago waited. "It's your mind. I want you to find your other half. So, lead the way."

  Erynion walked down the tunnel glancing into each cell as he passed, but they were all empty. Suddenly, he realized he only needed the desire to see his other half in the next cell. And just as he had wished it, so it happened. Erynion slowly turned toward Prince Altheus, his human side. The prince was tall, though nowhere close to the height of the demon lord. His face was easy on the eyes, handsome with short light-brown hair, prominent cheekbones, and a chiseled jaw.

  "So, this is me," the demon lord said.

  Verago patted him on the shoulder. "This was you. And when you complete your task, you two will be made whole again."

  "And you're sure you can do that?"

  "Anything that's been done can be undone. And I don't break my promises. Do you?"

  "No." Erynion inspected Altheus, motionless in the cell. "So, when I split someone's spirit, I'll need to help them—"

  The demon lord stopped himself when he noticed Verago as still as a statue. This wasn't normal. His memory had frozen again.

  Through the bars, a hand touched his arm. Erynion twitched and discovered Prince Altheus had been replaced with a beautiful woman in a flowing gown.

  "Nila?"

  "Don't make promises you can't keep," she said.

  "What are you doing here? You weren't part of this memory."

  "Don't make promises you can't keep."

  A voice echoed through the tunnel. "I never break my promises."

  Erynion scanned the area to see who had spoken, and when his eyes returned to the prison cell, Nila had disappeared.

  Verago sprang back to life. "Good."

  Startled by the outburst, Erynion blinked and found his human side back behind bars, still motionless. The demon lord examined Altheus closely, as the prince appeared to have the slightest smirk on his face. What the depths was happening in this memory? Erynion shook his head and forged on through the sequence.

  "So, when I split someone's spirit, I'll need to help them lock away their human side?"

  "That's right," the Devil said. "This is why it's been so crucial you learn how to master the ways of the mind. It can be difficult to determine just how strong someone's human side can be. If you're caught unprepared, the results can be disastrous."

  "Such as?"

  "Such as the human side taking control of a powerful demon who's supposed to be fighting for me and will likely now fight against me. But this is why deception doesn't work. Emotions can be very powerful. If you thought I was tricking you, it would give your human side reason to break free. Look how calm he is. He knows, just as you do, that once your task is complete, you'll be reunited."

  "And then I can go back to"—Erynion paused again as his wife appeared next to Altheus—"Nila."

  "Come back to us," Nila said with arms outstretched. She slowly walked backward and faded into the darkness of the prison cell.

  Erynion looked up and down the tunnel. The Devil was gone. Altheus was gone. He was all alone. "Eyzora!"

  No response. Something was interfering with his mind. The prison cell transformed into a door, just like the doors he walked through to enter every other memory. Part of him considered waking up and ending the meditation session, but something pushed him onward. He was curious what lay beyond. He cautiously approached and opened the door. Across the threshold, there was darkness and rain. He took a deep breath and forced himself through.

  Erynion used his arm to shield his face from the rain as two silhouettes approached him. There was very little moonlight, and so he couldn't see much more than the outlines of the figures.

  "Altheus? Is that you?" one of them called out. He recognized the voice. It was Nila.

  His heart leaped, and he was about to dash forward when a hand grabbed his shoulder from behind. A firm voice spoke, but it was all jargon. The voice was from a demon holding an intricately carved bow that seemed familiar.

  Erynion jerked his shoulder loose from the demon's hold. "I don't understand what you're saying."

  "He said 'don’t run away,'" the woman accompanying Nila explained. "You don’t want to know the rest."

  "May I speak with my wife in private?" Erynion asked.

  "Five minutes. And we'll be watching you." The woman waved the demon over, and they retreated about a stone's throw.

  Lightning flashed in the distance, giving the demon lord a brief glimpse of his wife. The two embraced.

  "You were right," Nila said. "I confronted Batar about the events you described in your letter. He didn’t even try to deny it. All he could do was apologize over and over."

  "And everyone else?"

  "Everyone else believes you were killed. That’s what your brother's told them. Killed by Verago and transcended. Your funeral is next week."

  Erynion rubbed his forehead. "What do you think? What should I do?"

  "I told Batar if he were truly sorry, if he really cared about you, he'd give himself up. He could trade his life for yours. But he says it’s too late."

  "He’s scared. He never expected this to happen."

  Nila clicked her tongue. "I wish you would stop making excuses for him. I know he’s your brother, and you’ve looked out for him since you were children, but he's the reason you’re here. You can’t just let him get away with this. I know you love him, but you're not the only one suffering the consequences for his mistake. Must Sereyna grow up without her father? Must I go on without my husband? We love you so much. I can't bear the thought of you trapped in the Depths forever."

  Erynion pictured his little girl. "I wish I could’ve seen her again, but I understand why you didn’t bring her."

  "You can see her again." Nila caressed the side of his face. "If you accept Verago’s terms, you can be with us again. You can have your life back. We can have our life back."

