The Poison Princess

by J. Stone

  “Thank you for your help, Edwin,” the princess told him. She then nodded to her demon servant.

  Scarlett acknowledged Ruby and pulled another bar of gold from the holes in the world, but this one was full rather than the half bar it was supposed to have been. She shrugged and handed it to Edwin anyway.

  He seemed hesitant, but his good nature prevailed. “This is more than we agreed upon.”

  Scarlett shrugged again. “Eh… it’s just easier this way. Enjoy.”

  Edwin smiled and nodded. “Thank you both. I hope you find what you’re looking for.” The young man climbed back up into the front seat of the cart, placing the gold beside him on the bench and under a blanket, and he then shook the reins to get the horse moving again.

  Ruby and Scarlett turned and walked through the Cloister’s arched gateway, while the infected goblins sat down outside the walls and waited. The princess suspected that she would be better off if they were to remain out of the picture for the time being. Inside, the women were able to see a better view of the monastery.

  The buildings inside were the same cream color as the outside wall, but most of them were topped with a red roofing or window shutters. Strange smoky smells roamed the courtyard, as an abundance of fires burned in multi-sized bowls littered throughout the temple grounds. Many men and women roamed the grounds wearing mostly blue robes, and a select few had their very own and radically different looking demons walking along behind them. Even there in the Cloister, demons were not present in abundance. Most of the demons in some way mirrored their human counterpart, but many were also quite different. There was no common theme amongst the demons, as each took on a visual image derived from the mind of their bonded human. Ruby recalled Scarlett having said that she looked that way only because it would appeal to the princess. She realized that the same must be true for all of the monks, though, looking around, very few of the demons she saw were anywhere near as sexually provocative as her own. She wondered what that said about her.

  Walking further into the monastery’s grounds, the monks paid them little notice. From what Ruby had read, the Cloister was frequently visited and open to all who sought their wisdom. Presumably, they were quite used to getting people randomly entering their home. The princess needed some rather specific help though, so she had to get someone’s attention. There was a young monk walking by who she decided to approach and direct her inquires toward.

  “Is there someone here who could answer a few questions?” Ruby asked him.

  “We should all be able to help,” the monk replied with a serene look on his face. “How long have you been bonded with your demon?”

  “We met over eleven years ago,” Ruby explained.

  “Mmm,” he mused, inspecting the horned demon. “And how long has she been in the physical realm?”

  The princess looked back to Scarlett for confirmation. “Maybe a month?”

  Her demon nodded.

  The monk seemed upset by this information. “She is far too powerful for such a brief stint in our realm.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  He looked warily at the pair of them. “What have you been doing with her?”

  Ruby smiled and looked to Scarlett who returned the expression back to her master. “Well…”

  Before she could elaborate, the monk adopted a horrified expression and asked, “You’ve debased yourself with a demon?”

  “Not the word I would use, but--”

  “You are a fool! It is dangerous to give in to what the demon wants. Their motives are their own.”

  “My motives are my master’s,” Scarlett interjected, grabbing and holding Ruby’s hand. “My desires are her desires.”

  The princess nodded in agreement. She was quickly starting to dislike this curt monk.

  The monk’s demeanor remained unchanged. “Why have you come here?”

  “I wish to know how to separate a demon from its host,” Ruby explained to him.

  “You wish to relieve yourself of your own demon? That seems in your best interest due to your inexperience and lack of willpower.”

  “No, not my demon,” she stated flatly. “Another.”

  “Someone else’s demon?”

  “Yes. Surely, you know how to do something like that? With all your hostility toward bonds that don’t fit inside your preconceived notions, I’m certain you would be eager for such a thing?”

  The monk clearly did not appreciate her aggressive attitude but answered nonetheless. “There is, of course, a way, but it is lost to us here at the Cloister.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You will have to talk with our headmistress for such information.”

  “Can you take us to her?”

  The monk mulled the prospect over a moment before finally answering, “Very well. Follow me.”

  The man proceeded to guide Ruby and Scarlett further into the large campus and eventually inside a building at its center. The monks kept the inside of the building immaculately clean and clear. Red rugs lined the floors of the halls, and small candles rested on wooden stands lined periodically along the way. The building was rather large, and the monk guided the pair of women through several twists and turns before ultimately arriving at what each suspected was the absolute center of the structure and the monastery itself.

  Meditating there in the middle of the room was an old woman dressed in the same blue robe as the others, but hers somehow looked more distinguished. Around her neck, she wore a series of wooden beads as a necklace, and her grey hair was in a neat bun overhead. Seated directly behind her was another figure. This one appeared to be the headmistress’ bonded demon.

  The woman’s demon was tall and quite bulky. His skin was steely grey, and he had no hair on his body, having a completely bald head. He was dressed in a similar robe as the monks, but his rocky muscles could be seen protruding through the thin fabric. His eyes were shut, and he appeared to be in quiet meditation just like his human master.

  The monk that had guided the princess and her demon into the chamber cleared his throat. “Excuse me, headmistress.”

