Tales of a Demon Queen - Chapter 98 - Epilogue
The door squeaked open to reveal a horrific scene. There was a woman on the floor. Her clothing had bit ripped off of her and her naked body was covered in blood and bruises. The bruises were caused by the armored man on top of her, but most of the blood wasn’t hers at all. The blood came from the corpse of a man lying a few feet away. He had been stabbed to death by the soldier, who then proceeded to have his way with the woman.
She had likely fought desperately at first, but as the shock of her losing her husband set in, and the horror of what was happening to her was realized, her expressions had dimmed and she had the looked of acceptance, her mind drifting like she hoped to be anywhere but in this place. This didn’t discourage the man thrusting on top of her, nor the three other men in the room, who could have stopped this but instead chose to run around grabbing anything of value and stuffing it into large burlap bags.
None of them seemed to notice the opening door. Outside, the sounds of screaming, shouting, and fighting had reached a fever pitch. There was a kind of mana in the air, an atmosphere that seemed to permeate a feeling of bloodlust in everyone present. It was almost like they had gone mad with greed and fury.
Devon Hyburn, General of the Coalition of Human Nations, was filled with anger and disgust. He pulled out a blade and struck took the man on top of the woman’s head with a single swipe. The two other men turned, drawing their blades, but clones of himself appeared and cut them all down in an instant.
As a man who himself had been the victim of his brothers for years, he had a particularly soft spot for victims and a particular hatred for those who would forcefully take from others their sexual autonomy. Perhaps, this was why he had found himself so determined to see the seductress Aria face justice for her crimes. In many ways, it had become his life mission to stop her.
She created a wake of destruction wherever she went. Death and depravity followed her like loyal dogs. Devon had seen it time and again, but few took him seriously. Those that believed in her power sought to make it their own, and the rest disregarded her as an inconvenience or a pawn of her betters. Of one thing, Devon was certain. Aria was no pawn. The world seem to crack under her steps, but no one seemed to realize her threat except Devon.
No, there is one other who recognizes her.
The Hero Bryson also knew what she truly was. Although he was a silent man who rarely expressed his opinions, he had helped Devon and proven to be instrumental in Devon’s ability to form this coalition. It was difficult convincing humans to commit more troops to a direct assault against the demon king’s keep. After all, the last time such an attack had happened, the cost had been astronomical.
Yet, with a hero leading the charge, many people saw this as a conclusion to the invasion back then. They had dreams of pulling down the demon king, and becoming figures of history. A few saw it as the final battle that would end the demons for good. They grew up hearing their fathers talk about the great war, and they also wanted their chance to put a stamp on history. Others merely came for the rewards, hoping to loot and pillage to their heart’s content. Only a handful, mostly those who had been present during the peace talks, understood the true importance of capturing Aria.
In the end, even with all of that, the human coalition was still far too small, and the only way they could successfully invade was by cutting a deal with a demon. Devon had become acquainted with Lord Tigon during the peace talks through his Truthsayer, and a message had been left for Devon offering the possibility of an alliance. Since previous peace talks had failed, and Devon had been on thin ice, he was sent to follow this lead. Naturally, his life or death didn’t matter to the human kings back home.
It was when he encountered Aria once again, engaged to marry the Demon King, that he realized just how much danger the world was in. She couldn’t be allowed to accumulate that kind of power. He naturally told Lord Tigon his concerns. The other man had been incredulous. Even though King Oberon was his opponent, he didn’t underestimate the man. Like everyone else, he was convinced King Oberon was using Aria, not the other way around. Only Devon knew what she was capable of. He had no faith in Oberon, that man would be wrapped around her finger sooner or later. It was her nature.
Lord Tigon agreed to get in the way of the engagement, but after their mysterious trial, Lord Tigon had come to Devon quite shaken. Something had happened in that trial. Lord Tigon had used some kind of skill to interfere and had somehow glimpsed how dangerous she truly was. He didn’t discuss what he had seen, but he did let up on many of the conditions required to assist in this attack.
It was Lord Tigon that shielded Devon and his army, allowing them to arrive at the demon king’s castle unmolested. He had also helped them break through the city walls, using some inside men to betray and open the gates. Yet, that was the only involvement Lord Tigon had. His army had remained to the side while the human army broke in and fought. Devon hadn’t expected him to arrive with an army, but he was no fool. He instantly understood Lord Tigon’s plan.