  "Become a demon?"

  "Only for a short time, right? After it’s over, you’ll be returned to normal?"

  "That’s what Verago says. Do you think we can trust him?" Erynion asked.

  "I don’t know, but he was right about Batar. What's the alternative?"

  "I’d be agreeing to kill my own brother."

  The pattering of the rain filled the silence as Nila grabbed his hands and squeezed them. "You know where I stand. I know it's not an easy decision. I'm not sure I'd feel the same if I were being asked to kill Mekken. Whatever you decide, I will always love you."

  Erynion remembered the anger that slowly crept up inside of him. Ever since his capture, he had teetered back and forth. But now, in front of his wife, he gained the perspective he was seeking. "Wo
uld you kill Mekken if he were the reason you were banished to the Depths for the rest of your life? If he were the reason you were forced to roam the underground caverns with mental anguish that would drive even the strongest mind to insanity a hundred times over? If he betrayed your trust and love? If he were the reason you'd never see your family again? Even if he had the opportunity to set it all right, and he refused?"

  The woman who had brought Nila to the meeting approached them. "Time's up. I have to get her back."

  Erynion embraced his wife one last time. "I love you."

  Nila whimpered. "I love you too. Come back to us. Please."

  "I swear to the angels, I will come back to you."

  "Don't make promises you can't keep."

  Erynion pulled back and stared at Nila, the rain and darkness obscuring her face. "I never break my promises."

  The demon with the ornate bow stepped in and lightly shoved Erynion away as Nila and the other woman disappeared into the night. A bright flash of lightning forced Erynion to close his eyes as a powerful headache swept in. The demon lord dropped to his knees and cradled his head in his hands. This wasn't part of the memory. He tried to push on, but the pain grew worse. Afraid the agony was somehow returning, Erynion willed himself awake.

  The demon lord exhaled in relief as his eyes were greeted by the black field. The headache was gone.

  "You doing all right there, friend?" Alejjir asked.

  Erynion found the Marksman and Flinch standing over him. "I don't know. Better now, I think. Have you guys been standing there the whole time?"

  "Sort of," the jester demon said. "The fleabags are on patrol. Dulo and Eleza went for a walk. Well, she went for a walk. He went for a…float? Anyway, we were in the area when you seemed to be suffering. I wanted to wake you, but Marksy said it'd do more harm than good. Was he right?"

  "I don't know. I had a really strange experience. I was in a memory, one I wanted to be in, but then this other memory forced its way in. It came out of nowhere." Erynion recalled an image from the session. "Alejjir, would you do me a favor?"

  "If it's within my abilities, sure."

  "I'd like to see your bow."

  The Marksman laughed softly. "That was much easier than I was expecting." He crossed his arm over his chest and grasped at the air. Bringing his hand back across his body, the intricately carved weapon appeared out of nowhere. Alejjir sat down and presented the bow to the demon lord.

  "It's the same," Erynion said. "What are the chances of that?"

  Alejjir raised his eyebrow. "Same as what?"

  "Three years ago, I was accompanied to the Surface to speak with my wife. That was you, wasn't it?"

  The Marksman's eyes widened, and his expression was flat.

  "You know who I am now, don't you? It's all right. No need to be shy. Flinch already knows."

  "Verago never told me your identity. He'd kept me at arm's length ever since the Assault. And then, three years ago, he summoned me. My task was to escort a man to the Surface and wait at the edge of the forest north of the Den."

  "So how did you figure out who I was?"

  "The Brother who brought your wife. She told me who you both were while you spoke in private. Considering how much attention Verago was showing you at the time, I suspected it was you who eventually became the demon lord. I guess I know for sure now."

  "So, I guess this means you're going to make Alejjir reveal his true identity to you, huh? I mean, fair is fair, right?" Flinch asked.

  Erynion nodded. "Right. Especially if he wants me to make him a greater iymed again."

  The Marksman cocked his head. "You can do that?"

  "My meditation has been focused on how to create demons. Once completed, I'll have the same abilities as Verago."

  "Incredible. I didn't think the Devil would ever share such knowledge with anyone. Why does he trust you?"

  "I'm not sure he does. But he's walked through my mind. He knows my ambitions. I suppose he doesn't see me as a threat to his power. What do you say?"

  Alejjir scratched his cheek. "Seems like a small price to pay."

  "And, of course, you'd be expected to follow all of my orders."

  "I'd be reporting to you instead of Verago?"

  "Yes, but don't mistake this as any sort of lust for power. His intention is to have all the demons on the Surface serving under me. So, in actuality, you should already be listening to me."

  "Is that so? Then what position do I hold in your army?"

  Erynion grunted. "You speak as if we have any army at all. There are only seven of us, if you include Eleza and Dulo. There are no ranks. Speak your mind if you wish. But in the end, I will make the decisions, and you will be expected to adhere to them."

  "Fair enough."

