The walking dead

Demons and humans coexisted in the beginning that demons left delvin to call the human world home.Centuries later we were striken with an incurable illness.Upon descovery that essences,a human essence being the most effective could cure us we feasted on human essence for centuries drastically reducing the human population to half.We expanded our territories and triumphed over the humans brutelessly killing them,what we should have done a long time ago.We corrected the error nature made from the beginning,demons should never exist with humans,the weak cannot cohabitate with the strong,in such situation they will be annihilated as nature will always favour the fittest.

Eventually the humans discovered holy objects,the so called cross and the like,tools we demons could neither toulch nor behold.With these tools they succeeded in keeping us at bay,gradually reclaiming their territories,this led to the great war of which they triumphed, sending many families away from the human world and back to Delvin

During the reign of emperor Zhord,the nineteenth ruler of the realm they built a wall around them and gathered the remnants of the human race within the walls,the first wall, subsequently they built other walls,four as of this day.

Demons could neither fly through,teleport nor penetrate these walls,a barrier also surrounded the walls from above,that no demon could fly in.Most demons fled the human realm,families lost their homes,many of our kind were killed,the humans called it penance,a retribution for our sins which we paid dearly for.

The cursed Illness resurfaced Killing countless in Delvin leading to what we call'Cannibalism', killing one's kind,an act prohibited in Delvin by ancestors of the realm.Many did this to survive and any one caught would be killed by his essence sucked dry from his body and distributed to citizens of Delvin.This caused an uproar, causing chaos in every part of the realm.

The twentieth king of Delvin reached an agreement with the king of the walls and the humans, merciful as they called themselves supplied us with prisoners who were thrown outside the walls as a death sentence.

For centuries rulers of the realm sought a way to penetrate these walls and no means have been discovered till this very day.

Gerald closed the book and studied the cover page,it's grey back was old and dusty with the words 'history' carved on its front cover.It wasn't the same book he read about Delvin's history back then in the academy but it had exactly the same contents.He felt disappointed reading the same things over and over again,all these were things he had read as a student of the royal academy in Urah,the books contained nothing new,nothing unusual which was the very reason he had come all the way to the library in sorcerors academy,a place he had never been to all his life.

The imperial library held all manner of books and spells but this time he needed something different, something more.There was still a lot he didn't know about the realm and probably he might get the answer here.

Gerald reopened the same page and read further below the first write up.

"The first war formations"he read out loud,Why the first war?was Delvin probably looking forward to another war with the humans?There was only one war he knew of,or was there another?

His eyes quickly scanned the contents of the subtopic and he sighed,slammed the page closed in fraustration,then again he had read this before,he could even remember all the details.

He skipped few pages and opened another

"Mister"a voice called out beside him.Gerald pulled the book away from his face to lock eyes with a young lad in dressed in black uniform with golden embroidery sewn into its edges,his eyes caught sight of the huge pendant that hung from his neck,always worn by students in training to be royal sorcerors, extraordinary students who had surpassed expectations and could control magic beyond students their level.He had a black bag hung over his shoulders and in one hand helf a small book,in the other a scroll.

The boy took a bow placing the hand that held the scroll on his chest.

"My Lord I know you are a royal knight and must be busy but if it pleases you I will my Lord answer me some questions, I've searched all over the library and couldn't find answers but my lord doeth seem enlightened so I decide to inquire this of you"

Gerald watched the boy draw closer and said in a voice he strained hear.

"My Lord what doest thou know of the name Dark"

Gerald raised a brow as he eyed the boy wondering why he was interested in an information about a sorceror he had only seen once.

"Why do you seek to know about him?"

"His wanted pictures are all over the city so am I curious my Lord"the boy said.

"Dark is a sorceror like you that's all you should know"Gerald said, turning his attention back to the book he held.

"But that is evident..."

"And that is not the reason you want to know about him...tell me,what did you hear?"

Gerald watched the boy hesitantly lowered his head.He had taken a guess but he was right this young lad had heard something, something he also wanted to hear.

"Tell me what you heard and I'll tell you all about this sorceror"Gerald said with his gaze fixed on the book he held, pretending not to be interested.

"You don't want to help my Lord".

"And you don't want to share either"Gerald said.

The boy frowned, walked few steps away then stopped and turned to look at the Knight whose gaze was still fixed on his book as though no one had spoken to him.

He further took few steps forward then abruptly turned and walked slowly towards the knight,his heavy footsteps echoing in the library.

Gerald grinned behind the book he held as he heard the boy's footsteps approaching him.

