The Demon's Return

by Selva, SK

  Lҽɠҽɳԃʂ σϝ Iʅҽɱυɾια

  Bσσƙ Oɳҽ

  Tԋҽ Dҽɱσɳ'ʂ Rҽƚυɾɳ

  SK Selva

  Copyright © 2021 SK Selva.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  ISBN: 979-8-51-356054-8 (Paperback)

  Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination.

  Front cover image by jcalebdesign.

  Editing by Allister Thompson.

  Published by Kindle Direct Publishing

  First printing edition 2021.

  www.authorskselva.com

  Lҽɠҽɳԃʂ σϝ Iʅҽɱυɾια

  Bσσƙ Oɳҽ

  Tԋҽ Dҽɱσɳ'ʂ Rҽƚυɾɳ

  To my wife, family and friends who have had to listen to my tales for all these years.

  Now you get to read my stories too.

  To those with an idea,

  just write it down already!

  PROLOGUE

  ***

  H e was accustomed to the pain.

  The shadow creatures gleefully tightened the screws on the chains fastened around his wrists, the bolts digging deeper into his skin. He could no longer writhe in agony; the anguish had long been entrenched in his mind. The darkness was all too familiar to him. Rather homely at times, even. He gratefully accepted what little water was poured into his mouth.

  “Even after all these years, you still have not learned that escape is futile.”

  The shadows whispered sweet torment in his ears. They danced around his strung-up body, energized by their prisoner’s hopelessness.

  “Enough.”

  They pranced away, parting a path for their leader to approach their honored guest. He watched passively as their prisoner slowly lifted his head and stared deep into two gaping holes on his head that he could only hope were eyes.

  “I will escape,” he declared.

  “I do value your courage,” responded the leader. His deep voice resonated through the chambers. “But it is of no use. No one escapes these caves.”

  His minions leered venomously at their prisoner. How dare he speak to their leader this way?

  “You will tell us where he is.” He crawled toward his prisoner, hoping for more struggle, sensing whatever hope he had left was draining away.

  “No matter how much the wind blows, the mountain will never bend to it.”

  “It is a shame.” There was no ounce of pity in the reply. “We will never grant your wish for death.”

  As the shadow leader turned to slither away, the prisoner knew this was his only chance. The door was open. Muttering the softest of chants, he prayed. He had been saving what little the land was offering him just for this. Years of pleading for one moment. It was never going to come again.

  A slight wisp of smoke left his mouth and floated toward the door, barely visible.

  “Stop it!”

  The shadow leader turned and watched as his creatures raced toward their prisoner’s magic. He reached out for it too, but it had gone through the door and floated out and away. One of his minions attempted to chase it through the door, only to begin screaming in pain and writhing in agony. His compatriots could only look on in fear as their ally disintegrated into nothing.

  He turned menacingly toward their prisoner. “You’ll wish you never did that.”

  “There’s nothing more you can do to me,” said the prisoner, smiling for the first time in what seemed like decades. “This is my home. I welcome what you can bring.”

  The prisoner no longer shouted for help. No one would ever hear him. His only hope was that the land would guide his magic where it needed to go.

  Floating through the lands, the wisp of smoke found what it was looking for with just barely enough energy to spare. In an old man’s home, thousands of miles away, an old stone began to glow a bright blue. Awakening in the middle of the night, he stared incredulously at the entrance to his attic. A soft light was emanating through the cracks.

  “My god! She was right all along.”

  CHAPTER 1

  ***

  T he Council of Elders only congregated for important matters when it came to the land of Ilemuria, and none were more key than the traditional games. Karnan stepped out of the Yonder Gate that led to Tirakan, the dragon village. His broad shoulders and wizened face bore the weight of years of tactical war experience with the knowledge and mastery of battle.

  Though he imposed an intimidating physical appearance, he was known for his kind disposition. His hooves clip-clopped on the dirt path as he began to trot toward his destination. Powerful legs drove footprints into the ground that announced his arrival. Creatures from the different clans all turned their heads, mustering the courage to view a legend of the land.

  The orcs, ogres, and trolls nodded their greetings, and he graciously acknowledged their presence. The clan leader of the centaurs, a highly regarded race, came with the respect that few other clans, even those with a member on the council, could match.

  “Have you come alone this year?” called a voice from behind.

  Karnan turned his head and spotted a beautiful creature waiting near the entrance to Kataragamam Castle, her pale green skin radiating in the midday sun.

  “If you mean am I the only member of the centaur clan, then yes. But remember, I consider all creatures as one. My clan is preparing to come to Ilemuria safely in groups. The Yonder Gate to our village, Kurunji, will be busy soon,” responded Karnan jovially. “How is your fairy clan, Yachana? Do you require anything from us?”

  “Not at the moment,” she replied.

  “I understand the first few years of leading a clan can be rough,” advised Karnan, “especially since you do not have your old clan leader to guide you anymore. The fairies have always been respected. I trust you will be able to maintain their traditions and keep your clan’s seat on the council.”