  The old woman’s eyes opened and she looked at him and then to both Ruby and Scarlett. “Yes?”

  “These women have been asking questions about demon separation. I thought I should refer them to you.”

  “That is probably for the best.” The woman stood and approached the three of them. Her demon followed suit. “Thank you for bringing them to me, Martin. You may return to your studies.”

  The monk nodded and exited the chamber.

  “You seem familiar to me,” the headmistress said, narrowing her eyes and examining the princess. “Why is that?”

  “At one point in my life, I was the princess of Lavidia,” she explained.

  “Yes.” A wave of understanding washed over the woman’s face. “I understand you’re supposed to be dead, Princess Ruby. Instead, it seems you have survived for more than a decade…” She looked to Scarlett. “And are now bonded with a demon. Perhaps that runs in your family.”

  “Perhaps,” she replied dryly.

  “Apologies if that offends you, princess. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Niada, and this is my demon Adamen.”

  The demon nodded but said nothing, his face remaining solemn.

  “This is Scarlett,” Ruby said gesturing to her own demon.

  “He doesn’t say much,” Scarlett said, nodding up to Adamen.

  Niada folded her arms behind her back and replied, “Adamen knows his place. I cannot say the same for you.” She turned to the princess. “So, you want to break the bond with your demon?”

  Already tired of correcting that assumption, Ruby glowered and responded, “Not Scarlett, no. I must separate the demon my sister is bonded with.”

  “I see. And why is it that you believe we should help you with this task?”

  “My sister has done terrible things in my absence. I expect even all the way out here, you’re not safe from her d
emon’s reach. Helping me would serve your own interests.”

  “Why not simply kill her? Queen Leina has indeed done terrible things. Perhaps she deserves death for her deeds.”

  “My sister was corrupted. She had no choice but to do as the demon commanded her.”

  “Corruption, hmm?” Niada seemed skeptical of such a thing. “Not entirely unheard of, but still quite rare. Most demons do not darken their host in any way. They simply latch on and survive through that connection. How are you so certain that she is corrupted by it?”

  “I’ve seen her change before my eyes. She was cleared of any taint momentarily, and I was able to talk to the sister I remember. What followed was something entirely separate. I know that it is the craggy hand demon.”

  “Hm. It is true that your sister has performed heinous acts, since she came to power. Because of our distance, we have been spared as of yet, but you are right about the demon’s reach. I do not see this peace lasting forever.”

  “Does that mean you’ll help me?”

  “If you claim responsibility for her, then I shall assist you in your endeavor to the extent I can.”

  Ruby became hopeful once again. “Then you have a way to separate her from the demon?”

  “I know of a way, yes, but I do not possess it.”

  “Of course you don’t,” she muttered under her breath. “Do you know where it is?”

  “I do. The order known as the Glow took the item you seek to the Roof of the World.”

  The princess was familiar with both the order and the location. The Glow was a splinter group formed by divisive monks of the Cloister’s ranks. There had been something of a civil war between the monastery’s members many years prior, which ended with the rogue monks driven from the Cloister. With them, however, the members took many of the monastery’s arcane artifacts that had special significance to the nether realm.

  It was one of these artifacts that gave the monks their name. A powerful magical item came to the Cloister that glowed a radiant blue in the presence of one of the monks, a man named Daibhu. He had ideas on how to handle demons that differed greatly from the monastery’s head mistress. What those were, Ruby had never really learned, as the monks on both sides of the conflict preferred to keep silent on such internal matters.

  When the members of the Glow ultimately retreated from the Cloister, they wandered for some time before finally settling in one of the most inhospitable places in the region. Atop the Rashtalg Mountains, the tallest known mountain range, was a peak called the Roof of the World. Covered in snow and fierce winds, the unorthodox monks built a structure to house their new monastery, where they could study the nether demons and their home realm the way they wished.

  “What is this item?” Ruby asked. “How will I know it?”

  “A pair of metallic bracelets, enchanted with ancient runes. Placing them on the demon’s wrist separates them from their host as long as they’re worn.”

  “So I could place them on the craggy hand demon and kill it without harming my sister?”

  “Theoretically possible, yes. I imagine you’ll have a difficult time getting this craggy hand demon to wear them though. You’ll need more than magic bracelets to best a demon as powerful as he.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Ruby turned to leave, but she paused, when Niada continued.

  “If you don’t even know the demon’s true name, then you will have no chance.”

  Scarlett winced at this bit of information. She knew what the headmistress was getting at, and the demon wasn’t overly appreciative of the idea.

  The princess, meanwhile, was intrigued and turned back to face Niada. “His true name?”

  “Every demon has a true name. I’m sure your own can attest to that.”

  Ruby looked to Scarlett, but she averted her eyes. She turned back to Niada. “What is a true name?”

  “Beings from the nether realm all have a true name that if spoken will give certain control over them. They hide it from all save those they trust with their lives.” Niada leaned forward. “Has yours given you her true name?”

  “Scarlett?” the princess asked her demon servant. “What is she talking about? You have another name?”

