Chapter 21 : The Damned City

The entrance to Onvyr's office was locked shut and guarded by the best warriors the In'shi clan had to offer. The armor-clad demons wondered what was happening just behind the door they were asked to protect with their lives if it came down to it, but it was not but a passing thought.

Every single one of them is willing and prepared to throw his life away if it meant fulfilling his duties, even if the intent behind them was kept hidden.

Footsteps sounded from afar and the warriors readied themselves, they were calm yet prepared to strike any foe in the blink of an eye. what bound them and gave them strength was not promises of power or influence like those of the lesser clans, nor was it religious zeal like that of the Dra'ig clan. It was simply an undying devotion to their master, the demon they respected most.

The steps got closer and the warriors prepared, griping their swords and preparing their magic, but their preparations were for naught.

"what's with the blockade? I was told to meet Onvyr in there, is there an issue?"

Adam's form came into view, clad in his very own, much lighter armor, putting the wound-up warriors at ease.

"Moren, master Onvyr has been expecting you."

The warriors did not trust him, not one bit. He was part of an ancient race that rivaled the demons once, more powerful than any they have ever seen and more than willing to kill those who stand in his way as he demonstrated during his attack on the capital, however, Onvyr trusted him, and that was enough for them to treat him as brother and a fellow member of the clan.

"please head in."

One of the warriors opened the door for him with a smile, not a morsel of hatred or resentment sullied his expression or tone. So pure were his intentions that Adam, a man who was known for being a cynic by his long-gone peers, was genuinely and, pleasantly surprised.

The first thing to catch his eye was the visage of the visitors he was told about. The demon lord himself and the head of clan Dra'ig, the same one he saved from Shiira not too long ago, was now fully healed and energetically arguing with Onvyr.

The three stopped their heated discussion once he walked in. the sound of the door slamming shut coupled with the thumping his heavy, armored boots made when hitting the ground signaled them to his presence.

"Moren, I'm glad you decided to join us, please grab a se—"

Onvyr was the first to abandon the discussion and greet Adam, wearing a wide smile and speaking in a cheerful voice, almost unfit for one of his stature, however, his greeting was cut short by Raou, who seemed to be enraged by comparison.

"you're in the presence of your lord, bow."

Adam almost laughed in his face, he couldn't help but find his demand to be hilarious considering that he was bound like a helpless animal, waiting to be slaughtered not too long ago.

The arrogance of demons will never seize to amuse me.

A smile formed on Adam's face, one intended to provoke and anger Raou further in a display of petty and almost childish sense of rebellion.

"let's skip formalities Onvyr, what is this plan of yours that's supposed to work for all of us."

Adam, still smiling cheerfully, completely ignored Raou's demands. He didn't even look at him or acknowledge his existence, treating him as a mere background object that makes somewhat distracting sounds.

Before Onvyr could interject and smooth things over, Raou stood up from his seat and marched towards Adam who didn't move an inch backward as the massive frame of the demon approached.

Raou looked down on Adam once they faced each other, his colossal body dwarfed his, making him seem like a miniature toy of himself rather than a full-sized adult.

Adam tilted his head up, coming eye to eye with Raou. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a blank expression that startled Onvyr.

"you're blocking my way...move."

"Onvyr might have taken you under his wing but that matters very little to me. You are in the presence of the lord you serve, so bow."

The tension was rising at an alarming rate and the first signs of battle reared their ugly head. Raou was not one to back away from a challenge, especially not one with an opponent who disrespects the teachings of the great spirits, and Adam was quickly running out of patience for dealing with his overwhelming religious nonsense.

Onvyr could almost see the aftermath of a fight between those two in his mind. A blood-covered Adam standing atop the mangled corpse of the guardian in the middle of In'shi territory. Calling it a political disaster would be an understatement.

"Raou, leave him be, being bowed to by one who only pretends to serve is nothing but a mere insult to me."

But before Onvyr himself could Interfere, the Demon lord did. His words were spoken calmly but carried immense authority, compelling Raou to obey, even if he had to grind his teeth in frustration while doing so.