  Young as she was, Yachana did not let Karnan’s challenge put her down. She smiled at the centaur leader, eyeing his long, dark hair and flowing beard. Karnan towered over her, as he did with many other creatures, but Yachana held her ground. Her old fairy leader had hand-picked her ahead of several more experienced options for a reason.

  “It’s good to see you too, Karnan,” she said as she embraced him. Karnan welcomed her into his arms. It was not her fault she had been chosen as leader, and he intended to make sure her predecessor’s choice was not in vain.

  “Has Roshna arrived?” he inquired.

  “I have not seen any members of the unicorn clan,” said Yachana. “Roshna and Balaraj should surely be here. Unicorns do not miss congregations.”

  To do so would be to lose your clan’s spot on the council. The absolute embarrassment of that happening, after your clan worked so hard to obtain a seat, to mere carelessness was enough to be overthrown as clan leader.

  Yachana made her way back to the other fairies she had travelled with, who were in awe of how she handled Karnan. Though young, Yachana knew better than to make enemies with those who wanted her title and kept them close as her own personal council. They did seem to respect her, though warily.

  The castle doors loomed in front of Karnan as he traversed through the small village. He looked up, saw dragons flying through the sky, and smiled. How must it feel to be back in their world and to be able to spread those wings? It was a wonder they ever landed. Centaurs did not envy the flying clans, like some of the other ground creatures did. They were grateful for the strengths the land had
given them and made do with their abilities. He looked closer and could not make out any unicorns in the sky. Years of studying the stars and skies above them had made Karnan’s vision an envy of other creatures.

  As he reached the gates of Kataragamam Castle, younger dragon disciples hastily rushed to pull the doors open. One tripped over his robes as he tried to open one door too quickly. Karnan pretended not to notice and walked into the castle, listening as the other young dragons laughed at their comrade.

  Portraits of past kings adorned the hallways as Karnan marched to the congregation chambers. Dozens of leaders and high-ranking officials from all the different clans were already inside and making their way to the same destination. However, only members of the Council of Elders were allowed on stage with the king, looking out at all the other creatures who wanted nothing more than to be in their seats.

  Karnan found the familiar doors that led directly to the stage. Years of meetings had left him tired, but he always honored his duty. He’d rather face a dozen battles than one congregation, a feeling mutual amongst some of his other council members.

  “An honor as always, brother Karnan,” roared a short but well-kept individual waiting outside the stage doors.

  “It looks like the troll clan has been treating you well, Hemadri,” Karnan teased as he slapped the rotund stomach of his old friend.

  “We feed well,” retorted Hemadri, leader of the troll clan, snickering as his belly allowed, “but I must admit, I might not exactly be in the same condition as our battle days.”

  “I don’t believe any of us are.”

  “Nonsense! You look like you are ready to lead us into war during another tragedy. You don’t age, do you Karnan? What do you do in that blasted human world to keep from going over like the rest of us?”

  “Forgive me, for even I cannot answer that question.”

  “And why are you still in your blasted ackal form?” asked the troll. “It’s been so long since we could truly be our full beastly selves and achieve mirakum.”

  “Unlike the trolls, the centaur ackal and mirakum are vastly different. I do not wish to take up too much space on all fours, Hemadri.”

  “Bah, you know those clans not on the council are not of our caste. Why should we not enjoy ourselves so that they can be comfortable?”

  “I do wish you would not put so much emphasis on such a terrible subject,” Karnan reprimanded the troll leader. “We are all creatures.”

  “You are right, as always, brother Karnan.”

  The centaur leader patted his war mate on the arm and found himself reminiscing about the days when the two of them and Balaraj would lead the mirakum creature army into battles to prevent lives from being lost. There had been a few, but nothing compared to the tragedy Hemadri was referring to. It was the hardest battle they had ever gone through, but they had luckily prevailed with the help of the dragons.

  Not without some consequences, though.

  “Any sign of Roshna?” asked Karnan suddenly, looking around expectantly.

  “I’m afraid we haven’t seen any unicorns as yet,” Hemadri answered.

  Beginning to feel anxious, more so than he had ever felt during war or even the ancient games, Karnan began to pace. It was not like Roshna to be cutting it so close to meeting time.

  Yachana had suddenly appeared, followed by a blue-toned creature with long, soft hair and a well-built maned individual with long, sharp teeth gleaming from behind his smile.

  “Charak, Ubhay,” Karnan acknowledged the leaders of the elf and griffin tribe respectively. Only one member of the Council of Elders was missing.

  The doors had begun to open slowly. Karnan watched as the other leaders walked through. He looked back one last time and began to follow.

  “I do hope you were not planning on getting started without me,” said an elegant voice. Karnan could feel her warmth as he turned around.

  “Never would have imagined it, Roshna,” he said as they embraced. There were years of friendship between them.

  “It’s good to see you,” she said graciously.

