Chrysalis

by Kayne Sampson

  Erisda reached down and picked up the broken hilt, hand screaming in agony. He brought the jagged edge up, intending to stab Inferno in the chest. Instead, his broken weapon was wrenched from his hand and in the same moment, a flash of steel entered his body.

  “I failed you. I...am sorry,” Inferno said, his hand resting on the blade, as if preparing to drive it in further. But he hesitated and finally withdrew the weapon. He needn’t have bothered anyways. Erisda had been a soldier long enough to know how to spot a mortal wound. This was the end for him. He dropped to the ground.

  “I must sacrifice everything for my people. I cannot falter. Anyone who tries to deny our new age will be dealt with by my own hand. Only then can we know true peace.”

  His vision was blurry, but Erisda could see Inferno kneel down beside him. He could remember the days when he had been the Demon’s student. He had looked up to his mentor. Had it all been a ruse? No, Erisda thought with a sad smile. The Demon had tears in his eyes.

  As Erisda took his last breath, he cursed his weakness. He had not been able to protect Silvia. He took solace in the fact that he would see Ilia once again. There was only one option he had left. In the distance, he could see something. His last hope. I leave the rest to you, Keta. And Erisda closed his eyes.

  ***

  “No!”

  Keta had finally caught up to the two. After Erisda had run off to chase the other Human, he had seen the opportunity to retrieve his sword. But those two were fast. His first sight was something he had been dreading.

  Inferno had been a part of the entire thing here in Teforia. He had infiltrated the Human army, as a damned general no less, judging by the uniform his former master was wearing. He had outmaneuvered them all. And Keta had arrived just in time to see Erisda stabbed by Inferno.

  Inferno’s mouth moved, though Keta could not make out the words whispered. The Demon pulled his sword from Erisda, who dropped to the ground, and knelt beside him. Doubling his efforts, Inferno turned to see Keta approaching in the distance and took off towards the fog.

  Keta watched as his former mentor escaped, a sense of dread rising. However, he could not go after him just yet. Erisda needed his help. He ran over to where the man lay, as the bleeding seeped from an open wound. He knelt to help, but with a desperate glance, he could already see the man was dead.

  Max caught up to him, having disengaged from the Xegin. He looked down at the corpse on the ground. “Damn it...why did he have to die?”

  “He didn’t,” Keta said grimly. There was no reason for all this to happen. It was all because he had been too weak to stop the Brotherhood. With Reikon, he now had the power to end all this. And he wouldn’t hesitate this time.

  “Get away from him!”

  Keta snapped out of his thoughts, and turned to see a Human running at him, sword in hand. The look on his face was so intense that Keta had no choice but to draw his weapon to defend against the strike.

  “What did you do to General Walker!” the young man bellowed, and he struck again.

  Keta ducked and moved forward, kicking the legs out from the blonde soldier. He fell to the ground as Keta leapt backwards. The Human flipped up and was back on his feet swiftly.

  “Wait, this isn’t what you think,” Keta said, holding up a hand. “I know you must be one of his soldiers, but we did not kill him.”

  “Then who did?”

  Keta did his best to explain to the hotheaded youth about Master Inferno and the Brotherhood of Shadows. “Wait...did you say that this Inferno guy was posing as a general?” Keta nodded. “But that would mean...no...no! How can this be happening?”

  Max had been watching from the side. “What are you going on about?”

  The soldier moved over to Erisda’s body and knelt beside him. “My name is Bakuya Telreya. I was General Erisda’s lieutenant, but most recently lieutenant to General Ivaldi. There are only two generals in our militia. If this Inferno was wearing another general outfit, then I and General Erisda and everyone else were being deceived.”

  Keta placed a hand to his forehead. What did it all mean? His former master hated deception.

  “I’m going to kill him!” Bakuya had marched up to Keta and Max. “Where is he? You must know. Show me!” he demanded.

