“I want to leave!” I hollered. “You can’t keep me here! I must see my family at once. You have no right to keep me here like this. Slaves are treated better than this!” I yelled at the lack of response from Balfomeir. My heart rate increased as anger flooded my body. “Do you know who I am?” I asked the wretched hunchback.
“You’re a boy and our village is under high alert. We cannot let you go. Not until we have sufficient authorization to get you to your family. Our village determined that we are under imminent danger, and we cannot allow a party of midnight rovers free in our village. It’s as simple as that. I am waiting to hear from the king, and once we have your entire party cleared, we will deliver you to your family. Is that clear?” Balfomeir’s crooked nostrils flapped as he breathed, his labored breath had him huffing by the time he finished his sentence. He simply was not a healthy man. He must have had a hard time with that hunchback and all. I’m was certain that his lungs were not fully formed, he must have had some type of deformity in his thoracic cavity. Daylight had not broken yet on the horizon as it was before dawn. I needed to be on my way to save this world from the Demon Lord. Didn’t they know that they were preventing me from saving them?
Angry by the response I received, I headed back to my cot by the window. Seriously? Doesn’t he know who I am? Apparently not. I will be the greatest mage this world has ever seen. I mean, obviously, how could I not be. No one knows of the tremendous advantage that I have over everyone with my eidetic memory. The figure chose me in the afterworld to save this world from destruction. Demon Lord Abraxas has made his attack, and now it is my time to rise to the occasion.
All the preparation that Hamon has provided me, I can now use toward greatness. I have to be freed to fulfill my destiny and become the most powerful magic user in all the land.
Obviously, Balfomeir, the tired hunchback has no clue who he is dealing with. I must find a way to educate him. Particularly, I do not want to hang around in this dump any longer. They have us holed up in an abandoned barn located on the northward side of Gilmore. The Gilmore army converted it into barracks for the soldiers to rest as they kept watch on the barren field down the hillside from the barn. It appeared that they were well aware of the attack on Draererth and Pronerth and were on watch for an attack from Lord Abraxas coming from the Enchanted Forest. They should have me fighting in the army, alongside the War Mages. After all, my magic has leaned toward the school of evocation, in terms of manipulating power source for offensive spells. Apparently, I am destined to be an evoker and one destined to protect this universe from the Demon Lord. If only now, they would just let me go do the job that I was brought into this world to do!
Anger flooded my body once again, and the anxiety I carried was far too much for me to bear. I mumbled a few words, and the runes appeared. I manipulated a few of the glyphs and cast a firebolt right at Balfomeir’s head. The small flame hurled through itself through the air, and I awaited the moment when it would ignite his clothes on fire. That would bring me pure joy, watching that old man go up in flames, hearing him wail until some soldiers around him would extinguish the flames with either water or smother it with a blanket. Elation came over me. This would be retribution for him not letting us go! Prepare to pay, old man!
As I watched the flame about to descend onto his ancient, wrinkly neck that even drooped in the back and anticipating in relishing in my near, sweet revenge, I watched the flame be absorbed by his body. Before I realized what had occurred, a rapier passed by my head. I was not sure if it got me or not; I did not have time to duck since I did not see it coming. A voice from across the barn yelled, “Don’t move!”
Not knowing what the voice was referring to, I lifted my arm to check and see if I was bleeding from Balfomeir’s rapier attack. As soon as I moved, I went unconscious, falling to the ground.
Moments went by, and I slowly opened my eyes. I was on the dirt floor, staring up at five soldiers. “I said, don’t move!” one of the soldiers shouted from above me.
“What in the world happened?” I asked, realizing I could sit up, lifting myself so I was sitting on the ground.
“You made a big mistake when you decided to try and injure Balfomeir,” another soldier explained. These soldiers were some of the fittest fighters I had ever seen. Their muscles bulged from out of their mail and they wore the Gilmore crest on their brigandine, the cloth garment body armor the fighters wore while in the barracks.
Another soldier explained, “Balfomeir is an eldritch knight, one of the highest and most skilled in the land. I’m not sure what you were thinking by casting a little cantrip on him. He saw that firebolt coming from a mile away. Luckily, Lord Jamben Shortcloak the Bard was here to heal you. You took some serious thunder damage after Balfomeir used Elemental Absorb and used the energy from your measly firebolt for his Blade Boom. That’s why I told you not to move. You take more damage when you move after you’ve been hit.”
I finally could put the pieces together, “It appears I made a mistake by deciding to duel him, I guess.”
A soldier replied, “That is an understatement. None of us would dare pick a fight with Balfomeir. Not only his he one of the king’s most trusted and loyal confidant’s he’s a hell of a fighter too! You should probably go make amends with him. You do not want to be on his bad side.”
“Alright, fine,” I replied. Not wanting to admit I was wrong, or worse outmatched. Stubbornly, I asked, “Where is he.”
“I reckon he’s cooling off outside. Just be nice and admit that you were wrong. As much of a fighter he is, he’s a big softy. You could even add that you are under a lot of stress with your school being attached and all. That should make everything go over much more smoothly if you add that,” one of the soldiers explained.
I headed out of the barn door and caught the hunchback out of the corner of my eye down on the side of the barn. Approaching him, my nerves signaled in the pit of my stomach. “Hey, sorry for casting a firebolt at you while you weren’t looking. I am just so frustrated being cooped up in here. I’m worried about my family and upset about my school. And, I’m not sure if you’re aware or not, I had to leave my mentor who was fighting Lord Abraxas while I went to evacuate the school. He made me, I didn’t want to leave,” I explained. Up until now, I did not realize how guilty I felt about leaving Hamon. I wanted to go rescue him and as I saw it, this misshapen hunchback was the only thing preventing me from rescuing my mentor. Time was of the essence.
The hunchback had tears forming in his eyes, he faced me and said, “My child, you are far too young to have witnessed what you have. I feel bad for retaliating, now I realize that you and your friends have been through so much. I will make sure we get you and your friends cleared and send you back to your families. Go back to your cot and get rest. You need to relax from being healed by Lord Shortcloak. He’s not great at those healings, you will need to still rest.”
I nodded, feeling weak. Especially hearing that about the bard healing. I returned to my cot and shut my eyes. My friends hadn’t stirred yet. I thought they might have with the commotion, but they must be tired from the night before. All of us were low on mana and needed to recuperate.
I drifted off peacefully, trusting that Balfomeir would take care of ensuring my friends and I was not evil spies from Lord Abraxas and we would be on our way to our families later on in the day. It shouldn’t take them that long, they would need to speak with our parents and have them provide descriptions. Once those matched, we should be well on our way to see our loved ones and to endure the attack from the Demon Lord.
I would rise to the occasion and become the greatest mage that this world had ever seen.
