The Demon's Return

by Selva, SK

  Roshna nodded gently. She had been but a young unicorn at the time, but what had happened still affected her greatly.

  “It was just a few demons,” started Jeya. “It was an unfair trial where they were found guilty. Your council and prejudiced ways decided to just ban us all.”

  “Not true,” defended Roshna. “Our system works.”

  “Why don’t you ask those who lost if the system works?” retorted Jeya.

  Roshna stayed silent.

  “I’m sorry,” she finally said.

  “Don’t be.” Jeya looked at her with a sudden softening of her expression. She reached out and grabbed her hand. “You weren’t on the council then. The only member that voted not to ban all demons was Samara, even though that very battle eventually killed her. You were chosen as her successor for a reason. I do hope you share the same values.”

  Roshna was unsure how to respond. She had not had any input back during that trial. It was too late to make any changes when she finally took her seat on the Council of Elders.

  “King Nahusha wants demons back,” she said.

  Jeya looked at her, astonished. “The very king that banished us wants us back?”

  “He mentioned it in our last meeting, saying if any of us found a demon, we were to bring them to Ilemuria. None of us knew how we would find one. And to be fair, none of us really tried.”

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Ilemuria,” said Jeya fondly. She looked into Roshna’s eyes. “Is Kiramam Square still as lively as ever?”

  “It’s hard to get creatures back to their villages on the night we all return.”

  “It was always amazing to go back home.”

  A single tear rolled from Jeya’s eye.

  “Listen,” said Roshna. “Maybe we can start with Veeran as the king commanded, but I don’t know what we would do after.”

  “We were such a happy clan,” reminisced Jeya, “but that old man might have had a point. I lost my own daughter due to my selfishness. She never carried the demon gene. She ran away and left me with Veeran. I love that boy, but I was never able to tell if he carried it.”

  “Well, now we know.”

  “Yes, we do, but Veeran would also be the only demon there. A clear target from the beginning.”

  Roshna began to shift uncomfortably. “There were many other clan leaders and council members that were vehemently against it,” she said. “We did not pursue the matter, since none of us thought it would actually happen.”

  “And now it has.”

  Indeed it has, thought Roshna.

  “I always loved Ilemuria. Without it, I’m not the woman I am today,” Jeya said. “I’m just worried that my grandson will be unsafe. It’s too much responsibility.”

  “It’s a different generation of creatures. Most were not around during the tragedy,” explained Roshna.

  “But they’ll have learned of its history. They’ll have learned demons were the villains. History is always written by the winners.”

  “And the present is remembered by those who took action in it.”

  Jeya regarded Roshna with newfound respect, clearly impressed with her demeanor.

  “Samara chose you for a reason, didn’t she?”

  Roshna nodded. And to this day I still wonder why. Maybe it was for this very moment.

  “What do you think?”

  “Samara always told me to do the right thing. Funny enough, she always seemed to be the only one who knew what that was,” said Roshna.

  Jeya closed her eyes and thought back to her younger years, living in the demon village, helping the mountains stay strong and making sure there was enough fire to keep everyone warm.

  “He deserves to know his ancestry,” she said, settling on what was right. “I can’t think of any clan better than the unicorns to teach him how to care for Ilemuria.”

  Roshna opened her arms gratefully. “I’ll talk to the council members I trust when we arrive. The unicorn clan promises to take care of him.”

  Jeya embraced her. “Thank you. When should he be ready?”

  “I’ll pick him up tomorrow evening.”

  As she let go of the former demon, only one thought crossed her mind.

  Oh, Samara, I hope I’m doing the right thing.

  CHAPTER 5

  ***

  J eya never noticed how many things in her apartment living room reminded her of her grandson as she looked at the pictures of him adorning her apartment. The small TV they had had for years was mounted on the wall, one of Veeran’s first handyman projects that he performed so well. The lack of a father figure in his life had always worried her, but she felt she had done alright.

  It had been so long since she had been to Ilemuria that she had almost pushed it from her mind, but it always found a way back. How she missed her village and her fellow demons, even the games themselves.

  The demons had always been such a respected clan. They had even had a seat on the Council of Elders. Their leader had been one of King Nahusha’s closest confidants.

  But it had all vanished in the blink of an eye.

  Exiled from Ilemuria for the mistakes of a few others, Jeya had been forced to leave and never return. She spent years wondering what had happened. There was no way their leader could have gone against the king. He was not that kind of person. He had loved the land and everything it had meant to them and all creature kind.

  The sheer thought had nearly driven her to insanity. Perhaps this is why my daughter left me, she surmised. With no hope of ever going back, Jeya had started a family, but her partner left her alone with their child.

  I did rush too quickly. I thought a family here would help me forget about Ilemuria.

  It did not. No matter what, she had yearned to return, but knew she couldn’t. It had led her to neglect her daughter. She had run away when she was Veeran’s age and returned not long after with a son of her own.

  It was like looking into a mirror.

  “I can’t take care of him. How can I be a good mother if I never had one?” her daughter had said.

