My name is Vivianna De'Gwyine the second daughter of House Gwyine – my sister Alaina beat me out by two minutes I'm told. That is a pretty accurate summation of my entire relationship with my sister – she's always just half a step ahead of me. Always a bit faster, a bit stronger, a bit better at magic. When we were kids it was fine, it was cute even, the people around us all watched on with warm smiles – the twin sisters blessed by the Goddess perfectly evenly matched in everything. But as we've gotten older the eyes of the people around us have changed – there can be only one Demon King after all.

  My situation was abnormal from the start, typically a second child would not be raised alongside the first, but when my sister had been brought before the Goddess to seek a blessing – we were both blessed. My father was a shrewd man, he knew having one of the Goddess' Chosen in his household was pretty much a guarantee that great things were ahead. Having two was even better. So we were raised together and treated equally. Both of us given access to an endless succession of tutors, a full and true noble education, preparing us both for the burden of leadership. When our powers were Judged at our tenth birthday and found to be massive – entitling both of us to the “De” prefix – father was convinced one of us was destined to become the Demon King.

  So we struggled. As we grew up the two of us both knew and understood that there could be only one at the end. We threw ourselves into studying, into magical and martial prowess, a lifetime of cutthroat family politics. All faked smiles at the shared dinner table, each of us with a half dozen plots on the others life at any one time. And in the end she was simply better. Always better, at everything, sometimes I wondered if the Goddess didn't just love her better than I. Whatever the reasons the result didn't change. And one day my sister triumphantly announced before our whole House, she was officially a tenth circle mage – I was still only eighth circle. The smile she gave me that day, knowing, full of superiority. We had played the game and I had lost.

  That night I made my move before she could make hers. I knew with her victory all but assured her blades would come for me, more openly than they had yet dared. Though it was true she was better that didn't mean I had to lie down and accept my death quietly. If I couldn't beat her – well there are always other ways. And I had had over a decade to prepare for this eventuality, to gather my allies against my sister and create a plan. So I stole down into the crypts beneath the Goddess's Grand Cathedral, I would be executed for desecrating this place if one of the priestesses caught me but succubi can be stealthy when they need to. Cloaked in my magic I was silent and invisible as I made my way down until I found Mia, my oldest and most loyal servant – who has watched over me since the day I was born.

  She was dressed as one of the priestesses of the Goddess – heavy black robes and ornamental black wings at her hips. But her hood was lowered so she was easy to recognize. She stood a silhouette in the darkness, backlit by the everburning torch within the alcove behind her, but I could see her lips curl into a smile as she spots me. Above her there is a mithril plate etched with the spidery characters of the Ancient Language that only the highest members of the Goddess's Order could read. Ignoring that I looked to Mia and before I can even ask the question she is answering.

  "Milady" She gives a slight bow as she begins to speak "I heard the news, your sister truly wastes no time. As soon as I heard I began to gather everything here – it's all prepared."

  "I see, well done – it can't have been easy." I mean that when I say it – sneaking anything down here into the crypts is a minor miracle. But it has to be here, there is magic in this place – left behind by generation after generation of my ancestors.

  "The potion is nearly complete Milady, were you able to gather the final ingredient for the Blood Cauldron?" She asks.

  "Yes. It wasn't easy but I have it."

  Saying so I walk past her, into the vacant alcove. It will one day be a tomb but right now there is no occupant for this space. Instead there is a red cauldron set above a small green fire, inside it an ominous looking pale blue fluid is bubbling. Surrounding the cauldron are various alchemical tools and reagents. Prepared for me by me and my conspirators – this is a potion said to rob the power from the blood of an enemy – as I look at it I reach into my white acolytes robe and pull out the small vial of my sister's blood, the final ingredient. I open the vial and dump the contents into the cauldron – the culmination of months of effort – and the only visible effect was the liquid in the cauldron began to glow faintly. I'd begun as soon as I realized my sister would reach the tenth circle ahead of me no matter what method I used – her growth was just too abnormal. Mine was as well of course, we were both Chosen after all, but she was better … Swallowing those bitter feelings I turned to Mia.

  "According to the document the potion is now complete, you confirmed with Glen what needs to happen next yes?"

  "Yes Milady. Everything is prepared for tomorrow when you make your triumphant debut." She smiled as she spoke.

  "Then here goes."

  Steeling myself I grab the prepared flask and dip it into the cauldron before bringing it to my lips in one smooth motion. I down the entire flask – the taste and texture is terrible, like swallowing raw seafood. After a moment it's all gone and the remaining potion in the cauldron has lost its glow – the magic expended – it seems to have succeeded? I wait. Wondering what exactly it will feel like to 'rob the power of blood' – right now all I feel is a bit sick from the taste.