I saw the sun emerging on the horizon through one of the barn windows as I woke up for the second time this morning. I had woken up earlier in the morning because I did not sleep at throughout the night and caused a ruckus with Balfomeir.
I must save this world from the Demon Lord! This world doesn’t deserve me, and I’m considering that I am doing them a favor by me saving them. I mean, come on, I am the greatest wizard that this world will ever see. As I laid out my plan of how I was going to storm the Abyss once I was freed from this barn, thoughts were brought to the foreground of my mind. Thoughts about Hamon and how he selflessly battled the Demon Lord so I could warn the school and escape. Thoughts about my mother and father in Gilmore, and if they were all right. During the night, my mind wandered about the night of the Heims Festival and how I cherished that time with Emma. I thought about Bradan, the bookstore owner I had worked for when I was in primary school. I loved working at the bookstore where I was able to escape and read. I could not allow my mind to go there. I had work to do.
Then my mind wandered about my two parents in my former life. I remembered the last day I spent with them, how proud they were that I was on my way to becoming a doctor and entering into my undergraduate studies. As I laid in my cot, cold and shivering, my only prayer was that the people I loved were safe and happy. Those were all moments I cherished, however, none of these feelings would compare to the feeling I would have when I defeated the evil Demon Lord and this world recognized me as the greatest mage that ever was.
Alas, my mind wandered to a darker place. Despite having these ambitions, what if I never began this journey at all? There were parts of me that wished that I had never died when I was run over by a stolen vehicle. There were parts of me that wished that I had never made that deal with the figure in the afterworld. What if I decided to go to Heaven? Then I would not be in this mess. Then, there were the parts of me that relished every single instance that I had spent here in Gilmore and at Draererth, School of Spells and Wizardry.
I had done things in this life that only my former life would have ever dreamed of doing. Casting spells, partaking in duels, and learning the rules of magic were only things I would read or watch in movies. Or, I would experience them during a campaign in one of the tabletop RPG games I loved to play.
I rolled over, the sunlight now breaking through the window now burned my eyes, and I was not ready to face the world just yet. As I thought about all the instances that came to a head, tears streamed down my face. Agnes must have heard my sobs because she came over to me and rubbed my back as I laid face down. She whispered in my ear, “It will be all right Edward. Hamon will find a way to escape Abraxas. He will.”
I rolled over, “Thanks Agnes, your words mean a lot right now, thank you for saying that.”
Walter, Yves, and Cecily stirred on their cots.
Before I could acknowledge my friends as they woke from their apparent sound slumber, a group of men entered the barn from the entrance farthest from us. Balfomeir still kept a watchful eye on us, as what appeared to be twelve men made their way through the barn. Thankfully Balfomeir forgave me for the little altercation that occurred earlier in the morning. He definitely was admirable, and from now on I would respect him.
As the soldiers noticed the men who entered the barn, they stopped what they were doing and stood at attention, chests puffed out, hands folded behind their backs, and feet together. The group of men soon descended on our group of cots, clustered together away from the soldiers.
Balfomeir bowed as he spoke, “King Harold O’Mallory, to what do I owe this honor?”
King Harold shouted to the men in the barn who remained standing at attention, “Gentlemen, as you were.” King Harold turned to Balfomeir and said, “I was given word this morning that there were five students who came from Draererth last night. One was is a resident of Gilmore. I understand that you have been keeping watch of them while they were under detainment.”
Balfomeir replied to the King, “Aye, Your Majesty. They arrived in the thick of darkness last night. We would wait until daybreak to question them before deciding if they were a threat from the attack from Demon Lord.”
“Very well. Continue your investigation. I understand that one of these students is the son of Henry MacAra, my army’s blacksmith?” asked the king.
“Well, I’m not sure,” Balfomeir replied. “I have not conducted the investigation as of yet. They only woke up moments ago.”
I interrupted the discussion between King Harold and Balfomeir, “Your Royal Highness, If I may interrupt?”
“Yes, tell me,” answered the king.
“Henry MacAra is my dad,” I replied.
“I see. He is one of my most trusted men, and served as a blacksmith, shoeing my horses for decades. Before me, he shoed the horses for my dad,” King Harold said as he bent down to look straight in my eyes. The King turned to Balfomeir, “Investigate these students and get them cleared quickly so we can get them to their families. One of them is a family member of a man who has served my family for decades. See to it that this is done quickly,” King Harold ordered. He turned to us and said, “I will work quickly to get you cleared to leave. Until then, know that you are safe here in the barracks.”
I returned to my cot, sitting at the foot. I hoped to see my parents and Emma today. I realize that we came in the thick of night under enemy attack, so we had to be vetted first.
As King Harold was about ready to leave our cluster of cots, a squire approached him. “Your Royal Highness,” the squire said as he bowed.
“Yes, Neils, what is it?” King Harold asked.
“Sire, the rescue explorers had returned from Draererth,” the squire said.
“And?” King Harold asked.
“There was no trace of any life. Only dead bodies found under the rubble. The entire school was leveled,” the squire explained. “But Sire, we have another problem.”
“What is it now? Aren’t you aware that we are preparing for war? It is only a matter of time before the Demon Lord attacks Gilmore?” King Harold admonished.
“Apologies Sire. I realize that we cannot make haste, however, one of the explorers was found to be a devotee of Lord Abraxas,” the squire said as he lowered his eyes.
“Who is this explorer and how do we know?” King Harold demanded.
The squire responded, “Other explores intercepted this man sending a raven. They read the message and found that the message alerted Lord Abraxas of the locations of the armies.”
“Say no more!” the King shouted as he raised his hand to cover the mouth of the squire. “Treasonous acts such as this make my blood boil and I have no tolerance for them. Do we have this man?” asked King Harold.
“Yes Sire, he is in the prison right now,” the squire answered.
“Bring him here now!” King Harold said, turning his back toward us and our cots. The King then said to one of the men in his entourage standing to his right said, “Summon the high priestess and the executioner. This will send a message to anyone who even thinks about giving locations of our men to the enemy.” The man nodded, and left out of a side door of the bar, running.
Walter tugged on my shirt, “I heard, they found no survivors at Draererth.”
“That was what I heard as well,” I replied.
“Do you think Hamon made it out all right?” Cecily asked.
“I have no idea,” I responded. “I only hope he made it. He and I were close. After all, he was my mentor.”
Cecily rubbed my shoulder, as she sat next to me. “Hamon is one of the greatest mages. He is a world-renowned magic user and one of the most respected professors at Draererth. If anyone could have survived, it would have been him.”
Shortly after the King had summoned the executioner and the high priestess, they both appeared. The high priestess wore a scarlet red gown, she had long red hair and had several long lariats around her neck. Her gown was embroidered with gold thread, and had long, bell sleeves covering her hands. She carried a book.
