Years of training under a Royal knight had made me calmer for sudden surprises. But even with all that training I couldn’t keep all the questions that kept ebbing out from his mind. I stood at the curtains, not daring to look at the woman beside the bed who was glaring at me. I thought fast - I thought all the possibilities and then came to the final conclusion - the demon king had used some kind of spell on me.
“Ekta,” I hoped that’s how Dalos addressed her. “What year is it?”
“1093.”
That was exactly one year before my armies raided the demon king’s castle.
Behind me, Ekta shifted on her chair. “Why do you ask? Have you been losing your mind?”
I bit my lip. With each question I asked, I raised more scrutiny.
Think fast.
If I was in the demon king’s body I needed to find out where the real demon king was. And if I was the demon king, I needed to find out what had happened to the hero. And if there was a time spell involved I should take the necessary steps to find the Caster. Before that I needed to adapt. I needed to learn.
I turned around and looked at the woman now stretching her arms. It was strange to see the demoness Ekta without her battle armor. Now she wore a simple nightdress, and my eyes darted to the tattoo on her shoulder.
It was a strange writing of sorts, probably in an ancient tongue. Demon hybrids like her used tattoo magic. Unlike the rune magic I used, the tattoos were more powerful.
I spoke with care. “I had a bad dream last night, and whatever that happened made me worried.”
The furrows on her brows ceased slightly. She brushed her dress and stood up, giving a firm nod. That was one task done, now only if I could get rid of the body and find a way to contact my camps.
Ekta rang the bell, and a two servants dressed in plain clothes brought me a wash basin.
“I recommend getting ready fast,” Ekta said, turning to leave. “We have a meeting with the council before breakfast. Malek has everything set up in the village. If everything goes as planned we might stand a chance to stop the Sperlan army from attacking the Talobell village.”
I mentally recalled the major incidents that happened in 1093. One of them was our assault on Talobell. Sadly I wasn’t there during the fight, but Celine was the one who led the soldiers. If I could find a way to explain to her what had happened I’ll stand a chance to get out of the trap I’ve fallen for.
A few moments later a servant boy brought me my clothes. They were the same clothes the demon king was wearing during the day of the attack - a black shirt and pants with a black cloak. It made me look like some monster hiding in the dark, but for now, I had to move on with whatever was provided for me.
After I finished dressing she led me through a wide corridor, down a staircase, through another corridor to a large room closed with double doors. The demon king’s castle was much larger than it appeared. Two turns and I was already lost.
“They’ll have a lot of opinions,” Ekta said, keeping her hands on the doors but not pushing it any further. “But don’t get swayed. Remember our goal.”
“Right,” I nodded.
I knew I was going to be in big trouble. I remembered the fight at Talobell. It was a victory for my party. Celine and her army managed to kill most of the demon king’s forces who resided there. So if I simply followed the same tactics the demon king had used during the attack, I had a way to let Celina win.
The large wooden doors opened with a groan, giving me a good look at the people sitting inside the round table that stretched through the entire room. The table had three seats on the left and right, with one at the very back designed in the shape of a small throne. There were four people already seated, and I recognized all of them.
The first one was the wizard Malek - the old man in his late sixties who had pledged his loyalty to the demon king after disbanding from the rest of the sorcerers. He was a traitor to the guild.
In front of him sat the military commander of Selia - the only province to publicly announce their allegiance with the demon king. He wore his knight armor and stared at the entire room in grim silence.
Beside him was the poisoner Duro - a boy not older than sixteen. But appearances can be deceiving. The bastard was responsible for more than seventy murders of nobles. He watched me walk with his keen eyes while adjusting his glasses. In each of his fingers was a special ring. The rumors said each of it had a different kind of poison.
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And the last member was the hulking figure of the man-giant Vegra. A killer who likes to murder people by ripping them in half. The people in the kingdom called him the Splitter. His legendary axe was strapped to his back, and even I flinched as I walked behind him to my seat. If things proceeded the same this time, I would be fighting him a few months from now, and it will be one of the most bloodiest fights I would ever fight.
My old council used to stand when Celine and I approached them, but here all of them only had a grim silence with their heads bowed low.
When I sat in my half-looking throne I felt the power that was ruminating in the room. I used to address meetings back when I was a hero, but the energy of these demon-kind looked absolutely powerful compared to the hero gatherings.
“Commander Larg,” Ekta addressed the infamous war hero of Selia. “What’s our status on the defenses?”
“Our front line remains strong, but a few of my Scouts was found murdered last night.”
“Murdered?” my voice was loud, and everyone looked at me.
