Author's Note: A lot of these chapters will be released quickly, considering I've pre-written some of these. I'll let you guys know when I post all the pre-written material since the pace of the releases will probably become once a day.
I'm happy to see the number of views increasing.
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Hearing an ominous growl was the last thing Kendrolgo was expecting, after meeting a Lady of Grace who was strangely interested in him. Without making any sudden movements, he carefully turned his head towards the sound of the growl.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see the Lady of Grace reach under her cloak and unsheathing a short-sword. Without a sound, she moved towards the growl like some deadly shadow. Her movements were fluid, lacking any unnecessary movements.
A creature that looked like a massive bipedal wolf, a Daemonis came slinking out of the darkness. A Daemonis’s body was armored by some kind of outer bone structure, like a light-armored soldier, with giant claws extending out from the arms which they used, as swords, to disembowel their prey.
Originally they served as cannon fodder for the Dark Army, due to their ferocity and speed. No one knows how Daemonises were created, though some suspect that the alchemist, along with the sorcerers, had a hand. Unfortunately, after the war all the remaining Daemonises escaped due to the lack of direction from their masters. Breeding with one another, they travelled across the kingdom, tending to keep away from the villages. Occasionally, security patrols would run into them but the size of the patrols would chase them away. Compared to during the war, a Daemonis were more like a nuisance as long as a superior force met them. They were only dangerous if they came upon a weaker force, like villagers.
Kendrolgo only read about them in the history books, and seeing a Daemonis in front of him with the Lady preparing to defend herself was a sight only heard about in legends.
As Kendrolgo moved away from the beast, he felt a strange connection with the creature.
The Daemonis appeared to glance at the both of them, before pausing as if it sensed something in the air. Without any signal, the Daemonis suddenly shifted its weight and launched towards him. Like wings of death, the beast’s charge ignited a sense of impending doom.
In the background he could barely hear a voice shouting out for him. Time seemed to slow down, and all the ambient noise faded away. In the silence, Kendrolgo felt a bolt of energy like lightning coursing throughout his body. As the beast sliced the air with its claw, instinct somehow took control and Kendrolgo leapt at it, closing the distance and avoiding decapitation. Sliding between the legs of the monstrosity, he got back up and dashed towards the Lady.
“Help me!” He cried out in pure desperation.
“Get behind me!” She screamed launching a dagger at the beast. The blade flew straight towards the creature, and dug into the shoulder of the Daemonis. The ways she flicked the dagger was beautiful and deadly, at the same time.
Growling in pain, the monster pulled out the dagger, and threw it to the ground. Looking nearby, the Daemonis grabbed a large boulder, pulling it out of the ground, and hurled it towards them. The lady dodged the boulder, pulling Kendrolgo out of the way. She then hurled herself at the creature and buried the short-sword into its chest, slightly above its stomach, below the chest bone-plates. Black blood spurted out of its snout and nostril, and the creature dropped to one knee. With skill and ease, the Lady pulled out her weapon, and within moments the Kendrolgo turned to stone.
Staring at what used to be the creature that tried to end his existence, he exclaimed, “What just happened!”
Cleaning the blade on a black rag that she pulled out from somewhere, under her cloak, the Lady calmly sheathed her short-sword and turned around to face him. “Let us go to the village now,” she whispered, and quietly walked in the direction of the village without acknowledging his question.
“We just got attacked by a Daemonis and you’re able stay calm?!” Looking back, the Lady just stared at him with those eyes behind a porcelain mask. “My lady.” He added in a subdued voice. The feelings of shock slowly wore off and he realized he just shouted at a Lady of Grace. A Lady of Grace is considered to be ranked higher than those in the royal court, untouchable sentinel. He watched as she just walked toward the village in silence. The forest had a slightly different feel, after the events that just took place.
Getting to the village, Kendrolgo continued to follow the Lady while trying to figure how they could run into such a creature. His entire life he had slept in that forest and never before had he seen a Daemonis.
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The attack by the Daemonis was a great concern, for Jamelia. This attack would need to be reported to the temple, but before contacting the temple she needed to discuss with Amela about the half-demon. Along with the eyes the child displayed unusual combative skills, with the way he dodged the creature’s attack. With how the boy’s body looked, with a minimal physical activity appearance, the sudden burst in skills was unusual. Accounts on demons were sporadic and unclear, so she was unsure if this was due to his demon blood or if this was of natural occurrence.
With the boy behind her, she made her way to the Inn that they stayed at. When she reached the building, Jamelia saw Amela on the main dining area recording the names into the official journals, and preparing it for the naming ceremony. From the way she was working, Amela looked under control with the amount of work required for a task such as recording names. A part of Jamelia was unsure whether to include her in this new information about the boy’s skills or keep them hidden. Though the sisterhood was united from the standpoint of an outsider, in reality the Order was fractured into various factions for their own reasons. As an apprentice, Amela may not be ready for the intricacies of politics within the Order.