The executioner was at least two heads taller than King Harold and wore a black robe with a black hood with eyeholes. The executioner carried a wooden ax with a wide, silver blade appeared to had just been sharpened.
King Harold said to the high priestess and the executioner, “Thank you for coming so quickly. We have a treasonous soldier who must be punished. Before he meets his maker, I would like his last rites to read. Follow me, we will do this outside.”
“Whoa, an execution!” Walter shouted. “Let’s go watch!”
“I’m not really sure I want to see this,” I hesitated, stopping the group from following the king outside.
Cecily encouraged, “Edward, when are you going to get the chance to witness an execution, come on,” she said while she pulled my arm.
“Have you seen one before?” I asked.
“Well, no. But I want to, let’s go,” she answered. I relented and followed Walter, Agnes, and Yves outside the barn.
By the time I had made it outside, the squire led two soldiers who held the prisoner up the dirt pathway to the barn. The prisoner attempted to put up a fight as he struggled to get free from the two soldiers who each held one of his arms that were tied behind his back.
The prisoner looked like he had a troubled life as the skin on his neck and face were leathered in between his stubbly beard and his brown hair that covered the back part of his neck. His piercing green eyes had the look of terror in them as if he knew his fate. The two soldiers walked him up to the King, the high priestess, and the executioner.
King Harold started, “Raymond, you have been charged with treason. Treason is the most heinous crime during the time of war because so many lives are on the line. Especially from this attack from Lord Abraxas. I understand that you serve the Demon Lord, is that correct?”
“I will not answer to a coward, such as yourself. I all of your loyal subjects knew what you have done, then they would serve the Demon Lord as well. Abraxas may be evil, but he is just and fair to his subjects. You will sell your own mother or feed her to the wolves if it meant that you increased the size of your kingdom and gain more power. At least with Abraxas, he will promote those who serve him,” Raymond explained.
King Harold retorted with a sneer, “Another who has been brainwashed by Lord Abraxas, the one thing that the Demon Lord has is loyal followers.” Then the King turned to the few onlookers who were there to witness the beheading, “Fellow citizens of Gilmore, this man was caught in the act of sending a messenger raven to the Demon Lord himself. This treasonous act would have put hundreds if not thousands of our men at risk. The locations of our troops would have been known by the enemy only to be thwarted and succumbed in due time, and the bodies of our men would eventually return to Gilmore. We would acquire the bodies of our husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers to bury. I sentenced this man to death. He did not deny the charges that were brought against him. Is there anyone who will speak on his behalf and object to the charges?”
King Harold looked around at the sparse crowd, looking for anyone who objected to the charges brought forth on this man. “Seeing that there are none, we will proceed with the last rites and execution.”
The high priestess stepped forward, the bottom of her red gown blowing in the gentle breeze. She opened her book and read, “Gods above and below, be merciful on this man. We have found him to be a traitor in this life. Do not allow him to be one in the next. Transition his soul and help him have the peace he did not have in this life. Despite the harm he caused in this life, bless his soul he will reincarnate to another life and learn the lessons he should need to find life everlasting.” The high priestess shut her book as the soldiers forced the prisoner onto his knees.
One of the soldiers commanded, “Bow your head.” The prisoner refused, and the soldier grabbed the hair on the prisoner’s head and pulled his head down. “I have no patience for traitors, you hear!”
The executioner slowly stepped forward, towering over everyone who stood next to him. He drifted, preparing for what he was about to do. He took his ax and lifted it with both arms, high over his head. The executioner paused before he would take a full swing down to severe the prisoner’s head, who was now bowing while he waited on his knees to meet his ultimate demise. Before the executioner could make that swing, King Harold had swung his sword first, causing the head to roll several meters before the spectator’s feed, the severed head’s eyes blinking their final time. The brain, nerves, and muscles still able to operate, but not for long, with the little blood that was left. I wondered if the head was still conscious and aware that it was no longer attached to the body.
I had heard the obscene sound of King Harold’s sword moving through the muscular column of a neck, the cutting of the muscles, the bone, and the nerves. The sword made a ghastly noise as it tore through the spine of the prisoner. When the head was no longer attached to the body, I could smell the wounded flesh and iron in the blood.
Since this was my first execution, I took a moment to take all of it in. The prisoner’s lifeless body fell to the ground after the King decapitated it. I looked at the head, the piercing green eyes looked as though they looked off into the crowd with an empty stare. The most troubling thing of all was the expression on the head’s face. Despite all of this, a sneer still appeared on the face of the prisoner. It did not appear this prisoner had an ounce of remorse for the havoc he caused. The previously referenced raven that the other explorers in his party intercepted may not have been the first message that this man had been sending to the Demon Lord.
Knowing what the prisoner had done to warrant such a violent and undignified death, I still felt bad. Death and dying were not entities I enjoyed. I could remember my most recent death, the confusion, and horror of not knowing where I was and the helplessness of not being able to console those who I had recently departed.
With coming to terms of leaving one life, a life that I had not yet felt I carried out and lived to my potential, I was disheartened and shallow when I first reincarnated in this life. I wanted to get all the things back I had lost and took many things for granted. All I wanted from this life was to live a better life than the one I had left, but in doing so, I shortchanged my relationships with my friends and my parents. I did not want to get close to anyone again out of fear I would leave them, or worse they would leave me.
It took witnessing my first execution to have these feelings flood to the surface of my consciousness, and now I could begin to process the grief I felt for the two parents I left and whom I missed dearly.
I was jolted back to reality when I watched the executioner’s ax swing through where the head once was. King Harold had already put his sword in its holster before the executioner plunged the polished ax into the ground. The executioner had prepared to sever a head, and with the head already severed, the force the ax came down with plummeted into the ground.
“Ed, did you see that?” Walter asked.
“Yeah, I did. That was crazy, the king lobbed off the prisoner’s head before the executioner could swing his ax,” I replied.
“You seemed like you were entranced while the whole thing happened. Are you all right?” asked Walter.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. I was just, you know, thinking. I had never seen one of these. It was moving. I could not help but feel bad for the prisoner,” I replied.
“Don’t feel bad for the prisoner. I guarantee you, he deserved it. I have seen a thousand of these. Little Brook is known for their beheadings. The laws there are very strict, so we do almost three executions a week,” Walter explained.
“Gees, that is a lot,” I replied. I was astonished by the number of executions that were carried out in that small town just south of Gilmore. This was the first execution that I witnessed, but we had one every couple of years. Obviously, the King does not like traitors because justice was served fast and dirty.
“What was hard was watching my mother die,” said Walter. “She was innocent,” he added.
“Your mother is passed?” I asked.
“Yes, she got extremely ill and laid in bed for several days before she died. She was my life before that, always making sure I was doing well in school, always cooked the best meals. She took care of my dad and brothers all day long. We were never the same after she died,” explained Walter.