  “You are out of your league, Human. You can’t fight against a Demon like him,” Max responded. The Human looked to the side and growled, but he did not refute the claim.

  Having placated Bakuya, Keta turned his attention to Max. “What’s happening back there with the fighting?” Keta asked. He had left the battlefield after Erisda had begun to chase after the other man.

  “Everyone is panicking, and both army’s have called a retreat. Most of them think it must be an enemy ploy. After that whole thing with the Xegin cannon, most are on edge. They probably think another attack like that might be coming,” Max said.

  “Makes sense. At least that means they won’t be trying to kill each other for a while. Well, we need to get to the source of that light,” Keta said, looking in that direction. He didn’t like the feeling he was getting from it.

  “And what exactly is that light?” The three of them turned around to see Tianna come up to them, with Sephiel behind her.

  Keta raised an eyebrow at the two of them. “What are you doing here? Your army has begun it’s retreat. They won’t fight any longer,” he said. He didn’t have time for any more distractions. They needed to put an end to Master Inferno’s plans.

  The Xegin woman nodded and lifted her helmet. “I know. I was the one who gave the orders to retreat. I left the other generals in charge to get our people to safety. My instinct told me that you were going to be running straight into that mess. And I figured you’d want some help.”

  Keta hadn’t expected that. He was sure that in all the confusion of what was going on, it would be up to Max and himself. And yet, it must be his lucky day, because both a Xegin Imperial General and a Kitaan warrior had just flopped in his lap, offering help.

  Still, he had to be sure. “I cannot agree until you know exactly what we are up against. The man behind all this is my former master, Inferno. He is a greater Demon of no small skill. His Brotherhood of Shadows are all immensely powerful warriors loyal to him. They seek to restore the Goddess of Shadows to do his bidding,” he said bluntly. He would not allow them to throw their lives away without understanding what odds they were playing with.

  Erisda had died because he had opposed Master Inferno. Nobody was safe from his wrath. Keta had no other choice. He could not let the crazed Demon go on like this. This could only end one way: with Keta and Inferno crossing blades.

  “Right. So you need to shut up and accept our aid. If what you are doing is so dangerous, then two extra hands would make all the difference,” Tianna said, walking forward. “Honestly, you men are always trying to do everything by yourself to try and show off. Well, enough with the damn chest pounding.” And she poked him in the chest with an armored finger.

  Keta blinked, speechless. But then he let a smile show, despite the cataclysmic events that were unfolding. “Right, how foolish of me. I’d be happy to have your help.” Bakuya was silently watching. “What about you?”

  The Human turned blue eyes to Keta. He had hardened eyes as well. “I…” he started, but he trailed off. His gaze returned to Erisda’s lifeless body, and his shoulders slumped.

  He’s young...younger than me it seems, Keta thought to himself. Why was such a young man a soldier? It was a product of the times, it seemed. Still, to involve a Human…

  “Go back and tell your people to get to safety. This isn’t your fight,” Keta said.

  Bakuya turned back to Keta, eyes narrowed. “Don’t patronize me, Night. Just because I am Human does not mean I am weak! I can fight as well as anyone else. General Ivaldi...whoever he was, he taught me things…”

  Bakuya glanced at Erisda. Keta, in a moment of clarity, realized that the three of them had all been trained in some way by Master Infern
o. But Keta had been taught before the Demon’s dark descent. Who knew what he had taught the two Humans.

  “It’s not about any of that, my friend. It’s about keeping everyone safe,” Keta pointed out. He gestured to Tianna and Sephiel. “The Xegin have already been alerted to the Brotherhood’s involvement. You are one of the Human soldiers. It is vital that you get that information to them.”

  Bakuya clenched his fists. “Damn it! The general needs to be avenged!”

  Max stepped forward until he was directly towering over the soldier. “No, he needs to be remembered first. He was a good man, and a leader of your people. His first thought would be to defend the soldiers and citizens under his protection.”

