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  The names surprised Amnur. After his foolish actions with Shae and Kyrith's lack of contact, he wondered if they had decided to leave him to Nathaniel. Instead, there must've been something afoot, stopping them from making contact. "How do I sate that, though? I don't want to kill innocents, more so of my own race."

  "That's what we've been considering; as long as Nathaniel hounds you, our fate is uncertain. Once you give in and consent, he may calm down in his efforts, but he also could become worse."

  "...What are you saying?" Amnur queried, unsettled by the idea of consenting, although they phrased it like they had a way of getting around it.

  "I've lived long enough and raised a loving family, but right now I need them to be safe. Safe from Nathaniel's grasp and spite," the old demon sighed, leaning his head back. "You need to convince Nathaniel, we desire safety. I can unfortunately only see one option here; if we sacrifice our lives for you, you can burn down the village and allow our families to survive. They've already escaped, so to be precise, me and a few others are the only demons here for you to take down. Nathaniel is unlikely to be bothered by specifics as long as someone died."

  Amnur stuttered, unsure how to react to what he was being told. Their solution seemed an answer to both problems, but still, he was still being asked to kill innocents. That was not the blood he wanted on his hands, not now, not ever. In his trance, he felt a hand on his shoulder, breaking him out of it.

  "I know this is probably insane right now but trust me, it'll get better. Just promise me one thing, make Nathaniel pay; I know you've been working to take him down."

  "I promise," he managed to reply, concentrating his emotions to try and grasp some confidence. The elder demon took his hand and shook it firmly, nodding to Amnur.

  "The others are waiting for you, all of them are aware of what we just discussed."

  "I'll make the end swift and hopefully painless," Amnur replied, seeing the demon smile in thanks. He waited until the elder had settled down before he walked up to him, taking a deep breath and placing his hands over the demon's heart. Mana channelled down his arms, and soon he felt the demon go limp, causing Amnur to quietly sob as he backed away, glancing in the direction of the next. One by one, he took down the demons that had selflessly sacrificed themselves to save their families and even him, a complete stranger. Before he dealt the fatal blow, he thanked each individual profusely, tears streaming down his face. Once the last demon confirmed that he was indeed the last, Amnur took a few steps back and set fire to the huts, gazing on as the raging blaze ripped through the wood.

  He spoke a few words of recompense to the crackling air, hoping to give the souls a measure of comfort. Smoke billowed into the air as he spoke, satisfying Nathaniel's cruel desires. Eventually, all that remained was a charred mess, not giving much evidence to anyone who wished to query the story.

  Broken, he began to wander back to the keep, keeping his head low in shame. He arrived to find the main corridor busy, although the reason was unknown. Nathaniel was not actively speaking, so any announcement had yet to start. Amnur pushed through the crowd to try and reach the branching corridor, but demons were packed in tightly, hindering his efforts.

  Nathaniel spotted Amnur as he entered, his expression changing to a wicked grin. "Ah, there he is," he began, causing all eyes to focus on the King, "the cold-blooded murder, burning children in their beds. Isn't that right Amnur?"

  Amnur's world went blank, a cold shiver driving down his spine. Nathaniel had stabbed him in the back, intending to sever any connections he had to others. He panicked as the crowd turned to him, their expressions showing that of disgust, fear and anger. Desperate, he just did the only thing he could; run. He ran and ran, diving out of sight and throwing himself into the empty healing chamber, hiding in Dumon's room. Gasping, he locked the door and collapsed down, trying to piece his mind back together. Nathaniel had, of course, omitted the fact it was he who assigned the task to murder innocents. The truth wasn't convenient. Having a scapegoat in Amnur allowed him to pass blame for his schemes while attempting to break Amnur's mind.

  It definitely broke, but not in the way the King wanted. The promise he had made swam in his mind, growing his anger. After an unknown period of time, he heard the door start to unlock, and Dumon hastily slipped in, locking the door again once he was in.

  "Well, that was interesting. I take it Nathaniel sent you on another mission?" Dumon questioned with a sigh, settling down next to Amnur.