  "Ugh, the taste is terrible – but I don't feel any different. I thought the effect was supposed to be immediate." I say looking over at Mia.

  She returns my gaze with a smile "Yes that's correct. I believe the effect is immediate."

  Ah my head hurts a bit, my vision is doubling up, blinking I look over at Mia. Something is wrong. I open my mouth to say something but stop. Mia is still smiling at me, a wide and amused smile, just what is so amusing…

  "…M-me-ah" The word comes out slurred.

  And now I'm falling … the strength leaving my legs … Mia steps forward and catches me, holding me up. The last thing I see is her smile.

***

  Then I woke up. As I wake I take a huge shuddering breath, it feels amazing, as if I'd been holding my breath for a hundred years. Now awake, I can feel that something is wrong with my body – did something go wrong with the potion? – and I can feel a powerful and unfamiliar magic in me. I'm being affected by the magic, I can feel it shooting through me, I can't help but twist and writhe as it does its work – normally I would be quite disturbed but for some reason I can understand instinctively that this magic is not hostile. Not hostile, but not comfortable either, the next few moments are exceedingly unpleasant as the spell roams through every part of me, from the horns on my head to the tip of my tail, it feels like a million tiny needles poking me – gently enough not to hurt – one moment working in the fingers of my left hand, then disappearing and reappearing in the fingers of my right. Over and over until my whole body feels like its been thoroughly prodded and poked but then just as I think it's over, one last shock sweeps through my whole body and all my muscles stiffen – I can't help it as my back arches and my wings extend – then it's over and I collapse.

  After it's over I lay there a moment, taking in my surroundings. This is still the abandoned crypt but a few things are different. The light from the everburning torches is gone for one, briefly there was some green light, but now it's gone too – to see I have to rely on my darkvision. Also I'm laying inside of something – a sarcophagus of some kind if I don't miss my guess – which is odd, this tomb was vacant before I passed out. What happened? Did the potion not work? Did something go wrong? Or was it betrayal? That seems most likely. I would never have thought Mia had it in her but this situation is pretty damning. After drinking a potion she made most of I pass out and wake up in a sarcophagus? That's more than 'suspicious'. I just wonder why I was left alive at all. Maybe my sister wants to mock me one last time, for getting the better of me yet again. Speaking of which – I'm not alone in this room, there's at least one other person who I caught a glimpse of while I was writhing around – so I guess it's time to face them and find out exactly what's going on.

  Part of me just wants to lay there but in the end I am a daughter of House Gwyine with a proud linage stretching back over a thousand years. I will at least face my death on my own two feet, I have that much pride. So, moving carefully, I pull myself up out of the sarcophagus to get a look at the other person in the room. A woman with her back to me. She's wearing black and she has two ornamental wings at her hips. Seeing that my mind is thrown even further into confusion, it's Mia? Did I misread the situation? That would be nice if I did – maybe what I just experienced was the potion after all … and Mia moved us to hide? Thinking so I begin to make my way over to her.

  “Hey. What's going on here? What happened with the Blood Cauldron? Did we succeed…” I get those words out before the woman turns to face me and the first thing I notice are her blue eyes that, though she's a bit shorter than me even with the heels she's wearing, are looking down on me from an impossible height. Her movements are the movements of a queen, radiating grace and refinement with a simple turn of her head and sweep of her pale blue eyes, my breath catches in my throat as I'm caught in that gaze. I hear the hiss of air as someone sharply inhales … was that me?

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  Because this person is not Mia. This person is not even a person. I can feel my eyes widening as a million conflicting thoughts suddenly explode through my mind. Because standing in front of me is the most beautiful woman in all of Artas – that is a commonly accepted truth – she is instantly recognizable, with pale skin like fine porcelain, long black hair that reaches down to her waist and soft blue eyes that seem to pierce my soul. She's wearing her divine raiments – upon which all the clergy of her Order base their uniforms – a modest, almost simple, black dress deeper than blackest midnight is wrapped around her body. Her only accessory a deceptively simple golden circlet that floats about a centimeter off her head, like a halo. I've heard that that circlet is made of an extremely rare metal only the Goddess possess'. What I at first mistook for the ornaments her clergy wears are actually two real and fully articulated black feathered wings at her hips and poking out from her hair are her two small curling black horns. There are none in Artas who do not know this face, the face of the Demon Goddess Alexandria her portraits and statues practically litter the land. It's a face almost as familiar to me as my own seen for the first time in the flesh – well the second time, if you count the time she blessed you as a baby my overheated mind notes.

