Time to purge my kingdom
Armaloth
One less problem to solve, now there are only eight left. All my attention was now focused on the remaining seven traitors. They were trapped in a corner. Cowards as they are, they only know how to attack from behind. Using my power, I reached out my hand and dragged the leader toward me.
Initially, I did not believe my spies when they told me Poissonaro was the primary instigator. Carldeath or Blooderek might have come to mind, Poissonaro, though? Among all the demons, he was the least likely.
As soon as he was in my presence, I dropped him to the floor and observed his disgusting form. His appearance is extremely repulsive, even for a demon.
“Poissonaro, besides the clan leaders, who else is supporting this foolish insurgent movement?” The demon before me trembled like a leaf in autumn. It was hard for him to speak coherently. He was babbling, so I decided to help him out.
As soon as I pointed my finger at one of his arms, his limb flew off. It was completely torn from his body. In pain, the nasty demon writhed on the ground.
“Now, Poissonaro, I want to ask you again, who else was with you?” He began to babble again, but this time his words seemed clearer.
By putting more pressure on his swollen neck, I lifted him closer to me and said, “I didn't hear you well, demon, SPEAK!” I lifted him by the neck and brought him closer to me.
“Ma-ste-r,” I dropped him to the ground, releasing his neck from my power. He raised his head with a great effort, then said, “The Dr-aug-n.”
Ah! Yes, I know, “Who else?” Poissonaro was surprised to see that I already knew about the dragon's involvement. Seeing his countenance change, the demon looked down. But then he said something that made my blood run cold, “He-ca-te.”
I lost control of my energy and created a whirlwind that threw everyone into a downward spiral. Not even the four horsemen were able to withstand my power.
I could not believe it.
My mind felt like it had left my body. I heard something that was not possible.
“YOU'RE A LYING DEMON, SPEAK,” I shouted. My voice had become distorted, and it sounded like a beast's roar.
The demon did not last in front of this powerful energy, and began to unravel and then disintegrated in the air. The remaining seven also suffered the same fate.
And when I came back from my fury, was shocked when I saw what had happened. Then I closed my eyes and focused my energy into my centre, allowing the cyclical energy to cease.
Falling backwards, I landed on my throne of thorns. The thorny branches immediately began to calm me.
Hecate said the demon, and now he was no longer there to tell me more. While my gaze surveys the damage caused, although, the traitors were disintegrated, my Agalariept, Thanatos, and the four riders remained intact.
Everybody watched me, and they couldn't understand why this show of power was happening.
“Hecate” was all I said. Thanatos and the four horsemen were unable to hide their shock upon hearing that name.
“How?”
Thanatos inquired, to which I replied, “I don't know, the demon mentioned her name.” What to do now? Knowing that was the hardest part.
Next, it was War's turn to speak, “Why would your mother want to destroy your kingdom? There's no doubt about it, she's been by your side all along.”
Yes, there must be more at stake. Unfortunately, the demons were no longer around to answer that question.
“It might be nearly impossible to contact her. We demons are not welcome in the gods' land. Not even you, Armaloth, unless she is the one who looks for you first.” I don't know how to do it.
“She is a complex and powerful goddess,” Pestilence said
A solution suddenly popped into my head, then I said, “The dragon demon.”
But then I remembered something important. Moriah is with him.
I got up from my throne and summoned my Agalariept. Upon my call, the infernal horse materialized in seconds. It was as if his eyes were blazing, feeling the tension in me because he also knew what I was thinking.
Slowly, he approached me, resting his muzzle on my shoulder. As our energies synchronized, I was able to breathe easier. It seemed he knew something that I didn't, so I said, “Let's pay the Dragon Demon a visit.” My dark steed nodded up and down.
“Thanatos, find out more about the traitors in the clans. There must be more followers, and we have to finish them all.” The god of death nodded and vanished into a black cloud.
“Riders, I need you with me. I know this dragon is more complicated than it appears. I don't understand his game, but I know one thing: he's powerful and smart, and his knowledge is equal to the number of centuries he has lived. I don't need to tell you that you must remain alert at all times.”
I rode my infernal steed and opened the seven-beast dimension portal. The black incandescent ball parted in half. They followed me without wasting any more time. This time, the Dragon demon had a lot to explain.
After crossing the worlds, we finally reached the dimension of the dragon. At the moment of landing, the fire sphere disappeared. I looked around for the ancient beast, but he was nowhere in sight.