  It broke Jeya’s heart as she held her crying grandson. She hadn’t seen her daughter in years at that point.

  “Please, can’t we talk about this? I’m sorry,” she begged.

  “If you want to make it up to me, take care of your grandson and never try and reach out to me again.” She stormed from her mother’s apartment, the last time she would ever step foot in there again.

  Jeya stared down at the little baby, who had stopped crying and even smiled. He reached out a tiny finger and grabbed a button on her shirt.

  You will be my redemption.

  And so Veeran had grown into a wonderful young man, but he still had much to learn in life. Even if he had the demon gene, their banishment meant he had no way into Ilemuria. She could finally let it all go.

  But had she? A little bit of hope had always existed in Jeya’s heart that Veeran would one day get a chance to visit his birthright. She had always hoped it would have been to a flourishing demon village.

  Jeya sipped her coffee, having barely slept all night. Birds were chirping for the early hour as the sun illuminated their entire living room.

  The door to Veeran’s bedroom opened as he stepped outside. An awkward silence followed.

  “You’re up early,” said Jeya, taking another sip.

  “Yeah, thought I’d make breakfast,” said Veeran.

  “I’d like that.”

  She watched as her grandson sauntered to the kitchen and started the stove.

  “Eggs okay?” he asked.

  “Always.”

  She watched as he cracked some eggs into a pan. Jeya waited patiently.

  “Look,” he started, not turning around. “I’m sorry I let those strangers into our apartment yesterday without telling you. They told me some crazy story.”

  “About Ilemuria, right?”

  Veeran nearly dropped the pan as Jeya rushed over to help hold him steady.


  “How did you know that?” he asked, not with anger, but with genuine curiosity.

  “Do you believe them?” she asked, purposely ignoring his question.

  Veeran did not answer right away. He could only look at his grandmother with an expression he had never worn before. Suddenly, he realized.

  “You knew all along.”

  “I did.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, hurt ringing through his voice.

  “Because as incredible as Ilemuria is, there is much danger. We were banished from that land, and you know you would be too,” said Jeya.

  “Wait,” said Veeran. “We? Banished? You’re a demon?”

  He grabbed on to the kitchen counter to make sure he did not fall over.

  “Yes,” she said. “I’ve been to Ilemuria. I was banished during the tragedy.”

  Luckily, there was a chair nearby where Veeran could sit to compose himself. Jeya quickly turned off the stove; the eggs lay unfinished.

  “So it’s all true?”

  The story from Roshna and Pandian was so incredible, but he did not know them. The horn had glowed, but that could have been done with any sort of lighting technology. Waking up this morning, Veeran was more worried about having to explain how yesterday’s situation had come about than anything else. It had seemed so much less believable.

  But now that his grandmother, the one person he trusted more than anyone, confirmed it, he finally had to believe.

  “It’s true what they said. And Ilemuria is a beautiful land,” said Jeya.

  “What happens now?” asked Veeran.

  “You will go with Roshna. She has promised me she will take care of you. It will be dangerous.”

  “Me? Alone?”

  “Yes,” said his grandmother, more serious than he had ever seen her before. “Our clan was one of the most noble and strongest. We were one of the first creatures that dragons brought to Ilemuria. What exactly happened during the tragedy, we’ll never know completely. I, myself, was sworn to secrecy. I do shudder at the amount of demons out there that will never know about their birthright. Our clan has to be rebuilt, and it starts with one. I cannot go back, but you can. You can show them that we are not the evil creatures they made us out to be. This is what Roshna and I discussed.”

  Veeran buried his face in his hands, and Jeya put an arm around him.

  “You think I can do all that?”

  It was a lot to ask of him, but she needed him to understand.

  “Yes, but that’s not all. What I’m about to say needs to stay between us and no one else.”

  Veeran wanted to interrupt but knew when to keep his mouth shut.

  “You must find out what happened forty years ago. Something doesn’t add up. That was a great battle, Veeran. The bravest warriors in the land came to our village, and we were all ruthlessly exiled not long after. We barely had enough time to know what was happening. Nothing made sense. We need to find out the truth.”

  Veeran remembered not even a few days ago, when he had just gone for a bike ride with some friends. He had promised himself over the years that he would always take care of this woman who had sacrificed so much for him.

  “I don’t know if I’m strong or smart enough for that, Ammama” he said. “I don’t know anything about Ilemuria. I can’t go alone. Would it be so bad if I just stayed here with you?”

  “You saw the unicorn leader and her horn. You saw the other horn glow. There’s a reason that you’re the first demon this happened for in decades.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “I yearned to return to the land. It’s why your mother resented me. I neglected her, but I promised I would never do the same to you,” said Jeya.

  Veeran knew now how serious his grandmother was. She had never voluntarily brought up information about his mom.

  “I do not blame her for leaving you with me. I blame myself. It did give me a second chance to do right by this world. And you, Veeran, are proof that I will leave some good behind.