Sensing the presence of a sister, Amela looked up and noticed Jamelia. Getting up, she walked over to Jamelia to give a report of the current progress. Jamelia watched as Amela walk towards her, while glancing at the other villagers.
“Lady Jamelia, the progress of recording all the names is going smoothly. Before the start of the ceremony we will be ready for the naming day’s arrival.” Glancing behind Jamelia, Amela noticed Kendrolgo standing silently, trying to appear invisible but failing. “Is that the boy?” she asked, with a faint sound of concern.
Understanding how Amela was feeling, from the sound of her voice, Jamelia nodded before looking back at the boy. “Take a sit here.” She instructed to Kendrolgo, with a voice of authority. Watching him sit down at the table, she then gave further instructions for him to sit there until they came back down. Jamelia then motioned for Amela to head back to their room.
Silent until reaching their room, Jamelia quietly shut the door and removed her mask, while motioning for Amela to do the same.
“The sight of his eyes is truly frightening,” Amela spoke after taking off her mask and hooking it to her belt.
Nodding with agreement Jamelia said, “Yes the sight of his eyes in the dark is of a bigger concern since it confirms our suspicions.”
“What shall we do with him?” Amela asked her with uncertainty. Handling half-demons was a matter that had never come up since they were killed on sight during the war. Demons were beings that could not be controlled, with their sense of pride and honor making it impossible to capture them alive. It was said that they carried a dagger for the sole purpose of ending their lives in case they were captured.
“At the moment there is not much we can do with the festival so close. The nearest messenger of the Order is in Halgard, a day or so away. Our duty to our flock is more crucial than getting a message that would most likely take a week or so to arrive at Temple. “This situation is also special since I believe we will need to take him with us.”
Shocked, Amela exclaimed, “Take a demon with us to the temple, my lady?! We do not even know how much of him is demonic. Do you think such a drastic decision is truly necessary?” The idea of taking a demon into the Temple was a frightening thought for any Lady of Grace, with the Temple being a sanctuary for them.
“We cannot wait for a reply from the Temple. The distance and time they would use to deliberate would be near two lunar cycles. No, we need to keep him close to us, but we also have other duties we need to fulfill. Also, at the Temple we will have the sufficient resources available to handle a demon.” Jamelia had some concerns dealing with the lad, but until she could consult with her sources she dared not reveal her suspicions.
To try and clear the air and change the topic, Amela smiled and said, “Though we have such a task given to us by our Lord Grace, he has also blessed us with a potential Lady of Grace, my Lady Jamelia.”
“How did you find her?” Jamelia asked trying to hide the excitement in her voice.
“While working on the names, a young girl came up to me and I could feel the Stone of Grace vibrating. I made sure to ask about the child’s name and when I approached her to confirm I could sense the spirit inside of her.” Amela beamed after delivering such wonderful news. Finding a new sister was a rare occasion. The recording of the names allowed for sisters to meet new children who may be possessed by the spirit from the Lord Grace. Not all girls could become a sister and so whenever one was found it was treated as a celebration. The Stone of Grace was a tool, shaped like a fist sized smooth stone, used to detect those who were able to become new sisters.
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“Have you told her?” she asked Amela. The news of a new sister, a Lady of Grace, made the news of the demon fade into the back of her mind.
Shaking her head Amela answered, “no, my lady. I was waiting to tell you of the good news first before letting the child know.”
Jamelia thought of the future blessing this girl would receive as a sister and was truly happy for her. As a sister, the girl would receive the finest education and training in the Kingdom. More importantly she would learn of the joy from serving the Lord Grace and fulfilling his will. The only problem was to now figure out what they would do with the demon boy that had to go with them.
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Tapping his fingers on the top of the table, Kendrolgo tried to keep himself calm and inconspicuous as possible. Being inside of the Wayward Traveler during the day was the last thing that he wanted to do. Keeping his eyes down, to avoid seeing the uncomfortable glances from the villagers, he tried to figure out why a Lady of Grace would want him to sit here, and wait. Part of him pondered the idea of leaving to go home, and ask his mother what he should do. The idea of disobeying a Lady of Grace was frightening but being surrounded by people was not a wise choice either.
“Kenny what are you doing here?” a voice asked behind him.
Turning around he saw that the voice was from Malera, who was with some of the other boys in the village. He had sat facing the door, so he didn’t notice Malera when she walked up, behind him. Glancing around, Kendrolgo noticed that the boys were part of the group who enjoyed teasing him and drove him to see solitude in the forest, several times a week. “Is there a reason I can’t be inside the inn?” He shot back at her.
“No…that’s not what I meant.” Malera answered sounding hurt. Kendrolgo knew that she was only trying to be friendly, but with all the boys who teased him around her, he couldn’t help not being sharp.
“Watch your tone monster!” one of the boys said. The boy proceeded to get up and walk over to where he sat. “You should be grateful that Malera even bothers to talk to you.” He said, sneering. Placing his hands down on Kendrolgo’s shoulder, the boy shoved him and walked out the door, followed with the other boys.