  For a brief moment I can only gape at her – my mind spinning up to a million miles an hour. Why is the Goddess here? Is it because I am her chosen? Did she take note of the dispute between me and my sister? The Goddess can't be happy to have two of her Chosen fighting – why did I never think of that!?Or is she here to punish me for desecrating the crypts? Some other reason? I could never guess the will of the Goddess … BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHY IS THE GODDESS HERE WHY HAS SHE MOVED FR-

  Then a lifetime of training, of being raised as a faithful vassal for the Goddess – as one her Chosen – overwhelms all of that and I drop heavily to my knees pressing my hands into the first form of the Rite of Supplication. Showing the greatest possible subservience with what I have at hand and following a brief moment of internal debate – considering my lowly status I have no right to greet the Goddess right? But if I don't will she think me rude and be offended? Doesn't matter I've already been unforgivably rude I need to salvage this and show my loyalty.

  “Goddess.” I whisper the word. Then my mind just goes blank, awaiting the judgment of my Goddess. I can feel her gaze on the top of my head, an almost physical pressure. A moment slips by – it feels like an eternity – and then the Goddess speaks.

  “You” Her voice is melodious, like a chorus of angels, hearing it I want to weep at its beauty “Can you cast magic?” And suddenly my heart drops in my chest, a black feeling of terror crawling over me. Though her voice is a thing of supreme beauty her words shake me to my core. Even though I am the Goddess' Chosen. I am only an eighth circle mage. How can I tell her? To expose my shame to such a beautiful and perfect being, if only my sister were here…

  But I cannot deceive the Goddess, to even think of such a thing is blasphemy of the highest order, so reluctantly I answer.

  “Yes Goddess, I am capable of casting up to the eight circle of magic.”

  “Then cast a magic to detect any living demon on Artas.” She commands immediately.

  What? Why? Isn't she just ordering me to kill myself? As I thought I did something to offend the Goddess. Why such a round-a-bout method though? Unable to help myself I look up at her, confusion written across my face, as I look up she meets my gaze evenly. Faced with that divine beauty I can only flinch and lower my head. More important than my death is that I cannot cast such magic, even if I wanted to. Maybe my sister could – the tenth circle is said to be the very peak of magical power after all – but somehow I doubt it, the gap between us can't be that wide. Perhaps if the Goddess gathered a handful of her tenth circle mages something like that might be possible … Suddenly I realize I haven't given my response.

  “M-my deepest apologies Goddess” I stutter on the first word unconsciously and my stomach once again swoops in dread – ignoring it a press on “I do not have the power to blanket the entire continent in my magic and even if I did … the backlash would…”

  I try to keep myself firm and resolved but to admit my weakness before the Goddess … the shame causes me to choke on my words. I try to gather myself to continue but-

  “The backlash would?” Her voice is so sweet and gentle, I would give anything to not disappoint my Goddess but I'm so powerless.

  “…Kill me.” I bitterly force the words out in a whisper.

  “That's absurd, you have my blessing, how could any amount of magical strain kill you? And what do you mean you don't have the power? Again you have my blessing. You can simply draw on my power to work your magic if you feel your own reserves aren't equal to the task.” The Goddess's voice is incredulous, annoyed.

   As for me my mind is spinning into overdrive again as I try to process the Goddess's words. I know that the Goddess's Chosen are more durable but I don't think it's to the extent that would allow me to survive activating a magic that targeted millions of creatures at once. But. But. MORE IMPORTANTLY. What does she mean I can draw on her power? I've never heard of such a thing. Even the clergy of her Order rely on arcane or demonic magical energy – I've never heard of a demon channeling divine power. Or is it something she grants only to her Chosen? But I've never felt something like divine power–

  Suddenly the Goddess is moving! I freeze in place, my entire body still – even holding my breath as she reaches down to me. Then I feel her touch. The touch of the Goddess! Her finger is on my forehead, tracing the line of the mark that declares me her Chosen, as she does I feel a few things. Most noticeably her power is infusing me, she is reinforcing or reapplying her blessing, maybe just to show me the second thing I feel. There is a link. Between me and the Goddess there is a conduit of some sort – a magic I'm completely ignorant of binds us together – but even with my ignorance I can feel it. On the other end of the link is a vast sea of magical power, the quantity so huge I can't even begin to try to imagine using it all, are all Gods like this? So powerful? It feels like it's vibrating through my entire body even though I can sense that only a tiny trickle is coming through the link – it's a terrifying feeling – suddenly having the power of a God thrumming at my fingertips.

  “You feel it right? It should be resonating with my power right now because of the proximity. Just grab that power and use it, if you can't find it on your own just pulse your mana at me to create the resonance. Practice that until you can use the bond without it – it would be irritating if you need to pulse mana at me at all hours of the day.” The Goddess spoke as if explaining to a small child.

