A Call in the Dark

Tallis' whole body blended into the shadows almost perfectly.

The only thing exposing him was the steel blade with the moonlight reflecting on it. He had to keep it with himself all the time, for different reasons.

Right now he was staring down at the armored night guards patrolling the city streets. Ahon city was in high regard of the king, who made sure the citizens felt safe in it. For years there has been a rumor that demons walk among the people, preying on them like vicious beasts of shadow.

Tallis did not see himself like that. It was the corrupt mage and hierarchy system that was the real danger to the kingdom. Of course, demons were easier to paint as an evil threat.

And being a demon meant that one's identity was a sin by itself. People accused of demon summoning or dark magic were executed. Real demons, however, were always agile enough to evade the humans' pathetic defense. He had to learn it at a young time.

Tallis was a demon of shadows, always hiding. And he wished it was not always like that.

The guards turned sideways into the other street, and now the one in front of Tallis was completely empty. Even in the latest hours, he could not be sure if he wasn't going to be seen. He moved quickly, chanted a quick spell and crossed the street with magical speed. The block of buildings had many narrow alleyways dividing the white brick walls.

At the end of the alleyway, Tallis had arrived at a drain grate low on a wall. He moved the grate carefully, and tucked his body through the sewer hole, precisely putting back the metal grate in its place behind himself.

"Dar egnia," he whispered, and a small ball of violet fire appeared in his right palm. He held it up in front of himself, lighting up the way ahead like a torch.

The sewer was somewhat low but Tallis could move forward while bending his legs. The unbearable smells and the dirt were something he was already familiar with; travelling through the sewer system was a hidden route, perfect for those hunted by the kingdom. He used it quite regularly to reach the other end of the town. He wore high boots that could repel the drain water flowing only as high as his ankle.

He took a few turns in the sewer, and faded moonlight was flickering at the end of one of the tunnels. Tallis got out of the channels and was now in a completely different part of the city. In front of him was a tall, highly decorated building with columns and a great dome at the top. He, of course, went for a secret entrance.

A small metal covered window was at the foundation level. Tallis opened it with a spell, and found himself in a seemingly abandoned basement. Dusty old furnitures and objects covered with cloth stood in front of him. He barricaded the small entrance and said the fireball spell again, with tainted the room in violet light.

Someone stepped down into the basement from a ladder.

"I have been waiting for you," he said. He held a single candle, lighting his white hair and wrinkled face. He stopped and faced Tallis. "I even slightly got worried waiting for so long! A library can't just remain unsupervised, many people want to steal..."

"Quit the nonsense, Jonik. You left a message at the Post. You said there would be news..." Tallis growled with a slightly aggressive voice. "I did not risk going out at this time just to hear you yabble into my face."

The man with white hair grinned. Tallis could feel the familiar darkness emanating from him.

"Indeed, there is news. You read the message right."

"So, what is it?"

Jonik said out spell. It was the same demonic language that Tallis used whenever he had to use some form of magic.

The candle's light changed from orange to dark red, but only for a second. It extinguished Tallis' magical light. Jonik closed his eyes while it was happening, focusing on something that Tallis could not sense. Then, the orange light came back again.

"You remember what mission I had with the Brotherhood? The mission about leaving messages for the lone demons of the human world?" he said.

Tallis nodded. Of course, he remembered the white-haired demon's dark past, and that once he was part of it.

"It seems that a Divine Shrines caught a signal. Someone contacted us at Iliat."

Tallis could not believe his ears. Someone used dark magic to communicate with a shrine? That could mean only one thing. Something that he had been waiting for a long time.

"And are you sure that..." Tallis wondered. He could hardly pronounce the words. It sounded too impossible to be true. Jonik was grinning again.

"Yes. A demon is out there, and now knows that they have to come to Ahon city, to this library."