Our path leads us to the mouth of the cave, where the dragon usually sleeps. However, it was empty. Then I was suddenly drawn to something. An intense smell of blood filled my nostrils, a smell that was familiar to me. It was from Moriah.
I walked to where the strongest scent was, and I saw a dark spot covering that area of the ground. Touching it, my skin absorbed like starved her substance. Moriah's dried blood.
Suddenly, the traumatic memories of me torturing my wife ran through my head. As well as her pain, I could also sense her desperation to end her suffering. This patch of blood tells a lot, I closed my eyes and pulled my hand away.
Does this have anything to do with the dragon not being here? I need to know if Moriah is alive.
I got up and walked back to my horse. Through the energy we shared, I began to feel his anguish. He needed his mistress, and I will see that she returns to us.
Patting his head, I turned to see the riders. “I need the dragon.” They looked at each other until War stepped forward and extended his sword in front of him. The blade caught fire, and symbols appeared on it.
The horseman saw them and raised his head. He then spied in all directions, then said, “The dragon is nearby.”
That's all he could say because a malevolent and powerful roar sounded from the heights.
An earthquake rumbled in the cave, the ground opened up, and the rocks began to crumble.
A screech from the animal rattled the earth. We were being crushed by rocks and pieces of the roof. Therefore, I extended my hand to create an energy shield. Under it, we all remained safe until the shaking stopped.
The worst was yet to come because an ancient, demonic force was surrounding us. It was beautiful.
The lives of thousands of innocents were poured into it. This beast was the soul eater. The Dragon demon had arrived.
From the mouth of the cave, in the middle of the darkness, a pair of evil eyes flashed.
From his nose, he exhaled black smoke. Suddenly, the gigantic figure moved, heading in our direction. As if pulled by a powerful magnet, the weapons of the horsemen of the apocalypse fell to the ground.
The dragon kept getting closer and closer, and the Horsemen began to play their deadly energy, but nothing happened. It's as if they're empty.
Finally, the dragon's massive body emerged from the cave, and the earth trembled under his footsteps. It was a terrifying sound.
The horsemen of the apocalypse stood in front of the dragon, helpless. This beast possessed powerful ancient magic. Yet, my riders did not flinch, they stood straight ahead, directly facing the beast.
Pestilence leaped at him, but it was dragged back to the same spot. Their feet were tied to the ground. Other horsemen also attacked.
However, they were also grounded. The dragon looked at them with boredom, and that's when he turned his head and saw me straight in the eyes. “Boy, you’re back here again. Furthermore, you brought your friends to play, too!”
The dragon turned his entire body in my direction and walked towards me. I was mere inches from his enormous figure. I had my Agalariept on guard. However, he did not seem concerned. He was giving the demon too much credit.
As I raised my head and looked into his eyes, he returned the same intense look. There was an aura of hostility surrounding him now, stronger than in our previous meeting. I must know what this dragon is thinking.
“Dragon Demon, surrender to me.” But the beast only raised an eyebrow while laughing at the same time.
“I am the king of demons. The lord of the underworld. How dare you?” This seemed to silence him, his dark gaze returning:
“You are only a weak demon, you are not worthy of the title you boast. A true king of demons wouldn't allow themselves to be manipulated.” As he roared, the dragon shook the foundations of his mountain.
“ONLY A CREATURE SO WEAK CAN BE FOOLED SO EASILY. GRRR.”
The dragon blew a burst of fire at me. Despite forming my shield in time, the intensity was such that I was dominated by it. Flames penetrated my barrier, hitting my body and hurling me to the other side of the cave. My back hit the floor after that.
Immediately, I stood up to defend myself. However, my dark steed got in the way. I was surprised, so I called him through the bond. He ignored me, yet, he continued to walk towards the dragon. Furthermore, he was watched carefully by the beast, but he did not attack.
I approached them carefully, but my Agalariept stopped me. He stared at me, making sure I knew what he wanted. It was between him and the Dragon Demon.
My horse shook his head once again as he faced the dragon. In contrast, the other one laughed and leaned back. My Agalariept shook its head from side to side. When I heard the dragon say, “Okay, okay, you pesky creature.” I was unaware of what was happening.
“Can't I at least have a little fun with the boy for a bit? OK, OK.” The dragon now turns his attention to me, still processing what I had seen.
After returning to its cave, the dragon fell to the ground. Only his head poked out, but his eyes began to light up and the four horsemen of the apocalypse were released.
They took their weapons from the floor, but they did nothing because the dragon followed their movements closely.
“Why are you in my world, Armaloth, king of demons?”
