Chapter 178: The Return of the Demons
Seeing Serie's disappearing form, Rhodes let out a long sigh of relief, his back slick with a cold sweat. That little charade had taken more out of him than a battle with a horde of demons.
"Finally got away with it," he said, wiping a nonexistent bead of sweat from his brow. The whole 'raising her as a daughter' thing... it was a complete and utter fabrication. He was surprised she had actually bought it.
His feelings for the girl were simply a desire to witness the birth of a legend, a legend whose place in history he himself had usurped. And to be a little kinder to her because of that... it was only natural. Just as one might pay a little more attention to a cute and cuddly creature. But he had not expected Serie to misunderstand him so completely.
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
The immediate task at hand was to bid farewell to Lord Balin. He stood and walked out of the room. But he did not know that she had not gone far. She was standing in the shadows, and she had seen him leave. And as his form disappeared from view, a look of a deep and abiding confusion, and a flicker of a new and strange vigilance that she herself did not understand, appeared in her golden eyes.
"A daughter..." she whispered. Why would a human see a creature not of their own blood as their own child? She couldn't understand it. Human emotions... they were so complex. But for some reason, she had the distinct feeling that something precious was being... taken from her. Her magic? Or something else? She didn't know.
He remembered the information he had gotten from Balin about the current emperor of Ersten. He was a capable ruler, in times of peace. But now, with the demons on the move and the humans on the verge of civil war... could he hold the kingdom together? Could he protect the holy sword? He didn't know. The demons were cunning creatures. Once they had disguised themselves, they were almost impossible to detect.
The more he thought about it, the more his unease grew. A thousand years of peace had made the entire continent soft. And though his own actions had prevented the elves from facing the same near-extinction as in the original future, their decline was now inevitable.
The first rays of dawn were beginning to break.
The dwarven lord, Balin, was busy with the reconstruction of his city. When he heard that Rhodes had come to say goodbye, he immediately put his work aside.
"Lord Balin," he said, getting straight to the point, "thank you for your hospitality, but we must be leaving."
The smile on his face froze. "Leaving? Now? Lord Ard, why? Was our hospitality not to your liking?" He wrung his rough, calloused hands, his eyes filled with confusion. Lady Serie was the strongest person in their city. If they left, and the demons were to return...
"No, you misunderstand, my lord." He wanted to correct him on the 'Ard' part, but he held his tongue. "It's just that... it's been a long time, and there's been no sign of the demons. And we've just received news from the Southern Empire and Ersten. It seems the demons have appeared there as well."
"I have heard," Balin said, his brow furrowed. He, too, had heard reports of demons openly appearing in the Southern Empire's territory.
"Then it is as I feared," he said, his voice now a little more urgent. "The demons are cunning. For them to have been so quiet... it is not normal. I am afraid their true target is not here, but elsewhere. We must go and see for ourselves."
Seeing the grave look on his face, Balin knew that he had made up his mind. "I understand, Lord Ard," he said with a sigh. "The dwarves of Weiburg will never forget what you have done for us. Please, be careful."
"We will."
He was about to say more, to arrange for a proper farewell, but he was interrupted by a frantic shout. "Lord Balin!"
A dwarven warrior burst into the room and, without even a proper salute, he cried out, "Bad news! A large force of monsters has appeared outside the castle! And... and there are demons with them!"
"What!?"
The dwarven lord staggered, and almost fell. He hadn't expected them to be back so soon. And this time... with demons.
His own heart lurched. Just as he had decided to leave... a coincidence? Or had they sensed something?
"How many?" he asked, his own gaze now a sharp and piercing thing that seemed to cut through the dwarven warrior's panic.
The warrior took a shaky breath. "At least a dozen of them, leading the army. And three of them... they are massive, and their magical aura is much stronger than the others."
Three great demons. This was a real attack, not a feint. A true, organized army.
The weight of it all fell upon the dwarven lord's shoulders. His city could not possibly withstand such an assault. They had sent for reinforcements, of course, but it would take time for them to arrive. Their only hope... was the man before him, and the legendary mage at his back.
A new emotion, a cold and burning rage, now replaced all his other thoughts. Lure the tiger away from the mountain? Stall for time? Very well. He would show them, he would show Shurahat, just what the price of his little plan would be.
"Lord Balin," he said, his voice a calm and reassuring sound, "it seems our farewell will have to be postponed. Since these foolish creatures have come to us, we will help you to crush them completely."
"Lord Ard!" the dwarven lord's voice trembled with an immense relief. "Thank you for your help. The entire city of Weiburg will fight by your side!"
The sound of a great war horn once again echoed through the city.
And in a flash of spatial magic, he was gone, and was now hovering high above, looking down at the entire battlefield.
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