Looking up, he saw Malera looking down with a look of pity on her face. Seeing her just stand there made him wonder what possessed her to ask him last night to the Spring Festival. “You asked why I never stay in the village?” getting himself back up, he glared at Malera. He headed to the door, out of the inn, not understanding what was happening today. Waking up he meets a lady of grace, who questions him about his eyes, then get attacked by a creature only seen in books, then being told to wait inside an inn. He’s then surrounded by people who torment him and forced to deal with a girl who enjoy putting him on the spot, to deal with her friends.
“Where do you think you are going?” the Lady asked him, coming down the stairs with the other Lady. Her voice was the only indication as to who she was, which was annoying.
Sighing, he slowly faced her just feeling frustrated overall. “I apologize, my lady, but I can’t be inside here, anymore.”
“Since you are heading out already, let us head over to where your parents are. I will need to discuss some things with them.” She said in a cold voice, coming from behind an expressionless mask.
Motioning him to lead the way, they all headed to Kendrolgo’s house walking in silence. He wondered what reason she had to meet his parents and what was going to happen. This day was out of control and hearing her response pushed him close to the breaking point. “No disrespect, my Lady, but for what reason do you have for talking with my parents?” Just being near a Lady of Grace was nerve wrecking. With their white outfits and porcelain masks, they exude an absence of emotion with their ability to pass judgment without trying to.
Coming up to his house, Kendrolgo could see his mother working inside, cleaning the house. Watching her clean the house was an image that has stayed in his mind throughout his childhood. When anything went wrong, when the other village kids made fun of him calling him a monster, she would always be there for him. Though the villagers claimed to count her as one of them, he knew that she had also gone through a lot. He hoped that whatever the Lady had to say wasn’t going to burden her.
Looking up from her cleaning, his mother smiled walking to the door opening it smiling and said, “Kendrolgo where have you been all this time?”
Feeling loved he replied, “Hello mother, I was sleeping inside of the forest.”
Moving to stand in front his mother, the lady stated in a voice, which demanded obedience without question, “I need to speak to both you and this boy’s father.”
Startled, his mother just noticed the Lady until she was standing in front of her. “He should be here any moment for his afternoon meal, my lady,” she answered, looking confused by this sudden request.
“We shall then wait inside for him,” sounding annoyed. She walked into his house without being invited. Both Kendrolgo and his mother stood there stunned, and, after a moment, followed her into the house. The Lady of Grace pulled out a chair, casually sat down and then motioned for them to do the same. Even though the house was theirs, they felt as if they were walking into someone else’s space.
Sitting down, he demanded to the lady, “Why do you need to talk to my parents.” Just because she was a Lady of Grace did not award her the right to treat them as outsiders, inside of their own house.
“Kendrolgo watch your tone!” His mother rebuked him for his outburst. Looking nervous, she glanced at the Lady and bowed her head in forgiveness.
“It is quiet alright,” she calmly said raising her hand.
Keeping composed Saleras asked, “Not to offend, but I would like to know why you would like to speak to my husband and myself.”
“Well I suppose we can proceed without your husband present. Which of you, your husband or yourself, are not this boys actual parent?” The Lady bluntly asked, cutting right to the core.
His mother’s eye’s widened by the sudden question and answered, “I am Kendrolgo’s mother, but I don’t understand what relevance that question has at the moment.”
“Looking at your son’s eyes, the fact that both you and your husband are this child’s natural parents is absurd. Since you are this boy’s mother, then it would stand to reason that the father was not human. To be more specific, the boy’s father must be a full-blooded demon. The real question is where you would meet a creature that hasn’t been seen on this world in ages since the War of Light and Dark. As a Lady of Grace representing the Order, I am duty bound to find out when and how this occurred.”
Listening to the Lady, Kendrolgo felt his mind go blank after everything she said. Her words made everything in his world crumble away. Images of Demons he saw in the history books came flooding in. Demons were like death incarnate, going through the Army of Light killing leaders with precision. In the Army of Dark, Demons were used as assassin, special division commanders, and assigned other military jobs that required their lethal skills. Not even the generals in the Army would stand in front of a Demon’s way since they were given full autonomy. Due to their skills, they were used as a model, for the training the Ladies went through. Historians often debated who would win in a duel between a Lady of Grace and a Demon.
“Are you saying that I’m a half-demon?” Kendrolgo stammered his eyes staring at the table feeling lost and alone. Looking up he glanced accusingly at his mother, trying to understand how she could hide this from him. His mother looked back at him, with guilt covering her face. She reached out to comfort him, her hand trembling. Flinching from his mother’s touch, Kendrolgo just sat there remembering all the times the village children tormented him, calling him a monster. Kendrolgo now understood that he was in face a monster, that everything they said about him was true. What hurt him the worst was how his mother lied to him. They all lied to you…, a voice whispered in his head laughing maniacally.