17 The Law of Mephiles

Lenora stood next to his throne and became afflicted by all the things the demon generals were saying to each other. She was deeply annoyed by all the countless things they were having in mind to take over humanity. Mephiles was their king and his word is law, and he always had the last say for everything. There was once an occasion where Lenora would lash out at anyone who would dare question her counsel towards them. Lenora heard everything from them, and Naberius believed himself to be high and mighty above all the generals.

"My loyalty is not your concern, fool! You mock my greatness! Only a fool would back down from a chance to serve this king!" Naberius shouted. The other demon generals did not take his words kindly, and they were all ready for a fight.

The demon general, Vector, walked in front of Naberius and said, "Who made you our leader, Naberius? We are hereby the order of King Mephiles. Only he decides what happens and where we should go to raid. You may be powerful than us and more cunning than us, but our loyalty will always be in this kingdom. When the king makes himself appear before the other kingdoms who oppose him, all shall bear witness!"

Naberius fired back at Vector and shouted, "And who asked you to give me orders, Vector? I am no refugee, this role is mine by right and deed! My 'commander' was a weak and pathetic mortal. I annihilated him and burned his village to serve as a warning to all who stand against me. Had I not known for treachery to brew all around me, I'd not need this new kingdom. It is King Mephiles who shall hear our calls and decide!"

"And it is you who should bow before him, Naberius!" Lenora said. She walks down the steps from the throne and marches towards the mad demon general to speak her mind.

"Ah, Lenora. If I recall, I suppose you have your reasons for being here to discuss our plans. You seem to win every room you walk into," Naberius said.

"I go where I please, you rat. This castle and its foundations are open to me. But you are beneath me, nothing more," she said.

"You're a vampire. I was once a leader of an entire legion of demons. Our numbers swarmed by the thousands," he said.

"Why else are you here, other than to serve and obey your king? I can help you, but I would have to make you do so much for me. I believe you forgot your reasons for being in Midland. You make the pleas, I observe them, and the king decides. If that makes you uncomfortable, then I'll make you eat a pile of dirt."

Neither of them wanted to know the outcome of what happens when they disobey their one and only king. The king of Midland never took kindly to strangers, especially those who might betray him and take the throne for themselves. Mephiles walked down the stairs from his usual resting place to the room where all the demon generals were making petty arguments. He did not have all afternoon to hear their excuses, nor the time to answer every question the demons had in mind. Naberius looked at Lenora to seem like he was attracted to her, but she was already bound to Mephiles.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked.

"You have skills and a sharp tongue. Don't worry, I like females with fire. You have the personality of a feral cat," Naberius said.

"And the claws of one, too," Lenora said. One second later, the doors leading up to the second floor opened, and Mephiles walked inside to be with his generals.

He was still trying to wake himself up, but his powers were limited because the sun is visible in the sky. Lenora backs away from Naberius and walks back to the throne to stand with her king. And she was also exhausted from last night. All the demon leaders straightened themselves and gazed upon their king to hear whatever he had in mind. They did not know if he needed something to drink or an extra few hours to prepare himself for the evening to come.

"For God's sake. I can't sit down and relieve myself for half an hour without one of you scoundrels making your little noises? You all act like I do nothing for you," Mephiles said. All of them were silent and could not think of anything to say to their king; they knew his word was law and knew they could not undo what has already been done.

"Lenora, you seem unimpressed. Do any of them offend you? Do I have to teach them the error of their ways, once more?" Mephiles asked.

"Oh, not at all. I'm sure none of them meant to disrupt your rest. If they do it again, they will answer to me," she answered.

"No worries. I am their king, and they will do exactly as I say. There would be anarchy if my people make laws themselves," he said. Naberius and the other demon leaders were stunned at the choice of words their king spoke when laws should be made.

Every law is made by the king, and every person in the kingdom is required to follow them if they desire to live in the kingdom. It did not matter if the law is harsh or difficult to follow, if anyone upholds the law would be put to death. Mephiles stands up from his throne to be certain every demon general looks at him and takes his words seriously. The word of the king was always a thing every servant keeps in their hearts if they wish to continue serving the king. Lenora moved nowhere and stood next to the throne as she watched the night creatures obey their true leader.

Then, Mephiles spoke with them, saying, "Every god is a devil at heart. Every lord and every titan make promises that fall and crumble. Dragons and titans once ruled the earth with dominant power, yet all of them faded to obscurity. God himself looks down from his throne on high and brings down hellfire on his people. I need no god. I need no dragon or titan from Heaven and Hell. I am no refugee nor beggar seeking a home. I am the king of Midland and the savior of all who bows before me. You will not be hungry nor thirsty like all of those who rot in the streets and beg for mercy. Serve me, abide by my laws, and you will prosper. Those who come to my kingdom will know that it is I who will bring them redemption and prosperity."

As he said this, every demon general looked at each other in absolute shock their king would think like this. They believed the demons lived to bring an end to humanity, but Mephiles believed humanity should not go extinct. He wanted the humans to thrive and prosper, yet he demanded all of them to bow before him. Mephiles was a dark and powerful king, but he still had sympathy for those who seek shelter in his kingdom. The demon leaders were now staring at their king with a confused expression instead of a look made to take heed of a king.

Meanwhile, they all hear the entrance doors open, and all of them were unexpected to see another powerful demon. This creature had two double-edged weapons all over his back and appeared as someone who came from the northern lands. His skin was as pale as the moon and his eye color is red; he had every single person in the room staring at him with interest. They all wanted to know his capabilities and his reasons for coming to the kingdom of Midland. His name is Godbrand, a Viking demon and someone who proved to be more unique than his fellow companions.

"A pleasure to meet you, at last, king of Midland. My name is Godbrand, and I come from the northern lands," he said. Mephiles sat on his throne and observed Godbrand's appearance as he wanted to know much more about him.

"Your appearance was requested long ago, Godbrand. Had I not known you wouldn't be coming, I would've sent my scouts to track you down. Tell me, what brings you to my kingdom?" Mephiles asked.

"I come here to assist you in this game of conquering every land and making every nation bow to the one true king. I would say your war council has been wanting to know what I've been doing of late, and I plan to tell of it later. Just say the word and I'll be there in a split second," Godbrand answered. Mephiles and Lenora were getting intrigued by this powerful creature, and they both needed to know why they should trust him.