The Demon's Return

by Selva, SK

  And it was all her fault.

  She could see the tears flowing from Thalia’s eyes, mingling with the grime and sweat from the battle. Her first war, and it would be the land’s last.

  Aaryav slammed his hooves into the ground in frustration as the shadows laughed. He had nearly lost his life twice protecting Veeran, and it still had not been enough. His cries of agony came when he realized that no matter how hard he had trained, he would never be good enough to save his best friend.

  Karnan tensed his fists as he came from the stone rubble. “Why, Balaraj?”

  “There is no more Balaraj!” shouted the dark creature. “The crawlers have returned. No more council. No more government. The land belongs to us, as it always did. You will stay and serve us for the rest of time as you help us take over the human world. It will be glorious. Crawlers will rule over every land.”

  And there’s nothing we can do to stop them, thought Roshna.

  Balaraj’s cackle danced through the night air as his shadow army soared toward the fallen unicorn leader.

  “Leave her alone!”

  Aaryav had jumped in front of their attack, risking everything he had left so that his leader could have a few more precious moments. The shadows dove straight through him, leaving Aaryav with the frightening familiar feeling of losing his body. He lay on the ground, cold and shivering.

  Roshna fought against the first wave of attacks, using what little magic Ilemuria had for her to guard herself. The second wave of shadows fared better before she was ultimately captured and dragged back to Balaraj’s waiting arms.

  “Insolence,” he muttered. “You could have made a decent mate with your powers, but no matter. You will follow the demon.”

  Roshna choked on what little precious air she could take in as Balaraj’s grip found her neck, squeezing tighter.

  “Sonia...would have...been...disappointed,” she struggled to get out.

  She knew her last hope had been dashed when the crawler grasped firmer.

  “Never say that name again,” it said.

  And with one mighty motion, he threw Roshna into the flames; she had accepted her fate.

  But she did not reach the torch. Two crimson hands had emerged from the fire, holding the unicorn gently. The hands led to arms as a scarlet figure emerged from the flames, holding Roshna in its arms.

  She looked up in awe, barely able to comprehend what was happening.

  “Impossible,” she said.

  As the creature laid her down gently, it turned around, conjuring a new feeling amongst those fighting for the land.

  Hope.

  “Holy crap!” shouted Aaryav.

  Karnan could not believe it. The boy did it.

  “What is this?” shouted Balaraj. “This cannot be.”

  “The fire belongs to the demons,” said Veeran, the demon mirakum rejoicing with the land. “You have no right to the magic of the elements.”

  Roshna, who barely moments thought she would never smile again, was radiating. Thank you, Samara, she thought.

  The shadow army bounded toward their new enemy, longing for its magic. Veeran’s scarlet arm lifted high, nearly touching the top of the torch. The flames danced with his fingers, under his complete control, flying at his attackers. As the shadows drew closer, the fire knew who was its true wielder. It tore through the dark creatures, light overcoming darkness. The shadow army disintegrated away into nothingness.

  Veeran faced the only creature of the shadow army left, the crawler.

  “This is between you and me,” he said. “You framed us at the demon tragedy. I will take my village back. I will clear our name.”

  Balaraj’s chest heaved as he eyed his new foe. “Yes,” he said. “The demon mirakum is back. I’ve been waiting for this for centuries.”

  He bent low and charged at Veeran, his warrior instincts taking over the fight for its freedom. Veeran lifted his arm and held the charging crawler back, pushing back against both the evil and the unicorn.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, Balaraj,” he pleaded. “You are a legend to this land. I can get the crawler out of you. Let me help you.”

  “Balaraj does not exist,” spat the monster. “There is only crawler. We are the rightful owners of this land, and we will take over again.”

  The crawler broke Veeran’s grip and swung a massive blow, connecting with his ribcage. Veeran held his ground, ignoring the pain slashing at his stomach. Balaraj’s military training, combined with the crawler’s strength, was going to be a challenge for Veeran, but he would not give up.