He planned for the humans to invade and sack the city, killing the Demon King and Aria, and then his army would ride forth as the saviors. They would wipe out whoever was left, whether it was the humans or the Demon King. He would then declare that they arrived too late to do anything, and subsequently establish his power. There would be no witnesses to his betrayal, and to the rest of the demon realm, he would appear as a worthy hero and successor.
Devon was conflicted about this. He had known from the beginning that the coalition might be a suicide run. If they managed to stop Aria, all of their deaths would be worth it. His biggest concern now was that Aria survived and that Lord Tigon tried to use her as Oberon did. He would end up under her control just like the rest.
“Devon.”
Devon Hyburn snapped out of his daze. He turned to the door to see Bryson standing there. Bryson never called Devon Lord or Sir. He had treated him as an equal. It was one of the things Devon appreciated most about the man. Devon tried not to be conceded, but he knew that he wasn’t on the same level as commoners. His status alone as a third-classer made him above the rest. It was one of the reasons that even though the aristocracy hated him, they couldn’t just ignore him or strip him of all titles. At the end of the day, he was still a very powerful asset that couldn’t be buried or ignored.
Becoming powerful did have its setbacks though. It was hard to make friends, and the normal people couldn’t help but look up to a third-classer like they would a legend. Bryson was different though. They were on the same level. In some ways, he felt like Bryson even exceeded him. Although they had both been fighting relentlessly since attacking the city, Bryson looked immaculate. Not a piece of dirt or blood managed to touch his uniform. His hair was perfectly in place. He didn’t seem to sweat much at all either. He was strangely pretty. If Bryson had been a girl, Devon’s heart might have even quickened at the sight.
He seemed to be able to imagine Bryson more feminine, almost like he has seen Bryson as a girl before, but whenever he entertained those thoughts, he shook his head and laughed. He had seen Bryson naked. His member was bigger than his. He wasn’t a woman, even if he did have an oddly smooth and appealing body for a man. Devon just chopped it up to his elvish blood.
“This has become madness…” Devon finally responded as he checked the woman.
Her eyes were still open, but she was dead. Either his killing her assaulter had allowed her to finally die, or she was already dead while he… did what he did. Either way, Devon hoped he gave the woman some peace.
“There is some kind of spell… magic is being drawn into the castle.” Bryson declared.
“What kind of magic?” Devon demanded, looking up at him.
Bryson shook his head. “I do not know. It’s something big though. I think we were led into a trap. The magic must somehow boil the blood, creating a bloodlust in those with low wisdom. I’ve seen men who I knew to be controlled cutting down citizens and raiding homes like they were nothing. They’re senselessly slaughtering the innocent!”
Devon appreciated Bryson. Many others wouldn’t have cared about the senseless slaughter of innocence. This was a city of demons. Even if many of them looked human, they weren’t his people, so who cared what happened to them? Bryson could sometimes be shockingly naïve though. He tended to see the best in others and approached every situation optimistically. He valued all life, demon or human. If Devon didn’t know better, he would have thought Bryson had lived a gilded life with no upset.
“I’m sorry to say it, my friend, but this is war. The only bloodlust these men have is greed for wealth and the lust for power. To make this coalition, I had to tempt many to join. Half of them are mercenary groups only looking for money. I had thought…”
Devon stopped speaking. He had thought that fighting alongside Lord Tigon… that his troops would have kept the human troops from acting too brutal. That betrayal was a wound too fresh to speak about. The silence lingered for only a few moments as the pair listened to the screams and shouts still happening outside.
“We need to get to the castle,” Bryson stated.
Devon nodded. “Sound the horn. Relay orders. Anyone who is still listening must get to the castle.”
Bryson never called him lord, but he did follow his orders. Bryson left and a short while later, the hornblowers began to relay orders. There were messages hidden within the number of blasts and the length. It was an entire language that they depended on to give orders. Not every soldier knew this language, but all of the captains should. Devon looked one last time at the blood scene. His duplicates disappeared and he left the building.