  Bakuya held a defiant look. “You…”

  “We’re not trying to start a fight, Bakuya,” Keta said. He gestured towards the light. “We have no idea what that is. We need to inform the people and take the necessary precautions. Please...I don’t want any more innocents to get caught up in this fight.”

  The pleading in Keta’s voice must have finally got to the Human, who let out a sigh. “All right. I will do what I can. But please...for the general’s...for his sake, end this before anyone else has to die.”

  Keta nodded, hearing the hollow desperation in the soldier’s voice. With one final glance at his fallen comrade, Bakuya took off in the direction of the army. That’s both armies out of the way. Now the only thing that remains is Master Inferno and the Brotherhood...

  Sephiel shuffled forward and removed her helmet. Her silver hair and golden eyes looked so regal on her. Was this what everyone saw when they looked at him?

  “Orders?”

  Keta realized that the girl was talking to him. “What do you mean, orders?”

  “I assumed that you were the leader in all this. That means you give the orders. Is that not how it works?” Sephiel asked, crossing her arms.

  The leader? Keta looked over at his comrades. He had always viewed Max as a partner. But as they met eyes, he realized that his friend didn’t fight him on it. Max had always been loyal to him. In hindsight, Keta noted that the Demon had been following his lead all along.

  Pent had never seen things the same way, and that was probably why he had left the group in the first place. Had Keta failed as the leader by letting things go the way they had? He only hoped that the boy was safe.

  “I don’t want to fight, but if I don’t, people will be killed. But just because I fight, does not mean I have to kill. That is how I choose to live my life,” Keta confided.

  He focused his gaze on Tianna and Sephiel. “If you want to follow me, then do as you will,” Keta said, having made the decision to take command. The Brotherhood of Shadows was his responsibility after all. With Max and now Tianna and Sephiel at his side, Keta took a deep breath. And he rushed headfirst into the light.

  ***

  Pent had watched as Keta, Max and the two Xegin soldiers disappeared into the fog several minutes ago. He had been trailing Keta for a while, since they had returned to the Human city. As expected, they had gone straight to the battlefield.

  He had pursued them in secret, witnessing their intrusion of the war between the Xegin and the Humans yet again. Pent had no idea what he was going to do or say, so he simply watched. But even he was surprised when the lights appeared, obscured by the fog.

  This must be the final play of Inferno and his Brotherhood, Pent thought to himself. Whatever their endgame was, it would take place within that fog.

  Pent had to make a decision now. Did he do nothing? Or would he try and stop one of them; Keta or Inferno? Without much thought, he made his decision. He would be true to his own morals.

  With his newfound clarity, Pent rushed forward and became consumed by the fog.

  END OF PART III

  INTERLUDE

  PARADISE

  Destiny. It was what his sister had said to him.

  His time with Xehemoth and Sanction, his decision to split and forge the Brotherhood of Shadows, his battle with Keta. All of it.

  And that made Inferno all the more angry.

  A goddess was still living amongst them and she had done nothing to stop the atrocities. The persecution of his people, the death of Xehemoth, the loss of his comrades...they were all considered acceptable.

  I cannot accept any of that, Inferno thought, clenching fists. But he would not have to. He was finally ready. Today, he would finally make good on his promise. He would bring his people back into the light.

  If the goddess of this world would not intervene, he would just bring back one that would.

  Formetis appeared beside him. The girl was radiating with power now, after being exposed to the other maidens. Despite this, she was wearing her normal sullen look. “They are here,” she said simply.

  Inferno frowned. It was already too late for Keta and his allies to stop them. They would need to face their nightmares. And besides, he had all the maidens ready for the ritual. Soon it would all be over…

  But then his frown faded as he looked down at Formetis. She was standing at attention, eyes full of determination. Inferno knew that she was his biggest supporter, despite the fact that she was Human.

  This will be my last moments with her, Inferno realized sadly. He had done some terrible things to achieve this, but this would be the most difficult thing he had to do.