“I had no idea, Walter. I am so sorry,” I said apologetically. I was sorry that I had not gotten to know him that well while we were at Draererth. I had been so wrapped up in learning magic and literally obsessed about beating the Demon Lord that I neglected to get to know the people who mattered in my life, my friends.
A lot can be said of Walter Colla, but most know that above all else he's friendly and active. Of course, he's also enthusiastic, efficient and good-natured, but they're far less prominent, especially compared to impulses of being devious as well. His friendliness though, this is what he's so well-liked for. On many occasions, people will count on this and his sense of humor whenever they need cheering up. Nobody's perfect of course and Walter had a range of flaws to deal with too. His cynical and pompous nature pose plenty of problems, though more on a personal level than for others. Fortunately, his active nature helped lighten the mood when needed. I remembered Hamon mentioning to me that Walter struggled as a magic user, and would have a lot to overcome. He came across as arrogant and jealous of others’ abilities. I wish he stopped focusing on how well others do things and worked on his own ability scores.
I was clearly moved by witnessing the execution, but I had to get my wits about me soon. Soon, the King would clear us, and I could go see my parents and Emma. Perhaps Bradan at the bookstore and my friends could go and see their families and we could decide what our next step would be in regards to our studies of magic. Draererth was in rubble, the same with Pronerth. We could rebuild Draererth or study at a different school. This is not taking into account what effect Demon Lord Abraxas would have on the future of my apprenticeship, let alone what has happened to Hamon, my dear friend.
I was brought back to reality once again by the voice of the king, my mind was definitely wandering after this pivotal moment. It was almost too much. Too much emotion going on at once. King Harold justified his action as he spoke to the executioner, “I noticed your ax was freshly sharpened. That would have been too easy of a death for this one. My sword hadn’t been sharpened since the last war. It was nice and dull. I’m sure it caused some pain as I cut through the neck.” King Harold patted the executioner on his shoulder as he walked away, “Did I mention, I can’t stand traitors?” With a chuckle, King Harold added, “I will pay you double for this execution and the trouble I caused. And I will see to it that you get a new ax.” Then King Harold walked to his horse, mounting it and was followed closely by his entourage who mounted their horses. Before riding off the King said, “Make sure he is quartered and his body displayed at the four corners of the village as a reminder to all who dare even consider giving knowledge of the whereabouts of our men to the enemy!” King Harold shouted as his horse grew restless from lack of training as it wanted to gallop and ride, but its rein did not all it to do so. King Harold noted as he pointed the horse in the direction of the castle, “Stake Raymond’s head outside the castle gates. I would like to be reminded of his acts each time a body returns to his family who is carried by his fellow soldiers to be buried.”
The king and his twelve men rode toward the castle, I could make out in the distance. Two slim, round towers surrounded the castle, they reach twice the height of the walls and were connected by fortified, solid walls made of red stone. Wide windows were scattered thinly across the walls. A moderate gate with hefty metal doors, a drawbridge, and a moat protected those who lived inside of the castle.
The green and the purple flag of Gilmore waved in the breeze standing on a mast from each tower, signifying that this was the Village of Gilmore to all the surrounding lands. The founding members of Gilmore made the flag up of two horizontal green stripes and a triangle in dark purple. Our emblem inside of the triangle comprised a catapult on top of a hill. The emblem stood for our misfortune when we lost our emperor to Lord Abraxas, but Gilmore thrived when Abraxas was banished to the Abyss. Therefore, the catapult also served as a reminder of our bright future ahead.
His people loved and admired the current king of Gilmore. He saw himself as someone who served and protected his people. My dad spoke highly of him, and after meeting him, I felt they treated me fairly and justly.
I watched the men ride and reach the castle, with the light reflecting in the most picturesque setting. I was nearly enamored with King Harold as his ethical nature to do what was right. Cecily interrupted my gaze when she said, “Let’s go back to our cots and see if we can get cleared by Balfomeir.” She tugged at my arm, and I had noticed that Walter, Agnes, and Yves were already headed back into the barn.
Part of me did not want us to be cleared just yet. That would mean that I would have to say goodbye to my dear friends. I did indeed want to see my parents and let them know that I was safe, however; I did not want to say goodbye to my friends. I followed them back to our cots where we kept what things of ours we had, which was, for the most part, the clothes on our backs.
I was the last to join the group. As I approached the group of four sitting on their cots, Yves asked Balfomeir, “What is Gilmore like? What is your history with the Demon Lord?”
Balfomeir answered, “I am sure in primary school, you kids learned about the Emperor and the Demon Lord?”
Walter answered, “Yes, we have. But it has been a few years. Would you remind us what the empire was like back then?”
Balfomeir responded, “Many moons ago, a mighty Emperor ruled the realm, Lord Udoros Strifelaugher; a just Emperor standing for all that was good and lawful. The realm lived many years of peace and prosperity. He brought everyone together under his rule. There would be no wars within this realm, as long as he was alive.”
“That sounds so peaceful,” Yves acknowledged. “What happened?”
Balfomeir continued, “The Demon Lord was jealous of Lord Udoros Strifelaugher, and one night slaughtered him and his entire family, slicing their throats from ear to ear. Abraxas then began taking over each city, village, or town one by one until he was banished to the Abyss.”
“What happened next? After Lord Urdoros Strifelaugher was killed?” Cecily asked.
Balfomeir continued his explanation, “During the King’s childhood, multiple kingdoms lived in prosperity and thrived. The realm’s economy and trade was strong, with amicable trade agreements between each of the small kingdoms. Lord Hofstra, the warden of Gilmore during that time, was a just man who loved his people to the fullest of his extent. His mom was warm, beautiful, filled with wonder. During dinner one night, there was an intruder who managed to sneak in and poison his mother. The poison was meant for the King. The poison was imbued with an unspeakable kind of magic that has long been banned. Lord Hofstra managed to find and capture the assassin. In doing so, he found out that Lord Abraxas had slaughtered the emperor of the realms, in doing so, plunged the realms into a war. Lord Abraxas at the time slowly assassinated and corrupted each of the kings in the realm. Making them fight against each other like they were his marionettes of destruction. Lord Abraxas grew his powerful army at the time, sending it to seize control of the different kingdoms of the realm. Lord Hofstra managed to push the demonic horde back, saving his people. The King saw his father bid him farewell as he sacrificed himself in order to save Gilmore.”
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“What happened to Gilmore during that time?” Walter asked.
“The village was led by Lord Hofstra, Warden of Gilmore and King Harold’s father. At that time, we had a sophisticated communication system, still, do, and were able to lock down our village immediately. The King’s father challenged Lord Abraxas to a duel to end the onslaught. Lord Hofstra was eventually defeated. Before slaying Lord Hofstra, Lord Abraxas gave the father a choice. He was either to be slaughtered and have his kingdom taken or he would give himself to him and forever become his servant of darkness in exchange of the lives of his people and his son. The father agreed to sell his soul to the abyss, granting the kingdom many years of peace until now,” explained Balfomeir.
