Chapter Two: Eighteen Years Later

I slam my fist through a bone and wood table.

"There is no excuse. We have transports for every inch of their realm. How did we lose track of my son?"

A frail demoness stands to my side.

"Sire, We lost him because he is being protected by white magic. Our troops can't get within one hundred thousand feet of him before the burst into flames."

I grab the sword from my side and throw it into a wall, which explodes on impact.

"I do not want excuses, Lillian! I want you to do your job and find your brother."

Shock makes its way across her face, "Yes Father. I will do better."

"You better or next time it won't be the wall that gets blown up."

She walks from the room and I outstretch my hand. The hilt of the blade returns to me and the sword reforms itself before I return it to it's sheath. I place my hand upon my horns and steadily glare at the skull hanging to the right of my throne.

"Azarual, if you hadn't been such a fool, you could be standing here by my side, instead of hanging on my trophy wall."

The door creaks open as Lilith walks into the chamber. She walks over to me and folds her wings to their resting position.

"My love, I am worried you are becoming even more obsessed over finding your half human son and ignoring our daughter. She has made great progress in her studies and training," she says to me.

"Perhaps you are right," I say turning my gaze upon her, "I would very much like to see a male heir on the throne, but I won't risk another close call to you. I almost lost you during Lillian's birth all those years ago. I couldn't live with myself if I were responsible for you actually dying."

"But, I'm not dead am I," she ask in a sarcastic voice.

"No, my queen. You are not. I just don't want it to be."

"Your short time in the human world has made you different than the boy I fell in love with all those centuries ago. You are soft, caring and compassionate. Your ego is gone and you actually love me for the monster I am."

"I would love you no matter the monster or not. You are my equal and I love and respect you," I tell her, baring my heart so that she can see I mean it. "You are the only one it beats for."

A knock on the door, and it creaks open. I turn as the flames in my eyes ignite with green flames.

"What do you want," I bellow to the interrupting demon.

"News from the surface world," he says cowering behind the spear of najuzu.

The green leaves my eyes and the flames dance across my body instead. "Oh, report then."

"Lillian has found your son, but there was a battle. During the battle, she blew up the place they were fighting at and caused substantial damage to the Realm gate not far from her location."

"What do you mean it caused damage to the Realm gate?," I growl under my breath in the direction of the guard.

Whimpering, He replies, "The boy hit Lillian and Rosia with a phantom blast. Lillian sent fire from her roar and the explosive force blew the rock face to pieces, causing a cave in. Workers have already been dispatched to remove the rock, but you royal surveyor said the explosion most likely caused that gate to be closed for Good, meaning she would have to change into her animi form in order to survive in their world and would possibly be stuck there if she doesn't locate another gate."

Anger fills my lungs like air.

"If you want something done right," I clasp my hands together and open them straining and shove my hand through the wormhole and drag her back inside of it,"You gotta do it yourself."

Confusion replaces the anger on her face.

"Father, I-."

"Failed your mission and this class. I gave you specific instructions on luring him to the gate. You failed. Now get out of my sight."

I hear her heels clicking against the floor as she walks towards the door.

Under her breath, I hear her say, "I should have killed him and brought his carcuss to you to hang over the mantle."

Turning, I shake my head and hang it low. "No, I shouldn't be so hard on you. I failed making you into a caring young woman."

I walk to the throne and look at the massive map that stretches two thirds of the room.

"Not only have I failed my daughter, I have failed my son also," I think to myself.

A deepening sorrow fills me as my shadow creeps off the floor and up my body and wraps me in a cocoon. Thus is it, I think to myself, a new stage of my ever changing appearance.