  The fire burned brightly as Veeran felt the land give him more strength. The magic was flowing from the most powerful of elements.

  “Come on, Balaraj, get out!” he shouted.

  Balaraj did not listen as he thrust Veeran into the stone wall behind. The crackle of the rock that had withstood damage for centuries echoed throughout the arena. Veeran pulled himself from the rubble.

  “I told you, there is no Balaraj!”

  The crawler was rapidly approaching as Veeran braced for impact.

  “Sonia loved you!”

  The collision did not come. Balaraj had stopped in his tracks, struggling to move.

  “Her death wasn’t your fault,” Roshna shouted. “The crawlers took over the demons. They did it.”

  Twisting and turning in agony, both sides struggled massively to take control. The legs distorted at different angles. The arms flew wildly.

  “Veeran…” it whispered.

  “That was Balaraj,” Veeran cried out.

  “Use the fire…”

  “You will not fight!” shouted the crawler as it regained control.

  It turned and zoomed toward Roshna as Veeran jumped in front of his leader.

  I need to do this, he thought.

  Veeran called to the fire and watched as it danced from the torch and set the crawler ablaze. He called to the land, which helped him keep the flame burning.

  A horrifying scream rose into the air as the crawler felt the pain from its own element.

  “Don’t hurt him!” shouted Roshna.

  Veeran jumped into the fire. It was only them two now.

  “No,” it shouted. “I will not lose. I’ve waited too long for this. Get out of the fire!”

  Balaraj thrashed at his own chest as Veeran grabbed his arm and pulled.

  “No!” shouted a voice Veeran recognized as Balaraj’s. “Leave me. We have to destroy it!”

  “You’ll die!” shouted Veeran.

  “Then I’ll see Sonia again.”

  Veeran’s momentary lapse was all Balaraj needed as he gave him one mighty push, his body tumbling out of the fire. He looked up and saw a shadow struggling in the same flames he had conjured. As he tried to go back in, the powerful arms of Karnan kept him back.

  “You cannot defeat me! I will return!”

  The figure in the flames gave one mighty cry as it fell to the ground, the only shadows in the stadium from the creatures themselves.

  As the fire died down, Veeran broke free of Karnan’s grip and rushed to the still body left in its wake with Roshna, smoke arising from its limbs. Veeran could feel himself growing smaller as the demon mirakum faded. Faint breathing fell upon their ears.

  “You did it,” Balaraj struggled to say.

  “We need to save him,” said Roshna as tears streamed from her eyes.

  “No, listen.”

  Balaraj did not have much life left in him as he coughed and struggled for air. Veeran leaned his head closer.

  “Beware the king.”

  He let out one final breath before his head rolled gently to the side. His body lay motionless.

  “No!” shouted Roshna, and she grabbed his head, holding it against her chest.

  Karnan and Hemadri slowly approached.

  “He told me he could handle the flames,” choked Veeran. “He lied to me.”

  Hemadri’s roar of frustration was all the other creatures needed to know what had h
appened. His mighty battle axe lodged into the ground as he struck in fury.

  “His last act really was to protect the land,” declared Karnan. “Our forgotten hero.”

  The wind whistled as the dragons flew down to their fellow creatures. The shadows gone, the sky had opened up again.

  King Nahusha’s landing was the heaviest of them all. He wandered over, terrified.

  “What happened?” he demanded.

  Veeran could not turn around, his nerves replacing the adrenaline from his clash. He tried to catch Roshna’s eye, but she was unable to see past her grief. Balaraj’s final words were still ringing in his ears. What had he been trying to tell them?

  “I’ll tell you, Raja,” said Karnan.

  He took the king off to the side to explain everything that had occurred. Veeran took the few precious moments to process everything himself. He could feel his arms and legs shrinking as he lay down, panting, finally aware of how exhausted he really was. His demon ackal appreciated just how much energy his mirakum had needed.