“Why does Lord Abraxas want King Harold as well? Didn’t he get what he wanted?” I asked.
Balfomeir continued, “As a village, we had always suspected that one royal servant would not be enough for Lord Abraxas. King Harold had always felt that he would join his father as a servant in the Abyss and make the same sacrifice that his dad did decades ago. I believe King Harold had always wanted to join his dad, he had felt guilty for his dad sacrificing himself for us. I believe that he wanted to make the same sacrifice.”
“How was Lord Abraxas banished and dormant for all of this time?” Walter asked.
“A force banished Lord Abraxas to the Abyss after Lord Hofstra was taken to be his eternal servant in an effort to save King Harold. No one knows where the force came from,” Balfomeir explained. However, I knew where the force came from. It was Hamon. The only reason I knew this was because the figure I met in the afterlife explained it to me through the mirror in my bedroom when he checked up on me.
“What is the future of Gilmore with this latest attack?” Cecily asked.
“King Harold now leads a mighty army with the most loyal subjects who are wholly devoted to him. We are not certain of what will come of our realm with this recent attack from the Demon Lord. You see, Lord Abraxas had been dormant for decades and his return would mark a new era for the village of Gilmore. Since Demon Lord Abraxas had been banished to the Abyss, he was not thought of to be a threat. The return of the Demon Lord was a sign that the universe had a false understanding of security. On one day, the beauty and prosperity will forever change, plunging the realm into darkness. Long ago he was banished to the Abyss, the Demon Lord Abraxas laid in the Abyss. He was in a constant struggle to gain power, killing the multiple generals, increasing his ranks. He bided his time long enough, it was now his time to return to the physical realm. Because of his insatiable hunger, he is now consuming the souls of the world, distorting them into his zombie minions of the Abyss. He will forever enthrall them, serving them for all of eternity. We found this out from one of the explorers who made it to the army of mariliths. He captured one of the devoted, and the mariliths had told him about the key.”
I interrupted the story, since I was not familiar about this part, “What is it about I key I heard?”
Balfomeir continued, “Like I was saying, as the Lord Abraxas grew stronger and stronger, it was now time to unleash his unholy, chaotic fury upon the physical realm. Lord Abraxas was hungry for more power. During the time that the Demon Lord lived in the Abyss, he found a key to further his rank. That key was an ancient spell book that contained spells that were left by the most powerful magic-users before this modern era. If Lord Abraxas could gain the knowledge of those spells, not even the heavens or devils from the nine hells could stop his ultimate onslaught for power. There was one last thing that he must do, he must seize control of the multiple magic user colleges in the enchanted forest, the Bristlecone Mountain Range, and Terravaje Desert. In doing so would put him in the best position to seize control of Gilmore and the other kingdoms. There was one issue for Lord Abraxas that has prevented him from ultimate success. The one who banished him to the Abyss which no one knows who the great wizard who accomplished such a feat, had permanently blinded the Demon Lord in the left eye. This ailment, although minor given the magic that Abraxas has learned, prevents him from manipulating all the runes and making the spells he casts more effective. Lord Abraxas may only be able to achieve a level 17 given this deficiency, therefore, a wizard who could get a level of 18 or higher would have no difficulty challenging him.” After listening to this, I was glad to hear that there was a weakness that Lord Abraxas had, even small, it was still a weakness.
Agnes asked Balfomeir, “So, any mage who was at a level 18 or higher could easily beat the Demon Lord?”
Balfomeir responded, “As I understand it yes. Now you see, a wizard, sorcerer, or druid, any magic user, would have to have channeled their powers in such a manner it would take a lifetime of learning, prayer, or what have you, in order to do this. Lord Abraxas set his plans into motion and now is the time the King of Gilmore prepare his mighty army for the onslaught is about to come. Lord Abraxas will show no mercy. His army, invading the great city of Gilmore. He will seize control by any means necessary. Even if he has to sacrifice a few of his mighty subjects.”
“Besides the ultimate magic user to save us, what else will happen?” I asked.
“What is Lord Abraxas plan? In the past, he could have seized the empire after he slaughtered the Emperor, Lord Udoros Strifelaugher, at any time he wished, but he waited and took his sweet time. Pitting everyone against each other within the kingdoms. After Lord Abraxas murdered Lord Udoros Strifelaugher and his family, he took the Emperor’s head, and paraded it in the streets on a stake, causing mad panic and hysteria.”
“That is horrible!” I shouted.
“After the death of the Emperor, there was no one to guide these fair people. There was a constant struggle for power between the subjects, eventually leading them to form smaller kingdoms within the former empire. This made it very easy for Lord Abraxas to gather his mighty army from the Abyss and plunge the realm into a long war between the demonic and the living. It is written that this is the second coming of the Demon Lord. The future of this realm is one that will end in chaos and destruction, and my dear children, I believe the end is nigh.”
Agnes, the most sensitive of the bunch began to have tears stream down her face, “Nigh?” she asked? “We are close to having our universe destroyed by the Demon Lord?”
“Aye, my sweet lass. Legend has it that one by one, each king will fall to Abraxas’ mighty power, eventually surrendering control, and enthralling these innocent people. The King of the mighty village of Gilmore will end up sacrificing himself in order to save the greater good. Lord Abraxas will not kill us, but in exchange for the King’s soul, Lord Abraxas will allow us to live, but he will have everlasting control over King Harold. The Demon Lord will conquer each of the kingdoms in the realm as well as each of the magic schools. Because of the sacrifice King Harold will make, Gilmore will be allowed to remain,” explained Balfomeir.
“That seems very honorable,” I concluded. Knowing fully well I was not capable of merely surrendering myself over. After all, I have to save this entire universe and get all the glory. That’s why I made that deal with the figure in the afterworld. If I became one of Abraxas’ minions, who would know that I gave my life for them? I would merely
“Extremely,” Balfomeir confirmed. “King Harold is the most honorable man I know. He knows of his fate and is prepared to sacrifice his soul when the time is right. It is an honor to give one’s own life to those that they protect.”
Cecily interjected, “This King Harold bit seems a little too good to be true.”
Balfomeir defended Cecily’s assertions, “What do you mean dear girl?”
“I was always told if something is too good to be true, it probably is,” she replied.
Balfomeir continued to pry, “So what are you suggesting?”
“I find it hard to believe that King Harold will sacrifice himself just because it is the right thing to do and for the greater good as you said. You mentioned that he is aware of his fate. So he knows right now he will spend eternity as the slave of the Demon Lord. I just don’t see him giving himself up to save all of us,” Cecily enlightened.
