The full extent of just what they've been subjected to since the war of a few thousand years past was despicable, but mages had to stop short of fully supporting them in fear of backlash from the perpetrators. The Head-Mage only thought it fair to warn the King of the potential dangers. As much as others would like to admit, Sebastian was resourceful and could provide much help toward solving the problem, if it became necessary.
His arm rushed back and forth, smearing black ink over his hand as he wrote with furious determination.
As the final parchment was finished, he pushed himself up from the desk, rolling up the letters and sealing them shut with a magical seal, ready for delivery by specially trained messenger birds. He would have to oversee their departure personally, to ensure all were sent correctly without any eyebrows being raised as to the recipients. Leaving the silvery stone chamber, he departed for the mailing room down the ornate shining stone corridors of the Magi Council’s headquarters.
* * *
Surrounded by the warm winds of the summer, a sizable tan coloured bird soared through the sky. Its feathers were beautifully spotted in perfect unison with each other, matched only by its keen yellow eyes that observed the land below. Sharp talons attached to pale ridged legs which hugged tightly to the bird as it flew, causing the leather scroll case tied to them to jostle in the breeze. The sparkling sea spread out to the east of the bird, the settlements dotted around it appeared minute from that height. Tell-tale trees emerging in the distance informed the bird it was nearing its destination; the immense dark spires of Shadekeep that were emerging above the canopy of the forest.
Shadekeep was aptly named; its walls were carved from a pitch black stone long ago, standing representative of those who inhabited it. The Demon King Sebastian oversaw the well-being of the unwelcome race from here, protected by its impenetrable exterior from any external force who may wish to dispose of him. It was a bustling centre of activity, demons of various shapes and sizes went about their daily lives below. The morning had not dawned for long, there was much to be done.
As the bird descended, it let out a cry to announce its approach, drawing the attention of inquisitive demons below. Within the keep two demons heard the call and made their way over to receive the unannounced bird, heading towards an undersized room with an overly large hatch. Perches adorned the wall on the outside of the building next to the closed hatch, providing the bird with a place to wait while the powerful magical seals that kept it shut were released. Since the window possibly caused a vulnerability in the defences of the keep, it remained sealed at all times.
Upon reaching the room, the smaller demon walked ahead of the other taller demon. His dark skin caused him to blend in with the similarly dark walls of the keep; the only highlights reflecting off his skin came from the ambient flame lamps in the room. They were magical in nature, with proper maintenance they never ran out and being smoke-free, they proved efficient lighting within the sealed walls. As he moved towards the shutter his long, iridescent flowing gown swept around him, only broken to reveal his wings on his back. The impressive attire was indicative of his position as Court Mage. A single pair of curved horns emerged from his head, decorated with a set of silvery magical trinkets. Pointed ears resided under the horns, a bit shorter than the bony protrusions but just as notable. The two features lay shaded underneath his long, straight hair, again black in colour; the only part of this demon that stood out was his sharp, crimson irises surrounded by the pearly white of his eyes.
He started unravelling the intricate magical runes that made up the sealing spell on the door while the other waited, a bowl of meat in hand to reward the bird. The shutters were pulled open, and the bird flew in. It intently focused on the promised meal, gliding over to another perch located beside the second demon. Full of glee, it watched as the food bowl was placed onto the perch and waited for its parcel to be removed.
Slipping the leather binds off the bird's leg, the taller, more imposing demon removed the scroll case and gave it a look over, noting the magical seal that was keeping it bound. With an intrigued look, he handed the scroll over to the demon mage waiting by the window, who readily took it from him and broke the seal, revealing the content of the letter.
A few moments passed as he read the letter. The other demon watched on with amber eyes, noticing his increasingly worried expression.
"Is something wrong Solomon?" he enquired, attracting Solomon's attention up from the parchment.
"We need to bring this to Sebastian immediately, Iomor," Solomon replied. Iomor was quick to pick up on the sombre tone to his voice. The content of the letter must be dire, Solomon was seldom fazed by anything minor. Iomor nodded and beckoned back towards where they entered; the shutter could wait, for now, no one in their right mind would try such a brazen attack in broad daylight. They ran down the corridor, causing surprised demons to move out of the way of the advancing duo, their presence announced by Iomor's remarkably crafted iron armour shuffling against itself as he moved.
After a few minutes, they arrived before an imposing and ornate set of doors with guards flanking either side of the entrance. It was merely a precaution, they more often relayed messages than protected the King from threats. Threats rarely made it past the entrance to the keep. Usually, Sebastian's friend and guardian Kaiser dealt with them or they fled with fear upon seeing him. Being an old blood demon he was vast and powerful, not an opponent anyone wanted to face head-on.
The guards glanced at the approaching pair and let them in without question, heaving the heavy doors wide. Within the chamber beautiful silks hung from the ceiling, adorning the dark hue of the room with fierce reds and brilliant purples, displaying the standard of the demons decorated with fine gold thread. Across the end of the chamber sat a visibly plain throne, its expertly decorated carvings hidden to all but a fine eye. The more garish fineries had long since been removed. Sebastian cared little for the vibrant tastes that had been left from the reign of his father.