  “It is done. I have bonded myself with their power. We can begin any time you wish,” Formetis said. The girl was determined.

  Just as he was. He had done terrible things to get to this point. He had left a trail of corpses, torn daughters from their families, and dealt the killing blow to a man who had once been his protege.

  And yet, if he had to, he would do it all again. Sacrifice was necessary in order to bring about the new world order. Inferno had strength, but even he could not change the world on his own.

  For that, he would require the assistance of the gods. And they would bring about a new utopia for his people.

  Inferno smiled. It was a genuine smile, one he had not been able to do for years. Sure, he had pretended, to put up a facade for his people. But today, it was true. At long last, he had achieved victory.

  “Formetis, before I do this, there is something I must tell you,” Inferno said, suddenly feeling wistful.

  The girl’s head moved to the side. “What is it, Master?”

  “My life, it hasn’t been an easy one. I saw my village burned to the ground when I was ten years old. My sister and I were the only survivors of our clan. They killed us because the blood of the fire Greater Demons ran through our people.”

  Formetis gasped. “You never told me that before. Why?”

  “Because I never wanted you to know the terror I did. I was a young man when you were brought to me as a baby. My own master was busy with training the others, so I became your guardian.”

  Formetis lifted her hand. “Even though I was Human?”

  Inferno shook his head. “No. There was another reason. The one who brought you told us you were special. I saw a Human, but I also saw an opportunity. I could use one of their own to destroy them.”

  Formetis looked confused, momentarily. Then, she nodded sadly. “I...guess I understand. How could you ever hope to not hate Humans after what they did to your people?”

  Inferno narrowed his eyes. “I did hate you. At first, my only goal was to make use of your power for my own benefit. But caring for you as a child changed everything.”

  “I did not know love, not well. Master Xehemoth was the only person I cared for, before I started teaching Keta and the others. They...helped me.”

  Inferno took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. Gods above, I never thought that this would be so hard. Nothing had hindered him thus far, not his nephew, not his former students. Why this?

  “I wanted to despise you for what you were. But somewhere along the way, I grew fond of you.”

  Formetis blinked. “Why tell me this? You have always treated me with nothing but kind
ness.”

  “Because you deserve the truth. It was stupid of me to condemn a child. But I was filled with so much hate. With everything that had happened, I was sure that the only way to end this all was the destruction of the Humans.”

  “Master Xehemoth and I disagreed, and when the Humans finally played their hand, we could no longer work together. He hoped to change them. But I had seen their darkness. There would be no peace so long as they lived.

  Formetis shrunk down. She always did that when she wanted to disappear. “I...I’m sorry. I always knew of your hatred of Humans. And yet...I always forced myself at your side. The sight of me must cause you so much pain.”

  Inferno walked forward, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Quite the contrary, Formetis. The sight of you is one of the few joys in my life. Do you understand? Because despite the darkness, you have shown me what it’s like to be a father.”

  Tears streamed down his face. I have become sentimental in my old age, Inferno noted to himself. He used to hate such weakness. But, this being the last time he would be with the girl, he let himself be weak.

  The girl closed her arms around him. Hesitantly, Inferno wrapped his own arms around Formetis. Inferno, the Greater Demon, held the embrace, until he could cry no more.

  Inferno released the girl and pulled back. Formetis stepped backwards as well, her black dress ruffled. She looked less sullen now, a sad smile on her face. She had accepted her fate.

  “Formetis, I want you to know that you have always been my most loyal follower. Without your contribution, the Brotherhood’s revolution would never have come to fruition. I, and all the Demon clans, thank you,” Inferno said, drawing his sword.

  Formetis closed her eyes. “You gave me a place to call home and cared for me my entire life. It is my honor to be of use to you.”

  Inferno raised his sword higher.

  And so comes the end of oppression. With this ritual, my people will finally be free. There would be no further stalling. “Forgive me for this, Formetis. I am sorry that it had to be this way.”