A leap forward

Maria was asleep. She was having a dream of her childhood. The beautiful memories of her mother and father. The three of them playing in the sun, out in the fields.

She knew it was a dream, and she didn’t want to wake up.

“ARmh!” But she had to.

With a groan, she sat against the pillow and held her head.

She was in her room.

The maid was here, just standing by the bed.

“How long was I out?”

“Two hours.”

She breathed slowly. Memories came flooding back.

And so did the sick feeling.

But not as strongly as before. “So, this is the product of nine hundred and forty souls.” She breathed normally, checking her body.

It was hard to believe.

The number was something she couldn’t just believe outright. One death- two death- three death, those were fathomable. But nine hundred?

“Yes, but, we were desperate.” The maid just stood by the bed not quite having a seat. “We were being massacred by those heroes and the army. We had to do something. And that something led us to unseal her majesty the queen and she summoned you to this world. “

‘But if I just refuse, wouldn’t all your efforts have gone into waste?’ Maria didn’t ask that. She knew better not to.

Instead, “It’s really hard to believe.” But she had to. She had to accept it. if she didn’t, she couldn’t move on. She’d learned something on the battlefield- people mattered as long as they were alive. The moment someone passed, they weren’t a concern anymore. Yes, some would be sad. Yes, some would continue to remember them. But it’d never be the same. And so, she couldn’t grieve or mourn for the dead. She had to move on. “Why did the humans invade and kill you? I get that they were in it for the ore but, what about the rest of the races?”

Maria had asked the same to the queen, and she got her answer. But she figured it was best to ask a demon about demonic problems.

“It’s a long cycle of hate. Long ago, humans had enslaved demons. They tortured us, abused us, and threw us away. We revolted and successfully overthrew them, taking over three of their cities. At the time some of the races like the Dragonborn allied themselves to us. We ruled those three cities for two hundred years. Of course, I won’t say we didn’t abuse or torture them but, but we were much more conservative and we tried our best to use those three cities to make peace with the rest of the world. To show that we were indeed trying to be friendly. Two hundred years,” She paused. Her face had a lot of feelings; feelings she couldn’t hide. “It took us two hundred years to establish that we weren’t aiming for more cities. And just when we thought we could sign a treaty and end the hate- a tragedy happened. And because of that tragedy, our relations with the other races worsened far more than we could have ever hoped. And the war broke out.”

Slavery, abuse, and betrayal. It made sense to Maria.

‘So, both sides have done horrible things.’ She was right. But even now, she’d only heard one side.

“Take me to the queen.”

“But it’s midnight and-”

“And undead shouldn’t require, sleep, right?” She slid down from the bed, and stood on the dark floor, staring straight at the maid’s eyes.

Maria didn’t know much about these things. But she knew ‘undead’ meant something that wasn’t among the living. And if her guess was right, then the dead didn’t need sleep.

The maid just bowed her head. “As you wish.”

“But first show me my wardrobe,” Maria got goosebumps as she remembered her times in the dress keeper’s room.

***

The first floor of the demon castle- the throne room- was big. The whole floor existed for the sole reason of being the throne room.

“Well, that was quick. I didn’t think you’d be this hasty,” The queen spoke. Her hand supported her head as she leaned against the handle of the throne, looking down on Maria and the maid.

There were two soldiers near the entrance.

“Well, there are times when one needs to act fast.”

The queen’s lips arched up. “And? What have you decided?”

“I want to travel to the human country.” Maria spoke carefully. “And the rest of the countries-”

She’d thought over this. She’d thought over this for quite a while now.

“Wha?” The maid mumbled in disbelief but kept her voice low.

Maria just stared, meanwhile the queen’s smile vanished. “As I said, I didn’t think you’d be this hasty.” She straightened herself and glared straight. “I believe you want to confirm things or do you wish to change sides?” Her voice gradually rose up.