On the throne sat the King himself, idly chatting away to another demon perched next to him. Sebastian’s attire was casual, wearing a simple but elegantly crafted leather shirt and trousers, with matching leather boots. It was not the outfit one would expect of a King. Their casual conversation was interrupted as Solomon and Iomor emerged into the room. Sebastian shot them a quizzical glance as Solomon ran up to him with Iomor trailing behind. The interruption was not appreciated, but he did not suspect their reasoning.
"You need to read this," Solomon panted, offering the letter before Sebastian had time to respond. He accepted it, settling down to read the presented letter.
Minutes passed like hours as they waited on their King to respond, his expression was unwavering as he picked through the writing. Eventually, he lowered the letter and passed it over to Iomor, exhaling a deep sigh.
"This is not welcome news," Sebastian said at length, watching Solomon sigh in agreement. "I will prepare a response to the letter. In the meantime Iomor, you ensure we have soldiers prepared for the possible implications of this," he directed at the armoured demon, pausing for breath before addressing Solomon. His instructions were clear, if difficult; find out more about the threat posed by the mysterious storm and to report back with his findings. They swiftly departed, leaving Sebastian alone with the third demon. Upon their leave, he walked up to Sebastian and patted him on the shoulder, drawing a sigh from the King.
"There's little we can do but sit and wait right now, unfortunately," he stated, but Sebastian did not look up. The statement rang true, that was something he knew.
“Any guesses on how Uriel’s reacting to this, Ciel?” the King queried, scratching at his shortened hair while mulling over the information.
“You mean aside from probably pinning all the blame on us, or at least our race?”
Sebastian chuckled at the remark, shaking his head side to side. He knew the angel all too well, any major occurrences were swiftly blamed on them, that had been one thing that
had remained consistent since he was old enough to understand it.
He thought for a moment, turning his head up towards his companion. With a rapid movement, he stood up and embraced the other demon, revealing a more emotional side of his stern approach. He worried dearly for this demon, for he was his only child. The warm embrace was quickly returned with mutual affection. All they could do is hope the worse did not come to light in the wake of the storm.
* * *
Each recipient received the letter with mutual trepidation, creating suspicious thoughts as to the cause of the storm. The immediate thought was that it was demons, but the idea was hard to build on. They had three large settlements near the Commons. It came over illogical for them to put their own kind into danger, without any obvious benefits. Regardless of the culprit, it was thought best to heed the warning, and the call was sent out to muster what forces they could obtain. Communications between Thardosean, the Human King and Uriel, the Angel Monarch remained open, each bringing their own opinion on how to proceed. Uriel wished to push an accusation towards the demons, and the demon lead northern continent, including Sebastian by relation. Thardosean disagreed, however. If the storm was truly unrelated to them, then actively blaming then would tear the rift between the races further apart. As much as the human would like to admit, the raw strength of the demons would be a great asset if the situation turned dire.
The King sat on his throne, nervously watching Uriel’s tirade as the angel paced around his chambers. Normally having the Angel Monarch within his castle would be an honour. Uriel was not known for leaving his sanctuary of Eriden very often, but in this case, he was not keen on the angel’s anger. He was well aware that Uriel could easily dispatch him. The angel was much stronger than the aged King and better armed; a long blade lay sheathed in an ornate white and gold scabbard, hanging from his belt. Thardosean also knew the angel’s keen mastery over the element of light. While it was most effective against demons, he had no doubts that it could easily deal him a fatal blow. He quietly scratched his fingers on the armrest. Uriel appeared to be running out of steam for now, or at least that was his hope.
“Can we at least agree to wait with the accusations until after the expedition?” Thardosean pleaded, obtaining a sharp glare from the angel’s pale blue eyes. He flinched. The glare remained for a few seconds before Uriel sighed and turned away, allowing the wary King to relax.
“Fine, just don’t regret it later if you find that I am indeed correct,” he replied snidely, annoyed at the human’s unwilling stance on the subject. Uriel had banked on his full agreement, an assault on Shadekeep would’ve required the element of surprise. Human settlements surrounded the demon communities, even if the humans stood little chance against the opponent, the shock of the sudden attack would turn them blind to the larger and more dangerous force bearing down on them. Or at least, that was his hope. The plan would fall flat otherwise, possibly even turn on them if the humans decided to take exception. It was not only the demon towns that were surrounded by human settlements; Aelburn was the greatest of the human cities and stood too close to Eriden for Uriel’s liking.
The angry angel decided to take his leave, pushing past the anxious guards that were positioned outside the door. They were unable to hear the conversation between the two in the chamber, but the volume of Uriel’s voice told them that it was not a pleasant one. Once he had visibly departed, they entered the hall, cautiously walking up to the throne. Thardosean glanced up at them, taking deep breaths to calm himself before gesturing to them he was fine, although the slight shaking of his hand indicated otherwise.
“Get someone to bring me some wine, I’m going to need it.”
The soldiers scrambled off, desperately searching for the nearest servant to carry out the King’s desire.