  And I wonder. How could it be that I didn't know of this until now? Until the Goddess herself personally informed me? I am supposed to be her Chosen, how could I be so ignorant of the bond we share? That crushing feeling of shame is returning. I am unworthy of such power that the Goddess want's to entrust to me – so feebly I try to protest.

  “B-but Goddess-”

  Apparently sensing my intent the Goddess cuts me off “I gave you my blessing. That's what it's for, so use it.”

  As she says that I feel so terrible words can't even describe it. Because obviously. That is the entire point of the Chosen of the Gods is it not? We are the mortal instruments of divine beings – our entire purpose is ensuring our Goddess's Will is done here on the mortal plane. But something has happened clearly because the Goddess herself is moving. Wasn't one of my first thoughts – why is the Goddess moving personally? - why didn't I realize sooner? We instruments of the Goddess have failed in our purpose so miserably that the Goddess herself is taking action; and my first action upon being confronted with this fact is to try to shirk my duties? To push the power my Goddess has entrusted to me away in fear? I can not even call myself one of her Chosen my conduct is so shameful.

  But now the scales have fallen from my eyes. It pains me that I required direct divine intervention to remember my duties; but I will not fail again. Even if I have to grind this body into dust, I will see my Goddess's Will done.

  Thus resolved I cast my mind back to my magic lessons, selecting suitable spells for locating, for targeting demons, for boosting range and capacity. After I narrow the list down I try to apply my knowledge of spell-conjunction and compress the four spells into one. Frankly speaking it's impossible. From the start putting four spells in one will result in a worthless fizzle most of the time – to counter that I selected four spells from the same school, which improves the chance of them functioning as intended together; even if they won't fizzle the amount of power required for such a monstrous amalgamation of proper magic will be astronomical but the Goddess has entrusted me with that power. Once I have the incantation set in my mind I go to work. Simultaneously speaking the incantation aloud and drawing out every scrap of magical power I have – before reluctantly and somewhat reverently tapping the bond for the remainder. Never in my life have I had so much magical power at my fingertips, the strain is massive but thanks to the Goddess's blessing I'm durable enough to survive. After nearly ten minutes of chanting I feel the spell is complete, hanging heavy in the air all around me, raising my hand hesitantly – this is going to hurt – I snap my fingers.

  The surge of power is focused mainly on the hand I used to trigger the magic but I feel it in every pore of my body as it is used as a conduit for power far beyond its abilities to manage. I can't suppress the gasp of pain as a massive wave of pain rolls through my whole body – radiating out from my center like a tide. I see my arm is torn and tattered before my eyes blur with tears and I feel my legs give out from under me. Helpless I start to fall … straight into the modest bosom of the Goddess. I feel her arms wrap around me.

  “Idiot girl” She scolds me.

  But then she presses her lips to my forehead and I feel myself floating away from the pain buoyed on the gentle tide of the Goddess's power. She's healing me. I realize it blearily.

  “If you are going to draw on my power anyway there is no need to drain yourself completely. Your control was terrible. If you plan to call yourself my chosen you must not destroy yourself with your own spells. In the future use a Rune Formation to guide the mana for such large-scale magic.” She rapidly gives me advice – divine inspiration – on how to improve myself while holding me close and healing my wounds. I wonder what a Rune Formation is briefly but quickly forget about it, losing myself in her embrace.

  “Were you showing off or something?” She finishes by chiding me gently – her beautiful voice taking the sting off the scolding.

  Never in my whole life – fraught with danger and House politics – have I felt so safe and loved as I do now. The Goddess cares for me unconditionally and when I'm hurt she is a safe place in this dangerous world. At the same time I'm scared. I felt the results of the spell and I finally understand why the Goddess has called out to me personally. I understand why the Goddess feels the need to move herself. A massive task lies before me and I'm so scared I won't be enough. That I will fail the Goddess like all of her other children apparently have. I sob, just imaging failing, betraying the trust of the Goddess who is so kind and good. That thought of failure reminds me – I do have a job to do.

   “G-g-goddess forgive me.” I choke out. “I-I did manage to cast t-the spell b-but it detected no one. J-just you. And me.”

  The Goddess continues to embrace me and I in turn cling to her desperately, pulling myself shamelessly into her lap. Because what if she leaves? Leaves me here all alone in the world? I can't imagine why she would stay though when all of her children have failed her so miserably. I don't know how she can still care about worthless people like me, about a worthless race like demons. I don't know what happened but I do know that we let her down. But the Goddess is kind, the Goddess is good, and she holds me until the fear is gone. Whatever the Goddess requires – I will see it done. I etch that vow into my heart.