  “Balaraj was possessed,” he overheard Karnan say. “We do not know how the crawlers got to him, but he fought it.”

  “Were there any others?” asked the king.

  “Only one crawler, but who knows where it came from or how many more might be out there.”

  King Nahusha listened to Karnan’s somber words, his face growing more and more concerned. The creatures that had been hiding in the stands were shakily coming back into view. It was safest near the dragons. Those who fought that could still walk attended to those that were injured, some badly so. Thankfully, they were all alive. The crawler had taken but one victim, and Roshna held him close.

  “The crawler must have been the cause of the magic imbalance you warned me about, Karnan,” surmised the king. “I apologize for not taking your words seriously. I am grateful it has been defeated.”

  “I appreciate that, Raja,” said Karnan.

  “We will delay the games by a few days to allow everyone to recover from this terrible ordeal.”

  Veeran sat up in time to see Karnan’s incredulous look.

  “Raja, we cannot possibly continue with the games. The land is in such a precarious state after all the magic just used. We are hurting. And we do not know if there are any more crawlers out there.”

  “Be that as it may, the games still have to go on. It is the law.”

  Karnan opened his mouth to continue arguing. “Sire, surely there is another way.”

  “Karnan, I have always thanked you for your service, but this is not a matter to be discussed. Your responsibility for tonight is to get everyone back to their quarters in Kiramam Square safe. There’s been enough trouble, and we can continue with the opening ceremonies in a few days when we see fit.”

  For the first time in his duty, Karnan wanted nothing more than to refuse orders, but instead he stayed silent, unable to ignore the nagging feeling in his stomach.

  “Yes, Raja,” he responded, excusing himself to attend to the injured. Hemadri followed closely.

  The king circled to Veeran, his eyes never wavering.

  “May we talk?” he asked in the same fatherly tone he had addressed him with before.

  Veeran stood up gingerly, aware of how weary he was. There was nothing more he wanted to do than sleep. He could feel every eye in the arena narrow on them.

  “Yes, Raja?” he said.

  The king had walked a bit away, and Veeran followed. Clearly, this was meant to be a private conversation.

  “You have done a great deed for the land, destroying the crawler. Karnan told me everything,” said the king.

  “Thank you,” said Veeran, attempting his best to sound normal.

  “Is there anything that Karnan missed that you need me to inform me about? I need to know to protect our creatures.”

  Veeran thought of the voice from the fire and how it had helped him defeat the crawler. He thought of everything it had revealed and how it was responsible for the demon tragedy in the first place. This could be it. This could be the time to clear his clan’s name. He could bring the demons back to glory.

  Balaraj’s dying words then echoed across his mind.

  Beware the king.

  “Raja, there’s nothing more.”

  Veeran gulped, unable to look away from the king’s piercing gaze.

  “I’m proud of you,” he finally said. “You defeated a great evil and saved the land. A massive reward is deserved. A guaranteed council seat representing the demons seems fit.”

  Veeran’s heart skipped a beat.

  “I’m flattered, Raja,” said Veeran, hesitating slightly, “but there is still so much more I want to learn. The council seats should be given to those that make good governors. Not because of special deeds. Maybe a bit into the future when I learn how to lead, we can revisit this option.”

  “You are wise beyond your years,” said the king. “I look forward to sharing the council with you one day.”

  Veeran understood this to be a dismissal. He walked away and could still feel the king’s eyes boring into his back. He tried his best to go at a casual pace. Unaware of where he was actually marching, Veeran felt an arm on his shoulder. A weary Roshna beamed at him.

  Suddenly, there was applause. It was slight for a second before it erupted into cheers. The army creatures were banging their weapons, and the spectators were clapping, Karnan amongst the loudest. Aaryav and Thalia were holding each other up, flashing their radiant smiles. The fairies and elves showered dust as King Nahusha roared along to add to the celebration.

  As a boy who had entered Ilemuria, the land of magic, as an outsider and who had to fight for acceptance, Veeran was amazed.