The fight at the castle was difficult. Most of the soldiers had fallen back time and time again, pushing closer and closer to the castle as they left the citizens behind to die. Those that were smartly retreated alongside the soldiers. It wasn’t until their forces had pushed the remaining vestiges of the demon population into the courtyard proceeding the castle that he realized they had closed their doors and weren’t allowing people entry.
This courtyard was still considerably large. There was a balcony overlooking it, and the place had been designed so the maximum of citizens could stand and listen to decrees from the castle. Suffice it to say, there were perhaps 10,000 people huddled into this space while the humans pushed the remaining demons out of the streets and allies and into an increasingly tighter formation.
“It’s a wall of flesh.” Devon made a face. “Fighting our way through this is impossible. Signal for our troops to pause.”
The horn cries went out, and our troops stopped advancing. The sound seemed to die down, and other than distant cries, shouts, and fighting, those in the courtyard were almost silent. Devon exchanged a look with Bryson and then stepped forward.
“Our only goal is to capture and arrest the one called Aria. If you step aside and allow us entry, then we will allow you to leave unmolested! I promise it on my name!” Devon shouted out.
His words rushed through the group like a wave. There was some chatter, but it quickly grew quiet. A lieutenant stepped forward, a man with long ears and an animal nose that showed his demonic nature. He seemed jittery and nervous. He appeared to be the highest-ranking person present.
“How can we be certain? Your troops have spared none of our citizens so far…”
His words spread out through the group, and many nodded in agreement. Devon could only curse every bad soldier who had taken this opportunity to make his life more difficult. He was just about to open his mouth when a voice rang out.
“You can’t trust them.”
Devon frowned, looking up to see a young man standing on the balcony. He looked to be somewhat haughty, but by the sudden excitement of the people, he was someone they recognized.
“Who might you be?” Devon demanded.
“I was the Truthsayer of King Oberon.” He announced.
“Is the King coming?” Someone yelled.
“Will he save us?” Another shouted.
The group grew excited, seeing hope where they had previously been helpless. The Truthsayer lifted his hand and they grew silent, but it was Devon who shouted first.
“What do you mean, was?”
The Truthsayer didn’t respond, instead stepping aside. A woman emerged from the inside of the castle, her hood pulled back, showing her face publicly for perhaps the first time. Devon immediately held his breath as he witnessed his very goal, the woman who haunted his dreams, Aria.
“My people…” She spoke out, her voice felt smooth like velvet.
The very act of hearing her caused someone’s heart to melt. Their mind would come and their brain would become mush. Her voice contained innocence, strength, timidity, arrogance, aloofness, peace, righteousness, sexiness, and a dozen other conflicting adjectives. It appealed to the body, the mind, and the soul like it was a voice crafted by the gods themselves.
This spoke nothing to her beauty. Her hair and makeup had been done up, and although she showed some signs of wear, it still transcended her to a beauty that instantly captivated the mind and body of every person who laid an eye on her, man or woman.
“Aria…” Devon heard Bryson moan, his voice sounded almost pained.
Devon knew there was some history between the two, but he never asked, in the same way, Bryson never asked about his history. He presumed that Bryson must have been an ex-lover too, caught up in the spectacle that was her charisma and then left in her dust just like him. It was one of the reasons he felt that the two understood each other so well.
“My people… my loves…” She spoke, her voice sounding like she was speaking to a lover, not a group of strangers. “I must regret to inform you that our treasured king is dead.”
She put a body on the thick stone banister wrapped around the balcony. It was only then that Devon even noticed she had been carrying something. The body was a shriveled-up thing, looking nothing like the tall imposing man who had called himself Demon King. Devon wouldn’t have believed it, except that the horns were the same, as were the royal robes. What did she do to him?
Everyone else began talking at once. Many were throwing out questions. It was the Truthsayer that lifted his hand again to silence them.
“My husband attempted to complete the ceremony he tried long ago, to become Bahamut’s successor once again. Unfortunately, the human army broke into our city and began slaughtering our citizens. These sinful acts corrupted my husband’s spells, and caused him to end up in this state.”