Maria had to take three steps back. Her heart shook as she stared at the queen’s red eyes. “I want to know the truth. Before that, I won’t take any sides. As for the war, I’m sure you can just stall it. After all, you’re too powerful and the last time you were just tired, right? Surely you can work things out.”

Maria was taking a gamble. She’d pieced together quite a few things. The queen had only been unsealed just the day before her summoning and she was really weak- yet she summoned the serpents and Maria included. She also went to fight the war.

The queen was very weak right now.

But- but she wasn’t going to be weak forever.

And just the other day, Maria saw how the queen massacred thousands.

What if- what if she was actually just feeding her lies? What if all of them were feeding her lies and-

“OH?” The queen was fairly surprised. Perhaps she wasn’t expecting this? She again smiled. “And? What if you change your mind about us? Would you turn into our enemy?”

“If all you’ve said is the truth, you have nothing to fear. I know how evil people can be. I know how devasting greed is. But I also know people can have compassion and kindness. Not everyone is evil.”

Yes, due to some greedy humans this war came to be. But that didn’t mean the general people were also responsible. And Maria understood that quite well.

“Not everyone is good either.”

“That’s my point. I want to have a look at them from the inside. I want to know more. I want to-”

Rumble!

Lightning arched in the air- just above her head.

The darkness parted.

Loud noises. And a second later, something fell on the floor.

Thunder!

Maria protected her eyes with her arm. So bright.

A tall-slender man. Golden robes, ashen hair, and dark skin; lips, oddly crimson. “I have returned my queen.” His voice was deep- confident.

A familiar smell drifted in the air. Maria distinctly remembered that scent- ‘The scent of storms.’

“I expect you’ve bought it?”

“I have.” The man bowed and presented his hand forward.

There was a small gem on his hand, perfectly spherical; emerald.

The maid took it and gave it to the queen.

“A fine specimen.” She eyed the gem. And stood up a second later, towering over everyone. “Alright-” She walked straight to Maria, teleporting right in front of her. And just when she got there, she touched Maria’s cheeks. “I’ll allow it,” She whispered. “But-”

“But?” Maria’s body shook. It was out of her control.

She wasn’t afraid.

But her body was.

Was this a natural defense of some sort? Was her body telling her something?

“But, you’ll have to destroy a certain machine for me with this. And-” She formed a golden bracelet out of thin air, embedded the gem in it, and gave it to Maria. “Kill someone for me.”

“Kill someone? Well, that was a sudden change.” Maria took the bracelet.

She was surprised at just how comical she sounded.

But the queen just smiled. “But you’re a soldier. You’d best follow orders, yes? I’m not asking you to mindlessly kill him. Know him, meet him, bed him if you want, but only then, after knowing what he did, how many he killed, end him.”

Maria wanted to grimace; she wanted to gag. But, she held it all in. “And if I change my mind?”

Things weren’t playing out like she envisioned. She thought the queen wouldn’t be like this.

She misunderstood her.

“Then, that’ll be that. I’ll just send you back to your world. We’ll summon another, this time, more than one. Let’s just say, all their deaths, the sacrifices, would be on you,” The queen said. Her tone was almost comical.

‘You’d just send me back?’ Maria wanted to snort.

But she didn’t say a word. Saying something now, wasn’t going to get her anywhere. Rather, she just went with the flow. Pretending. ‘I have to first get out of here.’

“Sabre,” The queen spoke.

“Yes, my queen?” The man answered, still bowing.

“Go with her. Protect her if need be.”

“As you wish my queen.” Lighting oozed through the man’s whole body and he shrunk.

He shrunk into an eagle- a black and white eagle- flew over to Maria’s head and just sat on her shoulder.

“Off you go then-” The queen smiled and started chanting something.

“Wait- now? Like, now, now?” Maria blinked a few times, kind of confused.

“Warp.”

Symbols floated in the air and below Maria’s feet.

Everything went black and then slightly less black.