I was still wondering all of this, when I said, “Moriah, give her to me, dragon demon.”
The dragon made an annoyed face and shook his head, “Moriah, the human is not here, as you can see. King of the underworld, isn't it obvious? He raised an eyebrow as he said this. He exhaled smoke and continued, “Okay, I'll tell you where she is.” He paused, and I could see in his eyes the seriousness of what he was about to say.
“King, you can't interfere with it because she has made a deal with me.”
The dragon's gaze intensified with each passing second, but I wasn't going to be left with my arms crossed. My anger was reaching its limits. I had to put this dragon in his place. I came for my wife, and I will return with her, pact or not.
The deadly energy in my hands began to accumulate and began to spread throughout the place. My power was stealing life energy from all beings around me. I don't care about anyone at this point. The dragon had to pay for his insolence. But my Agalariept jumped in front of me, stopping me from unleashing more energy.
Standing on two legs, he whinnied, possessed the power of hell. Through his thorny branches, energy flowed. Hellfire engulfed his eyes. I was shocked more than I could have imagined.
When I lowered my arms, the energy I was creating disappeared. He delivered a clear message. I couldn't use my power against the dragon demon.
My gaze briefly turned towards that infernal beast. But he was seemingly more amazed than anything. My steed calmed down and returned to where he was, right next to the dragon beast. It didn't sit well with me.
The dragon shook his head from side to side and said, “As I was telling you, boy, Moriah is not here. I sent her back to her world,” I clenched my fists to contain the fury I was feeling and not attack him.
“She asked me to do that, she is with her father, King Armaloth. But I need to warn you about something. You will not be able to approach her until our agreement is fulfilled.”
“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, DRAGON? TELL ME!! You are nothing now. A dead legend. This is my era, this is my time, and this is my reign.”
If I do not calm down, my power will spiral out of control. And through the bond that I share with my Agalariept, I felt his support. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It is time to get this over with, and the dragon needs to tell me just what happened.
My eyes opened to see things differently. And I adopted an attitude that provided me with the answers I sought. “Go on, dragon.” He just exhaled smoke, his annoyance obvious.
“She returned to her world, as I mentioned. Moriah will be there, along with his father. Yet, you will not be able to intervene in her life. She will remain in her world until the term expires Naturally. Once that is done, she is all yours, King Armaloth. That was the deal. And I will make sure it is fulfilled.”
Although my blood was boiling, I tried to remain calm as much as possible. There were still many things to know.
“What is the deadline, dragon?” I asked.
The dragon nodded and replied, “The last day of her father's life. The limit is that. Moreover, dark king, you owe me one, and this is the way that you're returning the favour. I’m not a charity, so there you have it, King.”
“Moriah returns to the human world. In what way did this benefit you? You said you didn't do favours. Why would you help her escape?”
Grinning wickedly, the dragon roared, “This is the thing, King Armaloth, nothing is free. In exchange for this small favour, she offers me her company.”
He must have seen my face because he added immediately, Oh, Oh! No, you need not worry, king, I am not attracted to humans.” The dragon's expression turned serious when he said, “I'm not saying it will be every day. More likely, one or two times per week. Like a friend's reunion or something like that. I promise you, King, that I will never put the queen in danger or touch a single one of her hair. I live that to you.”
I turned to see my Agalariept, and he nodded his head, shaking it up and down several times. Three against one, what else can I do?
Moriah, enjoy your time on earth because the time will come, and it will be impossible for you to escape me. The good thing is that the dragon didn't say anything about her not being watched. Nodding my head, I accepted the situation.
“Dragon, I will honour this pact and consider this debt paid. But there is still something that I want to know. I want you to clarify something for me. How is Hecate related to you and the traitors?”
The dragon raised his head suddenly, hitting the ceiling of his cave. When he recovered from the impact, he looked side to side and sighed. “Hecate, she was the one who alerted me to what was going on. She possesses a magical power that is unrivalled. During the night, she hears the greatest secrets. We discussed this. It's thanks to her, your mother, that you're still here, boy. And Moriah, she will have time to recover from what you did to her. But Hecate and I will help her adjust to her new world. It is our opinion that the underworld needs powerful rulers. Thus, King Armaloth, your mother, and I will educate Moriah in the dark arts.”
Upon hearing this, my stomach clenched. There is no possibility of my mother betraying me. I had always had her on my side. Innumerable times, she has done so. Having said that, there was nothing left for me to do. I opened the portal to my world and brought everyone with me back to hell.