  “But Ilemuria has always called to me. My magic has been taken away. I have not had a chance to feel that land in so long. But it’s more than that. Our clan has been wronged. We were unlawfully exiled without even a chance at an explanation. We were booted from our homes by the so-called government. I have always hated the council for that, but the land itself has not wronged us. It is your birthright to go.

  “This Roshna woman can be trusted. That much I know. We have agreed to bring you to Ilemuria by yourself. She doesn't know what I want you to do, though. And it’s important that you keep it a secret. Do not draw any more attention to yourself than you already will. She will watch over you. Stay with the unicorn clan. They were always our closest allies.”

  Veeran watched as tears rolled down his grandmother’s cheeks.

  “I’m counting on you.”

  He could not remember a time when his grandmother had been so passionate. Her home had been taken away from her. And she was counting on him to get it back. Veeran grabbed his grandmother and pulled her into a tight hug.

  He did not have the heart to tell her he had never been more scared in his life.

  *

  Veeran did not leave his room, despite hearing a knock on the door several hours later. Jeya opened it and graciously welcomed Roshna inside.

  “How is he?” she asked.

  “He’s been in his room all day. He thinks he has to pack, but I told him he’ll probably need new clothes when he gets there anyway.” A slight smile formed across Jeya’s lips.

  “Did you tell him anything else?”

  “Not much more than he already knew. No amount of words will prepare him for what he’s about to endure.”

  “He’s in good hands with us,” said Roshna.

  Jeya thanked her as Veeran walked out of his room, a small backpack on his shoulders, sporting a thick hooded sweater.

  “Ready?” asked Roshna.

  “No,” he said truthfully.

  At least he’s honest, she thought Roshna.

  “What’s the plan?” asked Veeran.

  “There are many points in the human world that have portals to Ilemuria. We’re lucky we found you just in time. They all open to the other side at the main entrance. We call it the Great Vayil. There’s one nearby, and we’ll go through it together,” explained Roshna.

  Veeran had spent all afternoon pacing in his room aimlessly. He wanted to go to this new world and stay home at the same time. He told his close friends that he was going on an international exchange for the summer.

  “This is kind of sudden, man,” Kathir had said over the phone. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?”

  “Wasn’t confirmed until now,” said Veeran. “I’ll try and message you guys, but I don’t think my phone will work there. My grandma can tell you about it.”

  “Oh, sure. I’m always down for her food when we come over. Just hope you’re cool if we do so without you.”

  “You better. Check up on her here and there and make sure she’s doing all right. No clue how long I’ll be gone for.”

  “Just come back quick.”

  Veeran hated lying to his best friend, but he knew he had no choice. How he yearned to just hang out with him and not have a care in the world.

  She thinks too highly of me, he thought. How was he supposed to go to a new land and become some sort of hero to an entire clan?

  “Are you sure you’ll be all right without me?” Veeran asked his grandmother.

  “I’ve handled a lot more than you give me credit for,” she responded wryly. “You’ll be able to do this. I trust you.”

  She had meant it in a supportive way, Veeran knew, but his stomach twisted into several more knots. He was no warrior.

  “So once we step through this portal, then what?” Veeran asked Roshna, turning his head away.

  “We will go through the guards at the gates. Then I’ll meet up with some of my fellow council members in Kiramam Square, the market village.
We’ll decide how best to approach this.”

  “And I’ll be with you?”

  “I will make sure you are always with me or one of my best clan members,” Roshna reassured him.

  “Okay, thank you.”

  Veeran walked to his grandmother and embraced her like he had never done before. No matter how much he tried to hold back, he knew the fear in his face showed. Jeya cupped her grandson’s face in her hands.

  “You deserve this,” she said. “You were born for this.”

  “See you soon,” he said.

  Roshna bowed and put an arm around Veeran. They slowly made their way from the apartment and out the door, closing it behind them.

  Jeya fell to the ground in sorrow as the anxiety and guilt consumed her.

  “What have I done?”

  CHAPTER 6

  ***

  “S o, how long until we get there?” asked Veeran as they stepped out of the building.

  “Not too far from here, luckily,” Roshna responded happily.

  “A portal, right? Just me and you?”

  “Yes. The other new unicorns…sorry, creatures I talked to have already gone through the portals nearest their homes. I’ve already assigned some of my most trusted clan members to guide them to our village, Marutam, after they arrive.”

  Questions swirled through Veeran’s head, but he nodded and kept quiet. He did not want to seem like a bother.

  It was his first time being alone with Roshna. It did not take a skilled Ilemurian to know how powerful and well regarded she was. Even through everything he had gone through the last few days, Veeran could not help but trust her.

  Grandma Jeya’s words floated through his mind as he turned and took one last look at his home. It was not her fault for hiding everything, but he did feel slight anger at what she asked of him. How was he supposed to bring glory back to a dishonorable clan? He could barely keep his grandmother safe in this world.

  “You sure you’re okay with this?” he blurted out suddenly, hoping a bit that Roshna would let him run back home.

  Roshna stopped and turned to Veeran, a warm and motherly smile etched across her face.