Balfomeir responded, “Well, sometimes we sacrifice for the greater good and those who we are put into place to protect. With great privilege comes great responsibility.”
Balfomeir said, “Oh! Before I forget, let me get the names and addresses of your parents and family. I will send a raven to each of them letting them know that you are here and safe. Once they confirm that you are who you say you are, I can release you to them.”
We each gave Balfomeir our names and addresses, being I was a local citizen of Gilmore, they sent a horseman to my family’s home to let them know of my whereabouts. I was certain that they were worried. I was positive they had heard of the attack on Draererth and probably feared the worst of me.
While Balfomeir was in the middle collecting Walter’s family’s names and addresses, an explosion rumbled the ground that our cots were on. “What was that?” Agnes shouted. That explosion sounded very close to us.
Balfomeir in a calm tone said, “Wait here, I will find out what happened.” Balfomeir drew his sword out of his holster and softly stepped to the main door of the barn which exited toward the center of the kingdom. The explosion, however, felt as though it came from the other side of the barn.
Walter cried, “I am getting tired of these explosions.” He curled his knees to his chest and placed his forehead to his knees, “Every time there is one of these explosions, the Demon Lord has something to do with it. This must mean that he is here. I am too young to die,” he said while he sobbed into his knees.
The truth was, how old is too young to die? In my last life, I was only a few years older than I am now, and that was painful, lonely, and I did not feel as though I had the control in what happened to me. I surely did not want to go through that ordeal again. I also did not want to be subjected to having my soul destroyed and be responsible for the destruction of all the souls in this universe as well.
Surprisingly, Agnes was the calmest out of our bunch. I had suspected that she may have started doing relaxing meditations because she was often the one to overreact in crises such as this, “Agnes, you seem very calm. Is everything all right?”
Agness replied, “I have come to the realization that whatever will be, will be and I do not need to get myself worked up over things that I cannot control.”
“That seems very mature of you,” I replied. It seems like it was yesterday that you were so homesick that and inconsolable that you had to spend the day in the infirmary.”
“That was the old me. This is the new me. I’m not going to let an evil overlord shake me. We are going to find a way out of this. I will see to it. I have new confidence since we beat those mariliths during the encounter when we left Draererth,” She replied. I admired her newfound fortitude.
Cecily was by far the most adventurous out of our group up to this point. She enjoyed making the rules up as she went. She would blaze her own way if she could. Cecily said, “I think we should leave. This is the first time that we have been left unsupervised. This can be our moment to get away,” she explained.
Me, being as lawful as the come said, “Cecily, I appreciate your enterprising attitude, and I want to leave here as well and see if Hamon is all right, but the King will clear us. And we will be sent home today. The King said that he would work as fast as he could to get us to our families once he realized that we are not a threat.”
Cecily replied, “I do not trust authority. The only thing that I trust is myself.”
Fair enough. We were under the control of another authority, and anything could happen. This is my king and the man that my dad had worked for decades. I have nothing but the utmost respect for King Harold, and I believe he is one of the most honorable men in this universe.
Yves was quiet I believe she knew what the explosions were. “Yves, are you all right? You’re awfully quiet.”
“I remember the last time we had heard explosions like that. That was when you got me to get the rest of our friends and to evacuate the Draererth. I know what those explosions are. That is Lord Abraxas with his army. I have no doubt.”
We were silent for moments, waiting for Balfomeir to return. He never did. The other soldiers in the barn had left shortly after Balfomeir, and we sat by ourselves, scared and fearing for our lives. I heard alarm bells ringing throughout the village. The horsemen, who were members of the Gilmore army, announced to the fine people of Gilmore that the Demon Lord is coming. They rode right by the barn and we were able to hear them. It was clear that Gilmore was under a state of emergency.
My friends and I peaked through one of the windows in the barn that opened up to the village square. We could make out the villagers taking refuge. Families pulled their children inside their houses, shop owners locked the doors and pulled in the surrounding people, and the vendors at the square abandoned their carts for shelter. I worried about my parents and Emma, but realized if what Balfomeir told us was true, the Demon Lord’s army will not enter the village wall, and everyone inside should be safe. We were protected by the great army and if the prophecy was true before the village would be pillaged and burned, King Harold would surrender himself, saving us all.
We watched from the barn window as great warriors, mages, archers all come together in the village square to discuss battle tactics.
We watched from a window that opened to the outskirts of Gilmore. There we watched the armies mobilize with soldiers mounted on horses, the greatest warriors that Gilmore had, archers, and the village’s mages. They all gathered at the north wall, prepared to battle the Demon Lord.
From the barn window, the others and I were able to see the mages cloaked in purple and black robes with hoods, signifying they were about to battle. The archers prepared their arrows by lighting the incendiary bag of gunpowder on fire that was attached to the shaft of the arrow, ready for them to hear the call from the general who was elevated in a watchtower.
The ground trembled as an army of 70,000 moved forward. The enemy invisible as the army marched toward the empty field. I had never seen anything like this. Thoughts filled my mind of the unseen foe and I became consumed by fear. How could an army march toward an enemy that they could not see? Yet, we watched from the safety of the barn. We watched, a symphony of steps, each perfectly aligned with the one next to it, even the most ignorant of souls would know there's an army marching onwards.
Up close it was the squeaking of leather and jingling of chain mail which overpowered all other sounds. The creaking of wood and metal of the cannons being wheeled out could be heard only faintly and the voices of the soldiers were all but drowned out completely.
Virtually all soldiers were talking to each other despite the surrounding noise. It seemed most were eager to fight the battle they were marching toward. The soldiers appeared to relish the thrill of war, no matter the outcome. The entire army was as one, as if they all shared a single mind with a single purpose, which was to crush their enemies and defend the village of Gilmore. It was a spectacular sight to see.
The front was lead by eager charge units armed with sword and shield. Foot-soldiers followed them armed with two swords, who in turn were followed by elite foot-soldiers armed with spears and large shields.
They filled the ranks with dozens of other warrior regiments, including various charging units, several bomb units, different types of archery units and various flanking units.
The General of the Gilmore army, whose reputation preceded him, General Yapal, one of the most fearless men in all the land, kept a close watch on the horizon from the watchtower, and before any of us could understand or mentally conceive what was about to transpire, a flash of bright violet light emerged from the horizon on the field.
A seething deep violet crack opened in the atmosphere, throbbing with malevolent power and gusted foul fumes from another realm. It happened in mere seconds, a sound like tearing silk. A burst of glittering colors filled the sky. Then, an army of chains of gold and long lustrous blonde hair, supple oiled skin and emerald scales filled the horizon. The mariliths vaulted across the portal and sailed across the mass of Gilmore soldiers.
The large portal opened up from the Abyss, sending legions of mariliths into the barren field just short of Gilmore to take over the village. Through the purple portal, a sea of mariliths descended from the Abyssal dimension, flooding the field.