The demons all turned to look at the soldiers, who looked sheepish and uncomfortable. Even Devon felt a bit bad about his sinful acts. Then he shook his head, making a disgusted face. Even if what she said was true, that’s what they wanted! A demon god would have been a horrible thing for humanity! That was how powerful Aria was. Even from a distance, her words were like honey. He found himself wanting to agree with her, to comfort her, to sympathize with her.
“Don’t listen to her words!” Devon shouted. “If we stopped the demon king from becoming a god, be proud men! You saved this world!”
His words cut through to some of the men, but others continued to stare at Aria, already beguiled by her. Others seemed to catch the ramifications of her words too.
“The Demon King is dead… what will we do?”
Before more rumbling talks could begin, Aria spoke out.
“Before my love died, we successfully married and consummated our relationship. All of you should know that I was selected because I’m special, capable of carrying our King’s seed.” She gently touched her stomach. “I have the future Demon King in my womb, and I will carry this baby to term, and keep it safe.”
“A baby… that’s too young… besides, the humans are on our doorstep!” The long-earned lieutenant who had spoken up before spoke to her. “Perhaps Lord Tigon will come safe us.”
Devon tensed at that. While they were wasting time, Lord Tigon could be getting into position any second. This was the worst scenario possible. He had to find some way to kill Aria now. Yet, her next worst caused whatever plan he began forming to disappear like smoke.
“If Lord Tigon was coming, he’d come.” Aria declared. “Unfortunately, he’s too busy dealing with a sudden monster horde to come. This is why we will deal with this trouble ourselves.”
Devon felt goosebumps on his back. He had no doubt where the monster horde had come from. Aria had dealt with him. She also planned to deal with him. They needed to move.
“Devon… it’s been a while.” Before he could react, her eyes were on him, which meant all eyes were on him.
“Aria… surrender now! There is no point in continuing this.”
Aria let out a laugh. “You know, you once told me the next time you saw me, you’d kill me. We’ve seen each other three times now, and three times I’m still standing.”
Devon’s expression darkened. “It wasn’t by choice.”
“You did let me walk… and I’m nothing if not magnanimous. So, I’ll let you leave. The next time I see you though…” She narrowed her eyes. “I will kill you!”
Her words cut through Devon, causing his entire body to shiver, but he still met her eyes. “What makes you think you can escape?”
“It’s pretty simple,” Aria responded. “We outnumber you. Ten to one.”
Devon frowned. “What are you talking about, what army?”
He immediately regretted asking as a grin formed on her lips. She raised her hand a snapped, and suddenly forms emerged from the castle. They leaped out of windows or emerged from the balcony, leaping down into the crowds. The crowds backed away with screams as they landed, forming a buffer between the castle’s walls and the crowd.
Each one had a different grotesque form. Many of them were large, hovering a foot or two over the crowd. Some had extra arms, or large horns, and none of them resembled a human.
“First-generation demons.” Bryson hissed under his breath.
Devon’s eyes widened. He had heard of such creatures, but he had never seen one. Most of the demons he knew had long since been diluted by human lines, and most women pregnant with monster children died horrible deaths. He had never seen a single progenitor demon, let alone a line of nearly twenty-five of them. They were said to be incredibly powerful and extremely wild, a little better than monsters themselves. Yet, these moved almost like puppets on a string, perfectly controlled. Even though they growled at the crowds, they did not attempt to move from their spots.
“The demon king’s brothers will defend him to the death.” Aria declared. “They say that each of them would fight with the strength of ten men. I’d say twenty.”
“E-even so… I still have almost 1000 men. That’s not going to outnumber us.” Devon responded defiantly.
“Oh, they’re just my bodyguards. My precious babies. I wouldn’t want them to risk their lives. My babies are far too important to me.” Aria spoke almost lovingly, stroking the banister like she was stroking their heads.
“Then…”
“Citizens of the demon realm. I am your Queen now. I take command of the demon realm from hereon. You are my subjects. I will shower you will my love, my leadership, and my protection. I just have to ask you for one thing.” Her voice grew sweet, and she smiled a sadistic smile. “Just die for me.”
Devon’s face grew incredulous. He wanted to laugh at such an absurd request, but then he noticed every other eye was looking upon her with love. They broke into cheers.
“We will die for you!”
“My life is yours, my queen!”