  “And you,” responded Karnan, pulling away and looking at her emerald eyes. “I hope you have kept well since we last spoke.”

  “I have done what I can,” she replied, pulling her hair back over her horn.

  “Where is Balaraj?” asked Hemadri, suddenly scurrying over and happily joining in the intimate conversation.

  “He was unable to attend,” said Roshna, sounding exasperated. “You know how stubborn he can be.”

  “That stubbornness has saved us on the battlefield many times,” said Hemadri with a loud guffaw. “I would have imagined nothing else.”

  Another younger dragon began to close the doors behind the leaders, almost apologetically. Hemadri gave him an annoyed looked, but Roshna smiled appreciatively. She always had that effect on us, thought Karnan, watching the young dragon blush and walk away hurriedly.

  The six members of the Council of Elders sat in their respective chairs, looking out over the crowded chambers. All creatures from the different clans were easily distinguishable. Goblins were keeping together, trying to sit high enough to see the stage, yelling angrily at the giant ogres who inexplicably took seats at the front. Pixies flew high above the crowd for an aerial view while the leprechauns traded hats and judged each other’s beards. Merpeople looked uncomfortable, as always when they were out of the water. Dragons stood by the other entrances as guards, ushering in the latecomers.

  Karnan took this time to glance at a large set of scales near the stage. Colorful jewels were equally present on both ends, depicting the perfect balance between the land and the creatures.

  As it should be, he thought approvingly.

  High above the stage was an opening to the skies. They all patiently waited. The apprehension was as thick as the walls of the castle.

  Suddenly, a gust of wind tore through the auditorium. The tiny leprechauns held on to their seats with all their strength as the ogres used their own clubs for support. Floating down gracefully as a butterfly came the king, folding his wings and changing into his ackal form to walk calmly across the stage.

  The grace of King Nahusha was evident whether he was soaring through the skies as the dragon mirakum or walking calmly through the land as the dragon ackal. He loomed over Karnan and seemed even to make the ogres look small. A just ruler, King Nahusha, took his place on his throne before facing his royal subjects.

  “Welcome back to Ilemuria and our home!” he boomed.

  Cheers and whistles shook the chamber walls. Leprechauns threw gold in the air as they crawled back to their seats. Pixies showered everyone with dust while the orcs and ogres banged clubs. The Council of Elders grinned as they added their roars to the crowd. The collective excitement was extremely contagious.

  “It is good to see all the different clans represented and back at full health. I welcome all the returning clan leaders and those who are new. I am sure you will serve each of the noble creature clans with great pride, as your predecessors have done before you.” King Nahusha spoke with charisma and power. It served him well as a leader.

  “I know how much we all wish we could live our lives in our kingdom of Ilemuria, but the human world needs us, and our land needs time to heal. We take from it with our energy, but we must also give back with our passion. We are creatures with the ancient genes, and we will always protect that which is most sacred to us.”

  Everyone was staring at the king with rapt attention. They all knew what was coming.

  “As we congregate here today, showing off our uniqueness with clan pride, I am happy to let everyone know that this year’s magical games, the Vlatta Potti, will be moving forward as expected!”

  Another cheer filled the auditorium. The competitiveness, the yearning for honor and glory for their clans, drove every creature.

  “All creatures are invited to send their best warriors, scholars, mages, and hunters to participate in the five different contests. There i
s no limit to how many you may enter, but be wary. The competition will be fierce.”

  Hemadri stared out into the audience with a broad smile. Fierce competition was the only way to decide the rightful winners in his eyes.

  “Ilemuria has healed from the last time we graced her with our presence. I trust that each of you will give worship to the land not just through prayer, but also through action. Our elements must grow. As the land’s children, we must take care of our mother as she gets old.”

  “For Ilemuria!” shouted the audience.

  “And now, I am sure you are all aware of the prize that awaits the six clans that amass the most points from the Vlatta Potti?”

  King Nahusha knew that this was common knowledge, but he could not help but raise the anticipation even more. Every creature leaned forward in their seat, waiting for the exact words they had come back to hear.

  “The six clans with the most points from the games will be awarded the six spots on the Council of Elders and will be allowed to advise the dragon clan and I on the governing of the land until the following games.”

  A spot on the Council of Elders was the closest any non-dragon creature would get to the king. The pride of knowing your clan occupied one of those spots ensured better service and recognition throughout the land’s many establishments. Winning the points in the games to obtain the clan seat elevated creatures to legendary status, not just within their clans, but within all of Ilemuria.

  Karnan continued to survey the room with a small grin. The centaurs had held their spot for over a hundred years, the longest such active streak. He and his clan members were not about to give that up.

  “Be that as it may, I implore all of my clan leaders to listen. Participation in the games comes with its own risks. Whether you have hundreds of clan members or just a few dozen, you may enter as many of the five contests as you wish. We do ask that you know the inherent risks when it comes to the games. Survival is not guaranteed, and, unfortunately, not compensated either. We do not wish extinction of the smaller clans, but that is ultimately up to you.”