"I will share"he said when he reached Gerald's side,the Knight's smile had disappeared before then as he closed his book and focused his gaze on him.

"Tell me young lad, what's your name?"

"Gaby"he said despiritedly.

"Go on...am listening, what's got you curious about him"

"I heard the Sorceress Sheba say it's a good thing Dark goes after the imperial prince"

Gerald eyed him doubtfully,

"Are you certain of this?"

Gaby nodded.

"For a bounty to be put on him he must be a terrible person but a Royal sorceror who is the Empire's aid,who is in favor of the Empire wishes he gets the imperial prince...so I was thinking, maybe they are mistaken of him".

"They are not mistaken young lad he is a terrible person"Gerald said.

"Then is Her ladyship a terrible person too?"the boy asked eye widened and Gerald shook his head.

"No,am pretty sure it was a mistake, maybe she was fraustrated of something or had a bad day."Gerald said eyeing the boy who didn't look the least bit convinced.

He help both his shoulders and looked deep into his eyes.

"Look Gaby,I know these things better than you do,the royal sorcerors would never want anything to harm the royal family,think about it... it doesn't make sense and when something like this doesn't make sense what do we call it...a misunderstanding"

"A misunderstanding"the boy repeated looking thoughtful,Gerald nodded.

"Good...you misunderstood her am sure she didn't mean what you thought she meant,u know most sorcerors speak in parables and proverbs,this might be one of those dumb proverbs meaning...or maybe she was just bluffing in one of her proverbs"

The boy nodded and opened his book.His eyes read through a few words and he closed it.

"About Dark..."he said.

Gerald sat upright and picked up his book but he did not open it.

"There is nothing much to say about him...he was a famous sorcerer who was banished ten years ago for rebelling with the emperor's elder sister for the throne...he knows a lot of strong spells and if you see him...."Gerald placed his index finger on Gaby's chest "you run".

The boy nodded and brought out a quill pen,he scooped a little ink from a container in his bag and began writing on the book he held.

"What are you doing?"Gerald queried.

"Writing down all what you said".

"Is there a need for that?"

The boy stopped writing and his eyes met Gerald's then his shoulders lowered along with his gaze.

"I forget many things easily my lord".

Gerald leaned back and rubbed his bare chin.

"How then were you able to become an apprentice of a Royal sorceror, apparently you know a lot of spells children of you age dont"

"I don't know either my lord but I do know with constant practicing of these spells I end up remembing them but it takes longer time for me I also do figure certain spells out on my own.

The boy wrote few words took a bow and turned to leave when Gerald asked.

"Tell me...which royal sorceror do you serve under"

"Her ladyship, Sheba"he replied as he disappeared through the endless rows of bookshelves ahead.

Gerald sighed, hopefully he had ended up convincing the young lad on forgetting what Sheba had told him,he couldn't believe she said that to her apprentice but her reason was what piqued his curiosity.Certainly there was more to this imperial prince he didn't know far beyond his imagination and certain sorcerors he now knew held that information.

***********************

Some maid servants busied themselves preparing a meal in the imperial kitchen when one one of them,the only one using the table by the window caught sight of a familiar feminine silhouette pass by the window.

The long hair that tossed in the wind behind her sent series of memories running through her mind.

Raising her head from the vegetables she was peeling,she craned her neck for a better view but it was gone.The person had passed by the kitchen window,was probably going towards the second gate of the imperial palace.For a moment there she thought she saw the empress.She was dead but she was most certain she saw someone, maybe someone who looked exactly like her but was there such a person?

She dropped the vegetables and walked towards the door to verify the mental picture in her mind of the person she had just saw.As she turned the knob another maid called out

"Damel where are you off to?you know we have to get these ready in time remember our orders from his majesty".

"She shouldn't leave, running away from your duties as usual"One of them scoffed as she stirred a soup cooking by a coal.

"I'll be back before you know it there is just something I have to check out"Damel said as she swung the door open and raced out.

From a distance she followed after the person, squeezing through various corners formed by closely positioned fences of the imperial palace,there were hardly any guards around at this part of the palace,so far she saw none,they were only positioned close to the second gate of the imperial palace.

When they reached an empty hallway with no doors,she was able to see the back view of the figure then ran towards it.

The person walked slowly,her footsteps ordered as though by a rhythm,her whole body swinging from side to side as she walked,barely able to stabilize herself.

"Hello!" she called out but there came no response.

"Ma'am...hello there!"She called out again as she drew closer but the person neither stopped walking.

Damel caught up to her, caught her hand and took a good look at her face.

"Your majesty!"she gasped.