  "He was right behind me so I couldn't inform you ahead of time," he replied, uncoiling his body to sit comfortably next to the healer.

  "What happened?"

  Amnur told him everything, the sorrow once again winding up as anger. Dumon took a deep breath and leant back, turning his head towards the mage.

  "How are you feeling?"

  Before Amnur could answer, there was a knock at the door. Dumon shoved him under the bed, keeping him hidden from sight. Cautiously, he opened the door and saw a familiar face, welcoming them inside.

  Kyrith stepped into the room and crouched down by the bed, leaning over until he could see Amnur underneath. He gave the mage a friendly wave and allowed him to relax, while Dumon once again locked them inside.

  "Apologies for my delay in arriving; I had to wait until it quietened down," Kyrith said.

  "Where have you been? I've not seen you in ages," Amnur interjected as he dragged himself out from under the bed, stopping short of mentioning his sister.

  "Personal troubles, I came because we got word about Nathaniel being up to something."

  "That's an understatement."

  Kyrith became wary at Amnur's sharp tone, unsure of his intentions. "What's your angle?"

  "You wanted regicide, right? Well, you're going to get it," Amnur huffed, crossing his arms. Kyrith's eyes went wide, and Dumon was unsure how to react.

  "You can't be serious," Kyrith replied, but Amnur's expression was firm.

  "I'm highly serious, I'm already considered a monster so I might as well follow through. I promised them, and Nathaniel's pushed it too far one time too many."

  "You can't take him yourself, he's too strong."

  "Have you seen my magic?"

  Kyrith froze; Amnur was determined, and his death was going to be inevitable. He had to come up with a method to assist Amnur or finish off his work, so his death was not in vain. Unable to stop him for now, he had to merely watch as Amnur marched up to the door and let himself out. He trailed behind, seeing Amnur approaching the ruling chamber with a measure of false calmness and being ushered in by the guards. Once he was gone from sight, Kyrith left the keep, slowly at first until he could no longer be seen. He had a plan in mind, although to anyone else it would be considered suicide.

  Chapter 16: Thoughts of Regicide

  Kyrith took to the skies and flew over to the angelic capital of Eriden, raising his hands high into the air once he landed, in an attempt to calm the angels around the base as they reacted to the sudden and unexpected intrusion.

  "I need to speak to Uriel, it's urgent," Kyrith announced in the common tongue. Guards swiftly surrounded him and pressed blades to his chest, stopping short of running him through. With one hand, he loosened the buckle on the broadsword's case, causing it to crash to the ground. He shoved it away with his foot, showing his intention was pure. Words were exchanged in the angelic tongue, and soon Kyrith had someone thrifting him for hidden weapons, to which they found none. More words slipped through the air, and one of the angels took to the skies, hurrying to the top of the tower.

  A few minutes later, the angel returned with two more angels; judging by their posture and the others reaction, Uriel had decided to hear him out. He had never seen Uriel so he was unsure exactly what his appearance was, although he could guess as to which of the three he was. Uriel stood still, examining him and listening to the quiet chatter in his ear.

  "Lower your weapons, I will not need your assistance for this meeting," Uriel spoke in the common
tongue, for Kyrith's relief. The weapons retracted, and soon he was left with Uriel and one other angel, who was staring at him. "You're Kyrith, Shae's younger brother if I'm not mistaken?"

  "That's correct," Kyrith responded, debating whether to add any form of respectful terms on the end of that reply. Uriel, however, wasn't bothered, either way, so he relaxed.

  "Considering you more or less just committed suicide, what is so desperate that you wish to seek an audience with me?"

  "Nathaniel's gone too far, he needs to be stopped. Amnur's gone in with the intention to kill him, but I don't see him succeeding."

  "So you wish our help to kill your King?"

  "A cruel tyrant causes you just as many problems as it causes us," Kyrith reasoned. Uriel went silent, making him wonder if he had said something wrong.

  "I had already been sent a message warning us about his behaviour, so you'll be happy to know I had already been considering how to dispose of him."

  "Really? How?" Kyrith was excited but wary.

