Hell's Fire

Chapter 12

Rezrath and I were dragged through the mighty fortress, the guards laughing and pushing us around. I felt one of the guard's hands wander dangerously close to my ass, and I stopped on his bare foot in retaliation. He shoved me to the ground kicking me in the gut multiple times, pain filling my body, despite the armor covering it. I could hear Rezrath call out, but his words were drowned out by the ringing in my ears l. I was harshly pulled up and shoved forward, the touchy guard muttering curses at me.

When we arrived at what I assumed was the door to the throne room, the captain walked in while the other guards, Rezrath, and I stayed outside.

"You're gonna get it, Lord Rezrath," one of the soldiers who guarded the entrance said, "first you try to free a useless human, now you sneak back in here with another? They're not gonna be happy."

"Fuck them," Rezrath growled out, barring his sharp teeth to the guard.

My handsome demon looked up at me, concern ridden over his features. The only thing I could do was smile comfortingly, a smile that said 'i'll be okay, don't worry." He sighed, returning it.

The captain returns from the room, and ushers us in, and I hold my breath for a terrifying sight. The room was lit by torches. Its walls were covered in tapestries, depicting various demons slaughtering humans. At the center of the room was a throne of obsidian and gold, and behind it was a large portrait of a monstrous demon. His skin was darker than the night sky, his eyes the same blood red as Rezrath's, his horns were massive, and his wings were the color of ash, and he wore a spiked obsidian crown, similar to Rezrath's when I first met him, but covered in a myriad of gems. I could only assume that the demon was  De'Mentain, the legendary King of Demons. I've only heard legends about him, but all the stories wrote him as a heartless brute with an insatiable bloodlust.

However, the person on the throne looked nothing like De'Mentian. He was short and lean. His hair was black besides a tuft of purple hair up front. He was of fair complexion, his eyes were a striking pink, and his sharp horns were black at the base, but faded to a grey and then a white at the tips.. The only similarity to the Demon King was his sleek black wings. He sat atop the throne with an air of regality, and he looked upon Rezrath with disdain, but when he looked upon me, his expression changed to one of intrigue. The young man looked like he was about to speak, but another voice rang out,

"So, you decided to crawl your weak ass back here," the harsh voice spoke, "I'm honestly impressed you even got in without using the front gate. How'd you manage that?"

The owner of the voice approached from behind us. Unlike the one on the throne, this figure was massive and hulkling, and he was very well built- clearly a warrior. His skin was slightly darker than Rezrath's, his eyes shone the same yellow as the one guard's, and his hair was curled and blood red. He had two sets of black horns growing from his mass of hair- one set tall and curved back at the tips, while the other was short with sharp tips.

"The secret entrance," Rezrath replied to the yellow-eyed warrior, "You know, the one we used as kids?"

The warrior laughed aloud, "You always were the smart one, Rezrath- I wouldn't have thought of using that ancient passageway."

It was then that the warrior noticed my presence, his thick eyebrows raised in surprise,

"And who do we have here," he grinned wickedly, eyeing me up and down, "Has my brother finally taken a human slave?"

"Shut the fuck up Kor'geden," Rezrath hissed, "She's not my slave and she won't be yours either. You touch her I'll-"

"You'll what," Kor'geden interrupted, taking his golden eyes off of me to sneer at his older brother, "Oh please, Rezrath, you couldn't even hurt a baby."

Kor'geden began to approach me, and I bared my teeth at him, growling- in an attempt to keep him away from me.

"Ah, a feisty one," he chuckled, "Did you see her, Mig?"

"Yes, I did notice our new human guest," the man on the throne responded, "How did you come across this fine specimen, Rezrath?"

"First of all, Migmodor, she's not a fucking specimen," Rezrath retorted, struggling against the bindes he was placed in by the guards before arriving to the throne room, "and second, why do you keep asking me questions? She can speak, you know."

Rezrath turned his face to look at me, smiling and nodding. I returned the smile for a moment, before returning to my stone exterior.

Migmodor turned to me, giving me a kind smile, "Tell me, milady, why have you come to our Fortress of Damnation?"

I swallowed hard, attempting to hide my fears, "I am Briar of Kateon, and I demand the return of my brother, Sir Peterkin."

Kor'geden barks out a laugh, "You mean that weakling of a knight we have in our dungeons because someone," he glared at Rezrath, "wanted to spare him?" 

Migmodor holds up one of his hands, and Kor'geden falls silent, "Miss Briar, did you come to the Burning Badlands yourself? Surely you had a large party searching for-"

"I came myself- only my horse was company until encountering your brother," I interrupted, turning my head slightly to make eye contact with Rezrath, smiling at him, "he agreed to lead me here, all I ask is for my brother to be returned to me, and I will leave as if I was never here."

Kor'geden laughed darkly as Migmodor nodded in understanding.

"That is very brave of you," Migmodor spoke, "entering one of the most inhospitable and dangerous places on this planet just to bring your brother home."

"But if you think we'll return him you're-" Kor'geden was interrupted by a snap of Migmodor's fingers, lightning sparking from them. He signaled Kor'geden to the throne, and the two talked in hush voices.

I glanced over at Rezrath worriedly. He smiled comfortingly, mouthing "Everything will be okay."

Soon, the hushed whispers ceased, and I turned my attention back to the throne, and the same kind smile was written across Migmodor's countenance. However, I could see behind the kind smile was a sinister aura.

"I have decided," Migmodor announced, "the knight shall be returned to you."

Though I could tell there was something amiss, I couldn't hold back my sigh of relief.

"Get the knight," Kor'geden shouted at my guards, and they rushed out of the throne room to retrieve my brother from the dungeons.

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