"So this is Oar's." Lillian peered out from behind the driver's seat as they approached the ginormous stone gate. "How were your people able to make a stone wall this big?"
"Earth magic," Lucius bluntly stated. "Our stone artisans evaporate the line between the stones and move the blocks out. After an hour, the evaporated lines return, and we use them as part of the adhesives."
"Sounds like you know a lot."
"As the king, I have to know. Otherwise, I would be about to settle disputes."
"
"
"
"
Cive stopped the cart again and gazed up at the gate guard above.
"
Without hesitation, Lucius climbed to the front of the cart and revealed his face to the guard, who looked on in complete astonishment.
"
Slowly, the gate opened, sinking into the ground and unveiling the city tattered under repairs. Lucius frowned at the sight, then turned to Cive. "
Suddenly, a plethora of guards ran to the cart, in complete shock and awe as Lucius placed his stone mask back on. "
"
""
The captain gulped and shook. "
"
"
********
The cart rode on through the streets of Oar's with the sound of construction and the smell of smoldering ash in the air. It was like a city recovering from a raid of barbarians, with even statues that once stood tall, blocking the road.
Lillian glanced at Jala and saw his eyes narrow at the destruction as Lucius and the captain continued their conversation. "
Without turning, Jala lowered the flaps of the textile cart walls. ""
"
Lillian glanced to meet Lucius' gaze. "
"
Lucius nodded and steeled himself in preparation. Not long after, they rolled into the castle plaza, where guards and demons worked to reconstruct the damaged buildings all around. All the while, they avoided the deep and large crack that stemmed from halfway up the massive cave pillar through their castle and into the part of the plaza.
Even Jala, looking at the standing destroyed structure, looked on in utter shock.
"
"
Lillian looked up and down the destroyed castle, baffled by the destruction left behind by the natural event. Not long after, her eyes caught sight of a faint glow with strange-looking energy barely in sight. "
Lucius traced Lillian's gaze with eyes widening in complete shock. He clenched his teeth, infuriated. "
The captain shook from the sudden order. "
"
"
Lucius scowled. "
The cart stopped at once, and Lucius jumped out. He quickly pointed to a group of demons. "
Lillian peeked from the back of the cart. "Hey Lucius, is this about that light?"
Lucius kept still for a moment and exhaled, frustratedly. "I suppose there's no point in trying to hide it. Just follow me, and I'll show you. And Jala. Please gather more carpenters and masons. Their payment for the job is five thousand crystals each."
Jala slowly stood from his seat. "I'll look now. I think I know a few good ones."
"Good.
********
Cautiously, Lucius, with Lillian and several of the worker demons, strolled through the castle corridors, making makeshift bridges and clearing rubble in their path.
Lillian, on the other hand, looked around, admiring the decor that stood torn and bloodied, eventually discovering evidence of the battles fought within the halls. "So much destruction and so much senseless death." She turned to Lucius, noticing an unusual silence. "I'm sorry that this happened to your home."
Lucius glanced. "Don't be. You had nothing to do with any of this."
"Yes. But… If this were my home, I'd do everything in my power to protect it. And if we got here sooner, maybe we could've done something about it…"
"Did you already forget that we were delayed because of me. What happened, happened. And there's no point in mulling over what could've been."
They entered the staircase and up into the castle's gate balcony, where a large crack separated the castle into two.
"
At once, three of the demons behind conjured a bridge of earth, stable and sturdy for walking.
"
Lillian looked on in complete amazement at the sight of the barrier and the hovering black core inside. "Wh… What is that?"
"We call it the core. It's a concentrated mass of magical energy contained in that barrier."
Lillian approached the barrier and gently grazed it with a finger, feeling the wet, airy bubble that felt surprisingly weak.
"Whatever you do, don't go beyond that barrier. Anything that enters is assimilated into nothing."
"But…But why?"
"I don't know from what I know. This core has been here even longer than the city itself. Something, it's the only thing keeping our whole world from falling apart. A very silly notion if you ask me. Nonetheless, it is still one of the greatest mysteries in my homeland."
"But why keep it here in the first place? It's dangerous."
Lucius carefully circled the barrier and glanced at the carpenters. "
The group of demons bolted and scurried into action, running past Lillian and Lucius. Seeing this, Lucius sighed.
"Aside from the fact that it's physically impossible, it also has the strange benefit of destroying our blood blades to release our contract."
Lillian glanced. "Really? I thought you could only do that by melting them down."
"Well, this is another way. And we try to keep it under wraps, in fact. There's no telling the endless headaches this thing would cause if this got out. It's one of the perfect tools to use to disarm your enemy. The only issue is how stupidly fickle these blood blades are, especially when it comes to how far they are from their owners. Even with angel skins."
"Right. Because they can't move beyond a certain distance away from their owners, I think I remember you telling me this when you wanted me to get one of those weapons."
"It's still on the table if you ever change your mind."
Lillian chuckled, staring at the core in the center. "Thanks, but no thanks." Slowly, a subtle chill ran down her spine. Her skin buzzed and shuddered with a sense of suffocating danger coming from the core.
Cautiously, Lilian stepped back and glanced at Lucius and the demons, who were slowly constructing a basic wall. "H-hey, Lucius. If this is all, should we head back, maybe get something for the road?"
"King Lucius." Jala suddenly called.
Lillian and Lucius turned to find Lucius alongside another Captain who looked at them grimly.
"There's something you need to know."
********
Lucius leered down at the corpses of the dead elders in the center of the private chamber, willed with a table, couch, and broken decor that scattered the edge of the room.
"Aren't they members of the elder council?" Lillian asked.
"They are… and to have died by the hands of a single demon no less."
"And the elder council members were no pushovers either," Jala remarked, seating himself. "For them to die by the hands of a single women is absurd."
Lucius turned to the captain. "
"
"
"
"Kah!" Lucius cringed and pinched the bridge of his nose with a growing frustration. "
"
Everyone stared at the captain, in complete shock.
"
"
"Lucius," Lillian called. She pressed her hand on his shoulder, breaking him from his thoughts.
"It's alright."
"
" " "We can't stay that much longer; we'll return to the castle first, then return when everything is back in order at the castle." Lucius turned, leaving the chamber. " "Wait!" Lillian chased after Lucius. "You want to leave already?"
"I'm glad we stopped by, but staying here won't bring us any closer to my brother. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can return to the castle and make things right. And once that's done, I'll deal with the issues here."
Suddenly, Jala caught up from behind. "What about that Karnal's reward?"
"I already ordered one of them to reward the demon, but Cive will be staying with us until we've reached the castle."
Soon Lucius, with Jala and Lillian, emerged from the split pillar castle and hopped into the cart waiting for the,
Confused, Cive glanced back. " " "Sure, let me get to my seat." Cive pushed past some of these wares and entered his seat.
Lillian, with a cracked mask, looked out the back of the cart, watching as they slowly moved from the castle's plaza into the streets of the demon capital and eventually out of the gates, crossing the bridge. "Hey, Lucius. Once everything is said and done… Would you care to give me a tour around the city?"
Lucius cracked a smile at her inquiry. "Of course."
********
A patrol of armed demons marched through the town of demon children who happily played their games under the clear supervision of a pink-eyed, blue demoness. The troops, becoming brazen and irritated, kicked the overly playful children away and nailed parchment on the side of a home, with a newly born decree.