  "You have settlements in the West, settlements often considered safe because they're too far to attack easily, nor do they cause us problems. If we threatened them, we could potentially draw Nathaniel out," Uriel suggested, pausing to see the demon's reaction to the plan. Kyrith was curious; would Nathaniel care enough to allow the angels to bait him?

  "What happens if he refuses to take the bait?"

  "Then we pull back and change tactics; Nathaniel will leave Shadekeep eventually, or someone could sneak an angel in."

  The plan sounded reasonable to him, it was better than anything he could come up with himself. Given his relations, he would never be granted a direct audience with Nathaniel, making killing him with his own hands an issue. Getting an angel into Shadekeep would be a task of great difficulty though. Hopefully, it didn't come to that.

  "Is there anything you need me to do?" Kyrith queried.

  "Keep your ears open," Uriel replied, a wry smile spreading across his face. "Now, I'd advise you to leave before someone gets too tetchy about your presence."

  The demon heeded the advice and took off, flying towards the forest.

  ***

  "I was wondering when you'd drop by," Nathaniel teased, grabbing a bottle of wine from the end table he had placed next to the throne. He freely poured it into a set of glasses, offering one up to Amnur. Amnur accepted it and began to drink, carefully watching the King's actions. He needed Nathaniel to have his back turned for him to launch off a spell without warning, anything else would be too obvious. "You know, I'm actually proud of you. Your first unguided kill."

  Amnur remained silent for a moment, considering how best to react. He offered up the wine glass for a toast, a gesture Nathaniel readily accepted.

  "I apologise for earlier, it was just necessary, you'll understand," Nathaniel remarked, sensing there were some underlying issues.

  "I understand," the mage replied, seeing Nathaniel smile at him. He placed his wine glass back on the end table and took a few steps backwards, giving the King some room. Nathaniel finished up his drink and stood up, walking to the back of the chamber. He admired the banner of fine silk hanging from the ceiling, one containing the symbol of the throne.

  "You know, you were a hard one to mould, but you've finally come around. I'm glad."

  Amnur saw an opportunity while his back was turned, readying a potent spell. Nathaniel's armour and clothing ignited, covering the demon with vibrant, orange flames. He knew what had happened and whipped out his blades, lunging at Amnur. The distance he covered with the single, rapid movement took Amnur by surprise, sending him scrambling backwards while throwing up a quick but deadly retaliatory blast. Nathaniel changed his stance and knocked off the effects of the attack and closed the gap, slicing his blades deep into Amnur's flesh.

  The blades flashed, littering Amnur's body with vicious lacerations. He fought bravely to keep his consciousness, trying to throw up one last defence against the King. His attempt was however in vain, when Nathaniel saw him starting another spell, he delivered a powerful kick to his head, knocking Amnur out.

  Nathaniel stood above his body, panting heavily. He ripped the scolding metal off his body, its thick casing being the only thing that delayed Amnur's spell from killing him. Stripped down to his heavily burnt clothing, he grabbed Amnur and dragged his bleeding body away. As he pushed the chamber doors open and walked past the guards, they froze. Both of their injured states were highly visible, and the guards were unsure who to support in the scenario. Nathaniel's icy stare as he passed them frightened them into remaining passive, simply closing the door behind him without a word. Nathaniel dragged Amnur to the healing chamber, startling Dumon as he entered.

  "Tend to his wounds," Nathaniel demanded, hoisting Amnur up onto one of the beds. Dumon flinched when he saw the state of his friend, but the King was not done. He grabbed Dumon by the throat and glowered at him, causing the aged healer a fair measure of pain. "Tell anyone what happened and I'll have both your heads, understood?"

  "Understood," Dumon coughed, gasping for air once the grip released. Nathaniel continued to glare for a moment longer, not requesting or demanding treatment personally. He eventually decided to leave, allowing Dumon to rush to Amnur, who was rapidly losing blood. The wounds were extensive but not fatal if he was quick, so he set about patching the mage up with as much speed and precision as he could. His resulting work wasn't his most impressive job ever, but it would prevent further blood loss and save the demon's life. Gently, he set about wiping the blood off his body, just in case any of it was Nathaniel's to prevent it giving Amnur any complications.