  “Yes,” the demon hesitantly answered. “We all do… but it’s dangerous to tell anyone. Saying the name gives others power over us.”

  “And you haven’t told me? You don’t trust me?”

  Scarlett moved toward Ruby, grabbing her hand and clasping it inside both of her own. “Of course I trust you, my princess. Nevertheless, telling you would buy you nothing. You already have power over me. I will do anything for you. Whatever you ask of me… However, I do trust you, and if you want to know… I will tell you my true name. If that will in turn make you trust me. Anything for you, my princess.”

  Ruby thought about it for a moment. “No, you’re right. I trust you already. Your true name will not change anything.”

  Scarlett smiled at her master. She was far from eager to divulge such a secret, even to her princess. Great danger came from someone uttering those words. Revealing her name might ultimately lead to being separated from Ruby, and she never wanted that. She was happy being bonded with her princess and didn’t want it to end.

  Ruby faced Niada once more. “You’re suggesting I learn the craggy hand demon’s name. That way I could force the bracelets on him. How would I uncover such a thing?”

  “Tricky. Very tricky,” the headmistress said. “He will not have revealed that to anyone in this world. Not even your sister. That leaves only one place to find his true name.”

  “The nether realm,” Scarlett finished for her in a flat tone.

  “The nether realm?” Ruby asked. “How would I find it there?”

  “You?” Niada asked. “You wouldn’t.”

  “She means me,” Scarlett said, a frown covering her face. “I would have to return. I would have to venture back inside the nether world.”

  “But you said it was awful there,” Ruby said. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

  Scarlett was committed to her princess. Though she did not like the idea of returning home, she would do it if that were necessary. “As I said, anything for you, my princess.”

  “Is it even possible for you to return?” Ruby asked. “I thought as long as we were bonded, you would stay here.”

  “That is correct,” Niada said. “But I have just told you how to separate a demon from its host.”

  “She means for you to place the bracelets on me,” Scarlett explained. “That way, our bond is severed and I can return to the nether realm.”

  “Sever our bond?” Ruby asked. “Would it be reversible?”

  “Take off the bracelets, the connection is restored,” the headmistress explained.

  “How will I know when to do that?” the princess asked. “How will I know Scarlett has found the name?”

  “You won’t,” Niada replied. “Such an endeavor could take minutes, hours, days, weeks… You simply won’t know when she is ready to return. You will have to wait for her to return to you. Removing the bracelets while she is in the other realm will sever your connection permanently.”

  Before Ruby or Scarlett could say anything further on the matter, a young monk ran into the room. “Headmistress! There is a large force marching toward us!”

  Niada furrowed her brow, looking strangely at the young man. “Soldiers?”

  After giving himself a moment to catch his breath, he replied, “Yes, headmistress.”

  She paused but a moment and then cocked her head slightly askew, asking, “What banner do they wield?”

  “The willow tree. They’re Lavidia soldiers.”

  Niada looked back at Ruby. “Your sister comes calling. She must know you are here.”

  The princess recalled telling Leina that she would seek answers at the Cloister. Perhaps, she thought, the corrupted version heard that as well and dispatched her army to kill Ruby.

  The headmistress turned to the monk. “Ale
rt the Cloister that we must go to battle.”

  Chapter 27. Virulent

  Ruby and Scarlett stood beside Niada and her demon, Adamen, at the highest point in the monastery, the tower reaching high above the walls with a bell at the very top. Below them, inside the Cloister, the monks and their bonded demons prepared for battle with the encroaching force sent by Leina and the craggy hand demon. The soldiers marching toward the monastery’s walls had to number in the thousands. A cloud of dust followed them, and the ground itself seemed to shake as they marched. The princess couldn’t help but think that it would prove to be overkill. Perhaps, the craggy hand demon wanted more than to kill her, Ruby thought. Perhaps, he wanted something within the Cloister and was simply killing two birds with one stone. Whatever the reasons for sending such a large force, it was clear that they posed a serious threat to both Ruby and the monks.

  The soldiers were just men though, while the monks at the Cloister had their demons to aid them, and with each demon came magic. This made the princess optimistic that the soldiers could be routed. Scarlett, however, could smell and nearly taste the strength of the other demons and their levels of magic within the walls of the monastery, and she knew something that Ruby did not. Their hesitance to grow the bonds of their demons made for a weak connection back to the nether realm, where a demon’s magical power comes from. Scarlett, on the other hand, had been able to grow her power through her bond with Ruby to immense levels. She knew that she was the exception among the demons in the Cloister, not the norm. If she and her princess stayed, they would likely face death. Scarlett wouldn’t let that happen.

  “Ruby,” she began. “We can’t resist them. We must go.”

  “What?” the princess replied. “We have the support of the monk’s demons. I have my infected goblins. We can stop them.”

  “These demons are weak. Their masters are unwilling to do what is necessary to grow their bonds.”

  “We are not weak,” Niada interjected. “We simply do not give into our every desire.”

  “Weak,” Scarlett repeated. She pointed out at the approaching soldiers. “Those men will kill you all because you thought yourself above desire.”