* * *
Bright flames illuminated the aged wooden round table and those who sat around it, casting shadows into the wide room. All the participants were clad in thin furs and leather with hints of green and brown cloth peeking out from gaps in the armour, with bows and blades strapped on top. Scruffy hair and beards adorned the faces of the committee, except for one that sat at the centre of the table. Her visage was clean and neat, the armour however still matched the rest. An expansive map lay on the table next to a letter. Various pencils and markers were strewn around the edges of the map, with some having been used to mark off and annotate specific areas. With a sweep of her hand, a route was marked out on the map, drawing comments from others in the room. The majority agreed to what she had proposed, but a few were sceptical. Doubts which she hoped to quell before an expedition was sent out toward the moving storm front.
“The demons of Springhollow might have some information that would be useful to the cause,” she stated to the quibblers who were not keen on the idea of actively talking to the demons. The next half of her plan would upset them even more, there was more than just the one settlement on the proposed route. It would also provide them with a good location to restock on food and water. “Also, I was planning to stop in at least Linlake, if not Valmeadow or Esterbrook for information and supplies, of course,” she added on, without any audible disagreement from the audience.
The lakes in the West were prime demon territory, but they were also the only major freshwater source. As such, the humans that settled there found themselves having to be humble to their less than desirable neighbours; the relationship fostered well however and firm trading routes been established between the two races. The swampland hosted many riches, but its boggy ground proved too much of a hassle for the humans to consistently navigate. Demons, however, could easily avoid its sticky nature using their wings, utilising the trees as perches. An agreement was struck up, in exchange for the resources of the swamplands the demons would receive food and other fineries such as cloth and metal. Demons in this area tended to be more welcoming to humans, as long as their intentions were fair. A fact she intended to use fully to her advantage.
“I will lead the expedition, a small group with some mages provided to us by the Council.”
Such an expedition would usually take a sizable group, but a large expedition would also cause panic to civilians if it became known. “The rest of you, remain doing as you are now, dealing with any other problems that arise as normal,” the woman continued, nods of approval came from the remaining members. She beckoned for them to stand, initiating a chant which the other members soon joined in on. It was a pledge that all members held highly, repeating it at the end of the meeting was a long-held tradition within the Ranger’s Guild and a well-respected one. As the chant ended the members dismissed themselves, leaving the woman alone in the room. She set about penning a reply agreeing to help the council, as well as details of the route they would take.
Chapter 2: The Expedition
Low sunlight bathed the cool stone walls of the Magi Academy. While impressive in stature it hid the truly grand interior; the dull grey stone walls paled in comparison to the iridescent, polished slabs inside. A small group clad in leathers stood before the wooden doors of the entrance, awaiting their promised mage companions at this early hour of the day. At the front stood the female Ranger, impatiently checking an iron pocket watch. The doors eventually pushed open, a familiar face stood in the doorway, flanked by less than enthusiastic looking mages.
“Ah Ferdan, It has been a long time, thank you for the letter,” she smiled at the man stood before her. His height was average for a human and his short brown hair was kept neat and clean, and as always he looked impressive in his silvery formal robes, contrasted only by his pale green eyes.
“Too long,” Ferdan returned the smile to the woman. They had been close once but commitments to their respective guilds separated them, and he had not had the chance to see her regularly since then. “These few will serve as our investigative force. I would come along myself, but unfortunately, I am required to remain here.” A hint of sadness laced his voice, he wished to go with her again so badly, but it wa
s not to be. “Don’t mind their expressions, mages are rarely required to be awake at this hour normally,” he remarked, resulting in a quiet chuckle from the group stood in front of him. “I will not hold you, just be careful Lauri,” his words trailed off, and he looked away, trying to hide the blushing of his cheeks.
Lauri held back a grin. His embarrassment was sweet but now was not the time. She ordered the group to walk back down the passage that would bring them to their starting location. Pausing for a second behind the group, she swivelled around and blew him a kiss, before turning back around and running ahead to rejoin the front of the group. Ferdan stood dumbstruck for a second before walking back into the hall, closing the doors behind him, a grin spread across his face.
* * *
A few hours passed as they marched, successfully reaching the first stopping point in their journey. Sat at the base of the Skyrend Mountains they paused for a snack, ensuring everyone was fine. Once they entered the mountain passage that ran across the monumental peaks, they would have to continue walking until they got to the other side. Perilous was an understatement when it came to the passage. It was narrow and prone to debris slipping down from the cliffs above. Conveniently, it was only a short distance to cross, so it was hoped that they would get to the other side with no incident.
Once the break was finished, they packed their rations back up neatly while Lauri informed the mages about the hazard and how to deal with it if anything occurred. It was one of the times when travelling with mages was a benefit, as opposed to them being a slight nuisance.
Towering cliffs rose up either side as the group pressed on carefully, half watching where they were walking, half watching the ominous peaks above them. Time passed slowly as they walked through the winding passage. An aura of silence hung over the group, with no one being willing to break it in case their voice covered up the sound of slipping rock.
Skies of Fyir Box Set Page 22