I bit my lip. But I was sure the bastard Larg was sprouting out lies. My squad never killed people. They only killed monsters. As for the humans, we captured most of them and led them to rehabilitation. Especially Scouts. Scouts never did any harm. Celina always reported to me on how they were captured.
“Yes my lord,” Larg’s voice was hard, and I found Ekta was looking at me strangely for a second time. “Not only murdered, but also brutally tortured. But you don’t have to worry, we’ll pay back those bastards with their own blood.”
Ah yes, the cycle of violence turns again.
How I despised it. I thought after murdering the demon king the world would go back to its peaceful era, but it seemed fate wasn’t so kind for me.
“Besides,” Malek gave an evil grin. “I believe my spell is ready my lord.”
I opened my mouth to question what spell he meant, then closed it back. By the grin spread on his face it seemed the old bastard had told me about his spell before. I recalled Celine telling me about a sudden thunderstorm that split open the sky and summoned the demons. Perhaps it was Malek’s doing.
“Then I assume it’s best to utilize it,” I said, giving him a short nod. I couldn’t refuse his request. Even if the others only object Ekta will know something was wrong. I could feel her gaze on me even as I spoke. “Do we have an estimate on their forces?”
“There is a rumor that damn girl Celine will be leading the army,” Larg’s face turned sour. I knew why. Celine and the commander had a bad history. “But you don’t need to worry. Each day our spy is getting closer to their ranks. The day that we turn tables is very close.”
I gripped the edges of my seat. They had a damn spy in my army? A damn spy? No wonder those last few attacks on the demon kings castle was always met with forced resistance.
Yes, smile now you traitors bastard. Now that I am in the demon king’s body I have control over who wins.
I stopped my trial of thought. But if the Sperlan soldiers win their new hero will be coming to kill me. I would die….
“Dalos,” Ekta jabbed me with her hand. When I looked back at the council Vegra was raising his hand.
“Y-yes…” I stuttered, trying to find a way to address him.
“Celine….” he spoke slowly, and then he pointed his finger at himself. “I…fight.”
“You want to fight Celine?” my mind ran through a variety of possibilities on what could happen. Celine was a skilled warrior, but I doubt she stood a chance against a monster who wanted carnage. Besides, I was the one who was destined to fight him.
“No,” Ekta said. There was a small curve in her lips. “I believe we have another opponent for her.”
At that smiles spread across the table, and I gave a desperate attempt to do my own.
“Ekta,” I called her. “Who do you-”
The front doors swung open, and my blood turned cold as I saw who stood in front of it. I recognized each of her details with deadly precision - the long black hair, those red irises, the claws on her arms.
“Yelna,” Ekta spoke her name like a deadly weapon. “I believe you are ready.”
She grinned, showing her perfect white canine teeth.
“Yes Ekta,” she knelt down in front of the table. “You can leave that Celine girl to me. I’ll make sure she won’t be troubling you ever again.”
My body was frozen on the seat. Memories of my death flashed in my mind. I remembered the demon woman’s claws digging into me over and over again.
I gripped the edges of my seat and stood up. I couldn’t let that monstrosity get near Celine. She would be dead before the battle is over.
“No,” my voice echoed in the room, but I couldn’t figure out if it was fear or confidence they heard. “The demon gir- I mean, Yelna, can stay. I’ll handle that Celine girl by myself.”
There was a deadly silence around the room. Ekta was looking at me as if she was about slashing my face apart.
“Are you sure of this?” she frowned. “I thought you never wanted to show your face in public until that damn hero appeared at your doorstep.”
So that was Dalos’s plan after all. There were countless times I searched for his face on the battlefield but each time I was disappointed to find one of his henchmen instead of him.
But why hide?
Now that I was inside his body I could feel his energy coursing through me. It was much stronger than whatever I had inside me.
Yelna stood up with a disappointed face. “You promised me bloodshed.”
“I did,” I said, trying not to look at her face as I spoke. It still kept haunting me even as I spoke to her. “You will get it soon enough.”
I looked at Ekta. She was still glaring at me, but she gave a short bow.
“Council dismissed,” she said. “Malek, Commander Larg, prepare your spells and travel to the village with your escorts. Dalos and I will join you shortly.”
I walked out of the room quicker than I arrived. I flinched when I passed Yelna, and I only laid out my breath when I finally escaped from the room. I couldn’t believe I spent the last few moments in the same room with demon-kind.
I strode through the hall the same way I arrived, and before long I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Ekta following me.
“Something wrong?” I asked, trying to find something to say after seeing her troubled face.
“Everything’s wrong,” she bent one of her fingers, and a black blade slid into her arm through the folds of her dress. “Tell me what happened to you last night. Or I’ll have to start slicing you up.”