"Moren, I know that you don't feel any loyalty towards me or your clan and I do not care. Your life, however, was saved by Onvyr in a way, and I'm sure you are proud enough to not neglect those who helped you in your time of need."

His words were shocking to both Raou and Adam. the former did not expect his lord to not only acknowledge such a lack of loyalty so openly but also display such little care for it, and the latter was surprised that a ruler could simply be so honest with his subjects.

"I will let Onvyr take it from here, this is his plan after all."

Onvyr nodded and stood up from his seat, reaching for a scroll by his side and laying it open on a table next to him.

The thin off-white paper contained what seemed to be a map, lacking in details and withered by time, but still functional to those who can read it. The fading black lines depicted an image of a city surrounded by open, empty, flat land and what seemed to be a river off to the side, villages scattered along its edges and mostly congregated by the water source streaking through it.

The paper reflected the visage of a small, peaceful city, where nature and people lived in harmony, a heaven on earth to those who yearn for a simple life. The paper twisted the truth of it horribly.

"this is your destination, the city of mist. It was a human settlement before the harvest. Around 10 years ago a series of attacks destroyed most of the villages around it and the mist came soon after, no survivors were left and practically no trace of the attackers remained."

Adam came closer and leaned over the table, overlooking the withering map with a curious expression.

"we've been sending soldiers to investigate ever since, but none ever came back. We eventually just branded it as a dead end and left it be…until a few months ago that is."

"why?"

"the inhabitants of the area sent a messenger to the capital. They claimed that monsters would raid their villages at night, beasts that they'd never seen the likes of which before. The most interesting part is that they claim to have seen them come from beyond the mist."

Onvyr handed Adam another scroll, this one much small and contained only one paragraph detailing the disturbing appearance of the beast.

"this is stupid… a creature like this can't exist. No head, many limbs grafted unto his body haphazardly yet he can use them to not only strike but even cast magic, and what's this? It speaks? Without a head?"

"it sounds like the ramblings of a madman I know, but we still sent a team of 20 to survey the area and slay the beasts should they attack, but an attack never came. The inhabitants themselves are weak, so they never managed to bring down these monsters themselves, leaving us with no bodies as proof of their existence either. The soldiers left after some time and the attacks apparently started again quickly after."

Adam was intrigued by the mystery of it all but it was apparent that he had no horse in this race. Shiira's last words reverberated throughout his mind, repeating in an endless, hypnotic loop. If he could track down whoever was controlling her, he might have a chance of finding more humans or at least a lead to where he can find them.

"that's very interesting and all but—"

"they worship humans you know."

Adam flinched and instantly met Onvyr's gaze with his own, his eyes wide open in surprise and anticipation.

"the locals have been known for worshiping humans as supreme, benevolent beings, on par with or even greater than the great spirits."

Raou's grunts of anger over those words went unnoticed by Adam.

"I don't exactly know when it started but they claim that when a great blight befell them, humans came and brought medicine, food, and protection with them. They distributed their gifts freely to the weak and strong, and rich and poor alike, saving them from annihilation."

A conflicted look appeared on Adam's face after hearing the story. He couldn't help but think that humans would not do such a thing, not for demons at least. He quickly brushed off those thoughts, reminding himself that he came from an age where war was the only thing he knew, demons were the enemy back then, but a golden age can't come in a time of hatred and war, only in one of peace and cooperation.

"they are filthy creatures, cursed by the great spirits for their heresy. They have four horns on their heads and are even weaker than the normal low-borns."

Raou interrupted the two, speaking in a bitter tone reflecting his hatred for those he sees as unfaithful to the great spirits and their proxy upon the world.

"enough of them survived the harvest to remain until today, the great spirits clearly love them as well, your words ring hollow Raou… as I was saying, Moren, you are to go to the city of mist and unravel its mystery, and of course, you might just find the one who was controlling Shiira there."

"how about you enlighten us about this mysterious mind-bending magic before you proceed? You said that you'd never seen such a thing even before the war, didn't you Onvyr?"

Raou stood up and stared at Onvyr and Adam with a piercing gaze and a sour expression, doing everything short of accusing them of lying to the demon lord and hiding the true nature of the magic used by Shiira's puppet master.