The lead mage from the Gilmore Tower of Mages, after realizing what they were up against, frantically thumbed through the pages of a spell book, looking for abjuration spells to close the atmospheric wound that bled these wretched creatures. “Stand your ground! Hold them back!” General Yapal shouted from the watchtower to the foot soldiers. It appeared he realized that the lead mage was not prepared for a battle such as this as he cast a nervous look at the lead mage and not appearing to be reassured by the stark expression of panic on the lead mage’s face.
The demons surged outward from the gateway trailing sticky strands of ghoulish slime as though they had been birthed from a lake of ooze. The mariliths wielded swords in each of their six arms. The sound of whipping metal clang throughout the valley as the mariliths continued to hurl themselves across the portal’s entrance.
The mariliths were all female, with a human torso and a serpent tail. The appeared to be close to human, but with reptilian scales over their bodies. My friends and I battled them before we had ventured to Pronerth and witnessed the damage and the wrath that was brought unto that school. I’d imagine that Draererth would look similar now.
Mariliths were one of the most difficult of enemies and a demon who could deal out damage. It was a miracle my friends, and I made it out alive during our encounter with them.
The army of mariliths presented themselves in a line as they approached the Gilmore army. They must have had 10,000 deep as the gold and green snake ladies came closer, each with six weapons.
I remembered the mariliths from our final battle before we made it to Pronerth the night before. These demons were a harem I wanted no part of. I also remembered reading about them in one of the many books that Hamon forced me to read. Thankfully for my eidetic memory, I could recall the page in my mind.
Marilith
Large Fiend (Demon), Chaotic Evil
Armor Class
Hit Points
Speed
19 (natural armor)
170 (18d10+90)
65 ft/s
Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma
19 (+4)
19 (+5)
16 (+3)
18 (+4)
18 (+4)
19 (+5)
Saving Throws
Strength
Dexterity
Constitution
Intelligence
Wisdom
Charisma
+10
+9
+10
+8
+9
+9
Damage Resistances
Damage Resistances
Damage Immunities
Condition Immunities
Senses
Languages
Challenge
Cold
Poison
Poisoned
Truesight 150 ft
Abyssal
15 (16000 XP)
Fire
Passive Perceptions 13
Telepath 150 ft
Lightning
Common
Bludgeoning
Piercing
Bludgeoning
Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Magic Resistance
The marilith has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects
Magic Weapons
The marilith’s weapon attacks are magical
Reactive
The marilith can take one reaction on every turn in a combat
Actions
Multiattack
The marilith makes seven attacks: six with its longswords and one with its tail.
Longsword
Melee Weapon Attack +10 to hit, 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage
Tail
Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 15 (2d10 +4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, the marilith can automatically hit the target with its tail, and the marilith can’t make tail attacks against other targets.
Teleport
The marilith magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying. Up to 150 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
Reactions
Parry
The marilith adds 5 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do this, the marilith must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
Judging by the stats that these demons wielded, it seemed impossible that my friends, and I could stave off their ambush. Perhaps, luck was on our side yesterday. Or, we had a larger force acting on our behalf.
We watched the army of mariliths descend on the army of Gilmore. Mariliths swung their swords, mortally wounding several of the soldiers. Mages, who were part of the mage army, cast spells fully aware that mariliths were immune to poison, therefore they cast ice frosts, which would yield the most damage. Mariliths were resistant to cold, fire, lighting, bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing from non-magical attacks. Magic was the best and most effective use against the mariliths. The archers had retreated, leaving the mages to summon their powers and cast spells of fire and lightning bolts.
The mariliths wielded different weapons in their arms. Some had six long swords, while others had two long swords, two rapiers, and two free hands to deal out magic. Others carried daggers instead of their free hands.
The mariliths lunged at the charge unit, who were set out as the first attack. They easily tore into their bodies of the charge unit with their large fangs, spraying liters of blood into the air and entrails spilling over the field. As the foot soldiers, who followed the charge unit attacked the mariliths, out of fear and not being able to control themselves, hastily retreated from the demons who were gnashing on the bodies of the formerly eager charge unit party, many of them impaled by the spears of the elite foot soldiers who were stationed behind them.
The elite foot soldiers screamed and held back the retreating foot soldiers, forcing them to hold their ground. “Hold the line! Hold the line!” General Yapal shouted from the watchtower. Mariliths stormed the watchtower. This did not leave General Yapal with many options as a horde surrounded him. Elevated above the battle, the general took a glass vial of Alchemist’s Fire out from his utility belt and toss it overhead at the marilith that was within a 10-foot range of him. The vial smashed and broke at the foot of a marilith, erupting in a blue flame. A plume of blue smoke spread across the horde.
The general made direct contact with one marilith. Much like the runes, I could see and understand, I also saw how much damage each combatant took. The general could deal 1d6 points of fire damage. To the surrounding mariliths, the general could deal out 1 point fire damage to the three surrounding mariliths from the splash whom were within five feet of the targeted marilith.
The mage began the chant, one hand holding a lofted, yellow-crystal orb. In the other hand, the opened spell book. Eldritch sigils surrounded him, crawling in spidery spirals across the plane. His eyes fixated on the violent energies of the Abyssal portal as mariliths closed in on him and his colleagues.
The haunting screech of the marilith’s gleeful laughter echoed across the valley and up the mountainside where my friends and I watched above in the barn. We watched as the lead mage felt an impact on his forearm while wielding the yellow-crystal orb to cast a spell. Yet he continued his waving motion, as he did not flinch, aiming to complete the incantation. The lead mage focused on finishing the formula intended to trigger the spell, and probably thinking he had simply dropped the orb in the commotion did not realize that his hand fell along with it, holding on to the orb as it landed on the ground. A dark scarlet fountain in place of where his hand once was set the other mages into a frenzy as they fled for their lives.
The lead mage dropped his spell book and fell to his knees. A marilith seized the spell book and said, “Lord Abraxas will be needing this,” as she gathered the book up from the ground and giving a cackle to the lead mage. The marilith’s laughter turning into a snarl as she flashed her long, serpent tail as she turned after acquiring the book.
Mustering up the last bit of strength he could, the lead mage hurled a bubble of acid with his good hand at two mariliths that were five feet from each other. Both mariliths took 4d6 acid damage since the mage was at the 17th level. The mariliths both failed their dexterity saves and both disintegrated into the ground, leaving the spell book feet away from the hands of the kneeling mage.