  Dumon sighed; Amnur's attempt had been valiant, but it had not proved enough. Nathaniel was severely injured, but there were other healers in the keep to treat him. Now their lives hung in the balance, at the whim of Nathaniel. He just hoped that Kyrith had a logical plan; whatever he intended, he didn't stop to discuss it with Dumon.

  ***

  A few days passed, and soon angels were massing near the outskirts of the swamplands in the west. Uriel had kept to his word, issuing the threat to Nathaniel that if he didn't turn up personally, the western settlements would be wiped out. He was not present on the front lines, but he had sent Gabriel in his stead, keeping in contact through magical relays.

  Uriel waited to see if he got a reply from the Demon King, but Shadekeep was quiet. Too quiet in fact, it made him wary. Gabriel reported that the angel regiment was being to become agitated, eager for action. The situation was going sour and without Nathaniel reacting, the attack was pointless.

  "Pull them out Gabriel, our prey has refused the bait," Uriel stated, gripping the glass orb tightly in frustration.

  "Very well," Gabriel replied before the line went quiet as he stashed the orb. He turned to the armoured crowd of angels, who were eyeing him with impatience. "We're to go home and change to plan B. Nathaniel hasn't shown his face."

  Shouts of discontent filled the air as the decision, but Gabriel remained unfazed. "That's your orders, are you going to shirk them?"

  "I'm not following some demon's plan after he came begging to Uriel for help," one of the angels spat, rallying the others around him. Gabriel drew his blade and strolled up to the front of the crowd, only to be blocked early by blades. He huffed, charging his free hand with a deadly electric current, only to have a blade placed against his neck. The offending angel held his sword there as the others began to march towards the swamps, leaving Gabriel helpless to stop them.

  "Bloodthirsty idiots," he lamented as his assailant left. Angrily, he grabbed the communication orb and sighed. "They decided to no longer listen to me, going ahead with the plan anyway."

  "What?!" Uriel growled, although his anger was not directed at Gabriel.

  "Had a blade put to my throat, not a whole lot I could do about it."

  "Come on back, I'd rather have you alive even if all those idiots die."

  Gabriel nodded, although the gesture didn't transfer over the r
elay. He took to the skies with his magnificent wings, taking a carefully planned route home. The angel returned without harm, to Uriel's relief.

  "Time to start working on that plan B," Uriel sighed, not bothering to check for any survivors out of the angels in the west.

  Chapter 17: Opportunity

  The mood in Shadekeep had been sombre for the past few days, Nathaniel's action with denouncing Amnur created fear and anger, with not all of it being directed at the mage. Kaiser had received an unexpected guest one night; one of the chamber guards that had been there when Nathaniel had dragged Amnur away. He needed someone to talk to, but he didn't know who. The demon wasn't even sure why he picked Kaiser, something just told him he'd be willing to listen and not throw him to Nathaniel for doing so.

  Kaiser took the information with a level of worry; he knew that Nathaniel had been lying when it came to Amnur, and this confirmed it, although Amnur came out worse. The guard was unsure what to do, so Kaiser just suggested for him to carry on as usual, if he went missing then Nathaniel would notice. He took the advice to heart and thanked the giant demon, departing from his chamber. Kaiser was left wondering what to do, going to visit Dumon was too dangerous for the healer, so he just had to hope Amnur's condition was stable. He opted to wander outside, settling down away from Shadekeep to watch the sunset.

  The light began to fade away, and Kaiser let out a sigh, feeling a breeze cool his skin. As he waited, a sound caught his attention as it neared. Kaiser turned his head and saw the individual ambling into sight, his eyes widening when he realised it was Nathaniel coming near him. The King, however, appeared unaware, keeping his head low to keep an eye on where he was going with his weak night vision.

  Nathaniel stopped in front of Kaiser and turned his head up, staring at the demon. Considering the guard had told Kaiser that Nathaniel had been severely injured, he looked in good health now. He did not doubt the account though, he more suspected the King of seeking magical assistance.