  ✽✽✽

  Dressed in commoner clothing, Dolore casually weaved through the crowd along the edges of Battle Square. It had been two days since Eriph had met with his friend, Don Pike, and still they had heard nothing. She feared the worst for Aksilacarn. For all she knew, they'd already killed him, which would mean staying in Memorial City was not only a waste of time, but an unnecessary risk. In her pocket, she played with a small ball of yarn, no bigger than a lemon. She had found it in her saddle bag that morning. Her source inside the Brotherhood left it behind to signal a meetup. The yarn had been wrapped around four tiny twigs. And so, as the watchtower rang out four strikes, she turned the corner to leave Battle Square and quickened her pace.

  A few minutes later, she neared her destination, a door in a narrow alley. Instead of stopping, she continued past it, carefully noting if anyone around was watching. The coast appeared to be clear, and so she strolled around the building once and returned to the entrance. With her hand resting on the door, she rippled her fingers to make a soft drumming noise.

  It opened, and a man quickly ushered her in. "You're late."

  Dolore spun around and tossed the ball of yarn to her contact. "I know, Rithwic, I'm sorry. I was taking extra precautions. These last couple of days haven't gone according to plan. How are you?"

  "No problems here. Have a seat."

  Dolore took her place in a chair. Rithwic had always been a close friend of hers. They met nearly thirty years ago in the scouting class for Anoctis. Though their paths in life took them separate ways, their friendship remained strong on one simple principle, a promise. No lies. And if a lie was on your tongue, then you kept your mouth closed. This entitled them to their own secrets, which is why it wasn't until after the Assault on Light's Haven that Dolore learned of Rithwic's membership in the Brotherhood. At that point, she was already one of the founding members of Sect Eighty-Eight when Rithwic decided to join. And in the early days of the sect, he became one of her most reliable scouts. But his tenure with them was short. When Prima Mashira exiled the Death Gods, Rithwic left the sect and moved to Memorial City. The two had stayed in touch, but their relationship had evolved.

  "What have you learned?" Dolore asked.

  Rithwic dragged a chair across the floor and joined her. "The good news is that your man's alive. The bad news is they know he's your man."

  "How?"

  "They have a priest under their thumb. Didn't get a name. Sounds like they brought him in to heal Aksil last night, and this priest started telling them about a friend he met earlier in the day. A Death God in Memorial City looking for one of their own."

  "That's certainly troubling. The only priest we've directly engaged so far was Don Pike. I was assured he wasn't involved in the Brotherhood, but it looks like we were wrong."

  Rithwic held up his hand. "I wouldn't rush to such a conclusion just yet. I know who Don Pike is, and he's not a Brother that I'm aware of. But that means there's a high probability he's under the effects of deathroot."

  "What makes you say that?"

  "The Brotherhood in Memorial City is changing rapidly. For years, we've had the same three major cells vying for control and pushing for their own overseer. I hadn't even heard of Koloka
jja until a few months ago, and now he's well on his way to not only become overseer of Memorial City, but Grand Overseer. All thanks to this deathroot."

  "What does that have to do with Pike?"

  "Due to limited supply, Kolokajja's instructions are to only use deathroot on priests."

  Dolore tapped her chin. "So Pike is probably infected, but they wouldn't bother with Aksil. Have you found out any more about what exactly deathroot does?"

  "No more than what I've already told you. It takes multiple doses, not sure how many exactly, and it's got some pretty strange side effects. The further along you are, the worse the symptoms get and the harder it is to reverse."

  The Death Gods were not used to being in the dark thanks to Shinigami's wealth of knowledge. But he parted ways with the Brotherhood and the Devil sixteen years ago. New problems were bound to arise. Dolore bit her lip. "Symptoms. You mean the fatigue and the forgetfulness?"

  "Yeah, but more than that. Never being on time. Forgetting people's names. Even people you've known for ages. Every dose puts your mind in a fog and makes you more suggestible."

  "Interesting. I'll have to speak with my people and see if any of that sounds familiar. So, assuming Pike is under the influence of deathroot, he may have unwittingly revealed our presence to the enemy. Which means we don't have much time. Do I have any options?"

  Rithwic interlaced his fingers. "There may be a window of opportunity. You remember Hable?"

  "Hable? Hable." Dolore tried to recall the name. "It sounds familiar."

  "When I joined Sect Eighty-Eight, two of my friends joined as well. Hable and Gladdak."

  "Oh, yeah. Hable. Kind of an arrogant jerk, wasn't he?"

  "I don't know if I'd go that far, but he could rub some people the wrong way. When the Death Gods were exiled, the three of us came to Memorial City to create a new sect, a Brotherhood cell that promoted peace. As you know, it didn't go as planned. When it was clear we wouldn't succeed, Hable left and joined one of the three major cells. I've seen him around over the last few years, but we never spoke. That is, until last night, which is when I discovered he's ascended to cell leader and was the first to pledge allegiance to Kolokajja. I also found out it's Hable's cell that's currently holding Aksil."