The men on the balcony next to her began to throw something glittery off the balcony. Devon thought it was silver until he realized it was far too large. It was weapons. The armory was being emptied into the crowd, and the people were hungrily grabbing weapons. Weapons were passed out quickly, arming the majority of the crowd, when they turned to face Devon’s soldiers.
Most of the men stared dumbfounded as the terrified sheep hadn’t suddenly turned on them. They had no armor and no training, but there was a look in their eyes. It was a fanatical look. There was no fear, anger, or desperation. Devon realized that the people would surge forth with a single wave of her hand. They might be weak citizens, but they had something even the soldiers didn’t. They had no self-preservation. If they surged forth, many would die, and all the soldiers would be included.
“We…we surrender.”
Devon had no choice. He had to escape this death trap and regroup. The death of the Demon King may net him some fame, but his only chance was to build an even stronger army. He had to unite human lands, even if it was by force. The next time he met Aria… one of them had to die. For that, he was certain.
…
The last of the humans left the city. The few who were too lost in their bloodlust had already been torn apart by angry mobs. In the end, the message went across the land. It wasn’t some noble or lord that had saved the seat of demon power. It was the Demon Queen Aria, a woman who gave power to those who worshipped her, and destroyed those who spurned her. Her love would eventually spread across the land.
It seemed to spread like a disease, the need and desire to worship Aria. Acolytes would move from town to town, proclaiming her name. Some people would become enamored and start to worship her too, people who had never seen her before. Others would turn away in disgust, becoming angry or fearful. Conflicts broke out all over the realm, those who loved Aria, and those who feared her.
Yet, Aria herself was only vaguely aware of this. She walked into the throne room where there were lines of people. These were mostly those loyal to her husband. All of them had chosen to follow her. They were afraid to do anything left. She walked up to the throne that had once belonged to her husband and sat on it.
“Lord Tigon isn’t done. His army is weakened and they have retreated, but they won’t stop. Few other lords outside of this city have acknowledged you as their queen. It will take time to consolidate your power, my lady.” Lady Isabelle explained.
“The humans are fleeing though, and without Tigon protecting them, they will likely all be picked off.” Lord Pait seemed eager to please.
Since he hadn’t sided with her before, now that she was in power, he seemed desperate to lick her boots.
“Devon and Min will survive.” I finally spoke. “After all, they’re my biggest fans.”
“My queen.” The Truthsayer looked at me with his fervent desperation. “The people of Demon Keep are awaiting your orders. What shall they do now?”
“I order them to live.” I shrugged. “They have fought a good battle. Now, they should be able to live in peace. Those that wish to fight should be trained. I’ll need an army if I’m going to bring the demon realm together again.”
“Could you not build another monster army?” He asked earnestly.
Lord Pait and Lady Isabelle exchanged uneasy looks. They only knew a bit about the monsters, let alone how the citizenry had seemingly been turned into puppets. They weren’t seduced like the Truthsayer. I needed freethinkers, not yesmen, and regrettably as intelligent as the Truthsayer might have been, he was nothing if not a yesman. Of course, that meant they could have their doubts and worries. It’d have to be watched closely.
“What do you think of building an army of monsters, Jenai?” I asked, looking at the woman on her knees with a collar around her neck tied to my armchair.
“If you fight with monsters, in the eyes of others, you become a monster.” She declared.
“As you can see…” I looked back at the Truthsayer. “If I plan to unite the demon realm, I can’t do it with monsters. That’s why the demons failed to subjugate the humans. Humans would always treat their conquerors as demons. To succeed, I must conquer the demons’ realm with demons… and the human realm with humans.”
“Both?” Lord Pait asked in a raised voice before lowering his head. “Apologies, my queen.”
“I don’t intend to make my goals secret,” I responded. “I plan to unite the world. One day, my love will reach every corner and tame this violent place. First, I will unite the demon realm. Then, I will unite the human realm and merge them.”
“Is that possible?” Isabelle asked. “Can we truly unite the humans and demons under one person?”
I smiled. “If that person is a god… then anything is possible.”
This concludes the end of Tales of a Demon Queen. Thank you for joining me on this journey! If you liked this novel and want to see more, please consider continuing to support the author on Patreon.