Epilogue
Moriah
“No, Moriah, you're doing it all wrong. That's not how I told you to do it.” Oh! Please.
This is the fifth or sixth time I've tried it, and nothing seems to satisfy this grumpy old dragon.
“We will do it again, and this time I want you to focus like never. You need to free those thorny branches and stop them at the moment I tell you to. Did you hear me, Moria? This time you have to stop them. I have no more humans left to practice with.”
I lowered my gaze and saw the five practice targets on the ground. What insignificant and pathetic beings. And to think that I was one of them once. I don't know how Armaloth could have noticed me. The god of the underworld and a human? Ridiculous.
But in the end, that's how things turned out, and here I am, after more than a year of being crowned queen of the underworld.
Despite the time, I haven't been able to fully master my powers. I think my human part continues to interfere with some things.
Dragon informed me that my human emotions have not been eradicated, and he doesn't know if I'll get rid of them completely. I have no idea what's so bad about still having those traces of humanity. Now that I'm a demon, I don't need anything to interfere with my new world.
The time I have lived here has taught me that dominion and power are the things that will save me from others. My husband is with me and I will always have his support, but he also let me know that I have to defend and give myself respect. A queen must be able to command all her servants with power and authority. That's what they told me. And in a certain way, it is true.
The demons think they can get favours from me by trying to manipulate me. The level we are referring to is higher than I could have believed. As a human, I have never been exposed to such evil. Not even the tricks that are so easily used here.
And if my humanity is holding me back from reaching my potential, I will do everything I can to rid myself of it. Not only for me but for my family. I need to be at my best to be able to protect them.
Hell is not a place where you can afford to rest for a few days. No, I have learned from the various attacks on my person that I can never let my guard down. Fortunately, Armaloth has been there to prevent any harm.
“Once more, Moriah.” The dragon's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
“You will not be able to get out of here until you manage to contain your thorny branches. You need to control them, especially when you are with Armaloth. That display of affection they have for him is embarrassing.”
Ugh! The dragon is right. I am ashamed of myself. My thorny branches do not miss an opportunity to get entangled in him at any time. And I haven't been able to command them when Armaloth is near me. They just don't obey.
“Ready?” I nodded my head, placing my attention on the human target in front of me.
“NOW.”
Hearing the signal, I let my thorny branches come out from behind my back. I concentrated on the attack, and the intensity and speed.
“STOP” I closed my fists and clenched them tightly. Grinding my teeth, as I forced the force pouring out of me to stop.
The site was silent, I had closed my eyes to concentrate better, but when I opened them again, I saw what had happened.
I turned to the dragon, he was fuming from his nostrils. His face held a ridiculous smirk. But I didn't stay behind him for long. I turned to my target, and he was white with shock, sweat ran down his entire face, and his chest rose and fell painfully, but alive. But that wasn't what caught my attention. it was my thorny branches that were inches away from piercing his neck. I was so close to failure. But HEY! I made it.
“Ha, ha, ha.” The dragon is laughing, his laugh seemed more like he was choking, exhaling smoke with every laugh he gave. A few seconds later, the place looked like the streets of London in 1820. You couldn't see beyond your nose. I fanned the smoke with my hand to get it away from my face, but it was impossible to get rid of this one.
“Stop dragon, you're going to kill us all.” Finally, the laughter stopped, and the dragon squeezed his eyelids, freeing himself of the tears that blinded him.
The smoke disappeared little by little, letting us see again. I see the dragon, and he had a cynic grin as if this were the funniest thing that had ever happened to him. I shook my head, annoyed. Idiot dragon.
Taking a step forward, I bumped into something. I looked down and saw that it was the human I hadn't killed. Then I said, looking back at the dragon, “Here is your last human, and you did this all by yourself. You suffocated him to death.”
Dragon blew smoke out of his nose, saying, “There is nothing more to do. Your husband will have to replenish my slaves. In this dimension, it's difficult to get them, you know?”
I shrugged nonchalantly, it was his problem. “My child, do not let this dragon bother you. You have to understand that he is old and would do anything to play a joke on you.” Hecate said, looking at the dragon straight in the eye. He wrinkled his nose and fumed, but said nothing.
“It's not exactly the dragon Hecate. The truth is that I don't want to get home yet. I need to keep practicing. It's really hard to master my powers. I need to become powerful. I'm already tired of the attacks against me. No one respects me, and it's about time to change that.”
Hecate looked at me, moving her head slightly to the side. She got up from the rock she was sitting on and walked towards me. When she reached me, she took me by the shoulders, saying, “Moriah, you are a little over a year old. In the demon world, age weighs heavily. Power increases over the years. I'm sorry to tell you that you won't achieve much. Your powers will grow to the measure, and you will be able to handle them as you please, but that will take time. You need to be patient and remember that my son will always be there for you. Do not despair.”
I nodded, putting one of my hands in hers. She smiled and turned back to the same rock she was sitting on.
“Now let's start again,” Hecate said, clapping her hands. And a dozen humans appeared out of nowhere. OKAY. This day will be long.