I was beginning to lose hope as we witnessed the carnage of the Gilmore army increase. General Yapal came down from his watchtower to assist the one-handed lead mage who knelt on the ground, growing weak from the loss of blood. General Yapal ripped the edge of his shirt from under his mail and made a tunicate to stop the bleeding from the lead mage’s missing limb. I said to my friends as we watched, both in awe and in shock of the battle, “General Yapal is a very strategic fighter. My dad used to tell me stories about him. Once, when Gilmore was under attack by a tribe of orcs. General Yapal returned his horse to the stables with a tusk fixed to his helmet. My dad inquired about the tusk and told him he looked like a unicorn. He said, no. Call him The Rhino. He had sawed off the tusk of one of the orcs who killed his partner and would wear it in remembrance of his departed friend. He’s both savage and smart!”
Agnes replied, “He sounds like if anyone can save us, he can.”
Mariliths surrounded General Yapal and the lead mage. General Yapal, a Battle Master, performed a Lunging Attack with his drawn sword the closet marilith to him. The marilith easily shifted to the side, General Yapal could pierce the side of the beast. General Yapal, expecting that the marilith would behave in this manner, was prepared for and maneuvered a Sneak Attack with a rapier, unleashing it from his belt and piercing the marilith dead center in the chest. The marilith’s head fell back before she crystalized and turned to ash, blowing in the soft breeze.
Another marilith approached General Yapal and the lead mage. The lead mage, injured from the dismemberment of his hand, was able to cast Swarm Meteor, pelting the mariliths with blazing orbs of fire, plummeting the surrounding ground. The mariliths, resistant to fire damage, did not take the 20d6 fire and bludgeoning damage they should have and surrounded General Yapal and the lead mage. Clearly, an error of strategic offense on the lead mage’s part.
The mariliths surrounded the two as they stood back to back, fighting until the end. The lead mage, was nearly out of mana and with one hand, was virtually useless. General Yapal, a vicious warrior, was not going to stop. He lunged again at the marilith, but the marilith was no match for him, knocking his sword out of his hand. Left with only the rapier, he attempted to stab the marilith, but his attempts were in vain. The marilith closed in on General Yapal.
Two sword blades touched either side of General Yapal’s shoulders and crossed at his neck. He gazed into her eyes, presumably the last image he saw before the blades met in the middle with a clash of metal. The marilith relishing in the terror and horror on General Yapal’s face before he died, releasing a cackle of pleasure.
The lead mage watched General Yapal’s head fall to the ground and shouted, “No! Take me too, as I am responsible for this man’s death.” The mariliths preferred when their opponents did not opt for death, but instead, resisted it. This was not familiar to the mariliths. The only solace I had while I watched this was at least the mariliths would not take joy in this particular killing. A black tornado of weapons approached the lead mage, and there was nothing left after it ravaged the lead mage’s body.
These seemingly perfect beings towered over the armored soldiers, and from the waist up they were. They were a gorgeous creature, physically desirable and attractive. Standing over nine feet tall, they were built with sumptuous proportions; they move gracefully over the ground. Wearing only gold chains around their naked torso, they are acutely aware of their beauty and relished in the notion of them being the forbidden fruit, the dark, unattainable beauty. Their bottom half oozed a slimy covering over their scales to keep them moist. Incredibly tactile experts in close combat, they were known for their expansion in the Abyss, serving their Lord. Given their high intelligence attribute, they were geniuses in combat and strategy, serving the Demon Lord and expanding his kingdom, all while building and sustaining their energy and dominance for their own advancement.
The field outside of the village was littered with destruction, carnage, and debris. Black and grey were the new colors that prevailed over the colors of the Village of Gilmore, which had now become the stage of a ruthless battle.
The air which would normally be vibrant with the sound of work, trade, and craftsmanship is now carrying a thick, black smoke and small embers, hell had descended upon that battlefield as we watched from the barn window, the sky fill with ashes as they rained down onto the ground.
An army of heroes, born of all that was lawful and good fought the evil and demonic mariliths for survival, and survival alone. However, at this point, it was undeniable which side won. They spread the dead and wounded of the losing Gilmore side around the open field and the faces of the fighters were grim with exhaustion and agony, it will break soon their spirits.
With the thought of victory in their minds, the winning side of the mariliths fought as if they were invincible. Some Gilmore soldiers had succumbed to hysteria and were barely able to force their bodies in motion, while others just wished all this was over.
The toll on both nature and humanity was disastrous. It would likely take years before this village will have recovered if we were not all slaughtered. It was clear bodies, gore and lost cannon balls have taken the place of the natural habitat that laid just outside of Gilmore.
After some time it was clear that they would defeat the army of Gilmore, King Harold road to the front of the battle to surrender himself. On his horse, he rode in between the mariliths and the defeated mage army.
I admired King Harold, as I knew of what he was about to do. He would surrender himself, sacrificing his soul to Lord Abraxas to save us as the village. Tears formed in my eyes as I watched this great man ride toward the unknown to give his body to the Demon Lord.
“Lord Abraxas, my men are outclassed by your army. Before my army succumbs to yours, I wish to honorably surrender myself to you as your servant. My only request is that you show mercy on the village of Gilmore, a village I had the honor and privilege to lead for most of my life. I, therefore, give myself to you,” King Harold shouted atop of his horse, to the open sky above the mariliths who had ceased their onslaught of weaponry.
As King Harold finished, the sky darkened as black clouds filled it swirling above the army or mariliths. Then a rift opened up in the sky. Through the opening, the Demon Lord appeared and descended into the physical realm. A massive organism of hatred and smoke appeared. Two vicious eyes glared at King Harold and glowed red. Hate and crushing hostility felt as though they could pierce my bowels as I watched the exchange between Lord Abraxas and King Harold.
This was the first time I had seen him. When he battled Hamon, he wore a black hood and cape, and I could not make out any discernible features. Horns protruded from either side of his giant head, he appeared pale amongst the dark clouds that surrounded him. Fiery symbols adorned either side of his head, and his drooling mouth looked it was about to speak. His head sat upon his massive, muscular, and powerful body. Scorched roped tied around his torso, but I had no ideas of the origins of those.
“Oh my word, is that Lord Abraxas?” Cecily asked.
“I believe so,” I replied. Astounded by his size and depth of the darkness of his aura. Dark clouds surrounded the Demon Lord as he appeared to be gigantic in stature, much larger than I remembered when he revealed that he was not Osgood, but Lord Abraxas.
The Demon Lord spoke, and the sound of his voice vibrated throughout the entire village, “It is written that I should take you as my loyal servant for all of eternity,” Lord Abraxas shouted pointing at King Harold. “But you will not satisfy my new desire.”
King Harold trod on his horse in front of the mariliths to calm it as Lord Abraxas’ resounding voice spooked it. King Harold replied to the Demon Lord’s request, “Then what is it that you want?”
“I want the boy who goes by the name Edward MacAra as my loyal devotee for all of eternity.”
My heart fell into my stomach as I heard those words emerge from the Demon Lord’s drooling mouth. My friends gasped, Agnes covered her mouth with her hand in shock. “What!” Walter shouted. “Lord Abraxas wants you?”