  They were cheering for him.

  That was for you, Ammama.

  But no matter what, Veeran knew he would never forget Balaraj’s final words.

  Beware the king.

  CHAPTER 34

  ***

  A heavy knock on the door startled Veeran, and he jumped up from his deep sleep. Roshna’s private quarters had become his refuge for the last few days.

  Aaryav stirred in the bed beside him. Yachana had procured the finest magic healers in the land to attend to both of them. Thalia would come by daily to bring food and updates on what was happening in the village. The king’s proclamation that the games would still take place had made its way through the land like wildfire. Creatures from all different clans had been pressing her for information, but she had made sure to keep their privacy. The last thing they wanted was for Veeran’s newfound fame to take up all his energy.

  From the news that Thalia was able to bring them, it seemed as though the dragons were now taking a more central role in ensuring the games would take place. They were cleaning up Vattapi Arena, ensuring that the crawler had left behind no magic. A lot of the competitors were still planning on taking part in the games, but there were those that were too injured from the battle and had to pull out.

  The council leaders were finally working together, their top priority to keep the village calm. Thankfully, most in the land were convinced that the crawler was defeated and there would be no more.

  Letting Aaryav rest, Veeran opened the door slightly. Several familiar faces greeted him, and he happily let them inside.

  “How are you feeling?” asked Roshna as she held a hand to Veeran’s forehead.

  “I’m better now,” said Veeran.

  Yachana and Karnan tiptoed in quietly as Thalia closed the door firmly behind them.

  “You don’t need to get up, Aaryav,” said Yachana, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We just wanted to see how you were doing.”

  For the first time ever, Veeran saw Aaryav's cheeks grow pink.

  “How are you all?” he asked.

  “You’ll be happy to know that Balaraj will be laid to rest back in Marutam,” said Roshna. “I will personally see to it that he is immortalized for what he has done and will inform his family back in the human world. It’s time h
e got the recognition he deserved.”

  “He fought the crawler better than anyone I know could have,” added Karnan.

  “What about his warning?” asked Veeran.

  Karnan sighed deeply. “We’re still looking into it,” he said. “I have been friends with Balaraj long enough to know he always acted in the good graces of the land.”

  “You heard him too, though, right?” said Veeran, looking at Roshna.

  “I did,” she responded. “We’ll need to keep this between ourselves. For now, you can rest and enjoy the games. You are a hero.”

  “I don’t want that,” said Veeran. “I couldn’t have done any of it without you all. Especially Aaryav. He risked everything for me.”

  “You’re welcome.” Aaryav chuckled.

  “The best heroes amongst us are the ones that never sought the title,” said Karnan. “They are the ones that rose to the occasion.”

  “Your grandma would be proud,” added Roshna.

  Veeran could think of no better praise.

  “We will keep our eyes and ears open for any more information,” she continued. “You try not to get into any more trouble. We do not want the wrong attention on you, again.”

  “Understood.”

  Roshna turned to Aaryav. “And how are you?”

  “I mean,” he said. “I’m good now. Guess I’ll just watch the games with Veeran.”

  “Actually, with all due respect to Balaraj’s decision, I have decided to reverse it. If you wish to participate in the race, you will have your entry back.”

  Aaryav jumped out his bed. “You mean it? I can compete?”

  “Yes,” said Roshna. “And do me a favor. Try to win. I don’t want to have to give up this seat.”

  “I won’t let you down!” He raced over to his leader and hugged her tightly as she embraced him back.

  “Stay safe, you two,” said Karnan as they made to leave. “We’ll take care of things out here.”

  “Good luck, Aaryav,” said Yachana, making him blush again.

  The council leaders departed, leaving only Thalia behind.

  “Why aren’t they telling us everything?” asked Veeran.

  “That obvious, huh?” Thalia said.

  “Veeran should be on the council anyway,” said Aaryav. “They should tell him.”