Greyson wiped sweat from his brow as he trudged along behind the spirit, Gro’ak. They had been traveling for hours, and the day before. Spending a sleepless night among the otherworldly trees and fauna of the Spirit-Forest, did little to calm his nerves, but their task was near to its end. Within the center of this forest was a gate. The opening that would bring forth a great horde of demons to help push their plan forward.

  “Are we almost there?” Ashely huffed, her voice filled with irritation and fatigue.

  “We should be.” Greyson looked again at the broad back of Gro’ak, who had said nothing to them after Dio’Mar had confronted him. He was a silent sentinel, who stopped when they did, provided food and water when they needed, but didn’t acknowledge them in the slightest. Despite Greyson’s attempts to communicate with the being.

  “So, what do you think she is?” Ashely asked Greyson, her voice low as she closed the distance between them. “Dio’Mar, I mean.” She clarified.

  “Who knows.” Greyson shrugged. “At first, I thought she was just another demon, but now? I don’t really know.”

  “The way she commanded this one.” She pointed toward Gro’ak, who lumbered before them. “You’d think she was actually a spirit, after all.”

  “You do not even know whom you follow?” The booming voice of Gro’ak resonated around them, causing Ashley to jump.

  “Who is she?” Greyson asked, genuinely curious as to what the answer might be.

  “She is beyond you… or me…” Gro’ak said, his voice everywhere all at once. “But also, it is not my place to enlighten you if she does not will it.”

  “But she isn’t a demon though, right?” Ashely asked, earning an unintelligible grumble from their guide.

  “We are here.” Gro’ak boomed, turning to face them. “Here lies the broken remains of Dre’denisen, an ancient spirit who fell at the hands of the Dae, during the war of the ascended… He was ever a champion of theirs… even until his dying breath.”

  Greyson’s mouth hung open in astonishment as he beheld a massive skull that was half buried in the soil. “Damn, it’s huge.” He said, noting that even what was visible of the skull was the size of a massive house.

  “I have done what the lady has commanded me…” Gro’ak said, “I have preserved you and guided you here. Now I must, again, lead the spirits of this forest away, in an attempt to preserve what little dignity we have left.”

  Greyson raised an eyebrow at the statement. But before he could counter, the large spirit had disappeared,

  “Well, what do we do now?” Dorian grunted, placing his hands on his hips as he approached the skull.

  “Leave it to me.” Greyson replied, closing his eyes and raising his hands toward the skull. He could feel power that emanated from the remains, along with a feeling of cold emptiness and regret. There was a harsh draw of power from him suddenly, and he gasped at the unexpected pain it caused him.

  “What happened?” Dorian asked, as Ashley reached out to support him.

  “I’m fine.” Greyson reassured them, looking again at the massive skull, a bit of frustration starting to fill him. “This is going to be tough on all of us.” He turned to face his companions. “We should rest here until the morning. Cultivating our power as best we can.”

  ~

  Alektor let the sour taste of the wine rest in his mouth for a time; it was a new blend, of which he was still getting used to, but was quickly becoming his favorite. He leaned his head back on the headrest of his chair, allowing his thoughts to dawdle on nothing for once. He cherished moments like this; when the weight of the world seemed to float around him, suspended in time, while he contemplated nothing, and everything at the same time.

  There was a light knock on the door of his study. And with great effort, he brought himself back to the present. “Enter.” He said, gruffly. The intrusion of his meditation grating on his mood. He waited, expecting to hear his guards announce who had come to pay him a visit, but he heard nothing. Alektor perked up, standing from his chair, and walking to the door, which slid open easily.

  To his surprise, there was no one outside his study. Considering the fact that he was the High King, and now had no protection, this was quite alarming. He turned from side to side, looking down the empty hallways, noting the atmosphere was distinctly darker, and far more quiet than usual. “Interesting.” He said, calmly, as he closed the door again. He turned to sit back at his chair, but was somewhat startled to see a hooded and cloaked figure standing before him. Alektor felt his nearly bottomless pool of power stir within him as he analyzed the intruder. They were small in stature, most likely a woman; but he could feel nothing from them. No hint of power or trace of their existence outside of what he was able to see with his eyes.

  “I am impressed you managed to get past my guards.” He said, without a hint of emotion in his words. “More yet, I am impressed you managed to get past my senses. You must be very skilled.”

  “High praise, coming from you.” A distinctly female voice replied. Alektor’s mind again churned, unable to recognize the voice. He had no idea who this person was, standing before him.

  “You have me at a disadvantage.” Alektor said, his body subtly preparing for battle. “You seem to know who I am, but I am at a loss as to who you are, or what you are doing here. State your name, then your business.”

  The figure lifted their hood from their face, revealing a young and stunningly beautiful Dae woman. “You have nothing to fear from me.” She said, a faint smile creasing her face.

  Alektor’s eyes widened as he studied her. Her skin was a pale grey, with pearl white hair that hung down, framing the sides of her face. She smiled at him, genuinely, with love and affection, but her eyes are what gave him pause. Her eyes, glowed a bright white, which could only mean one thing, if the stories were true.”

  “You’re—” Alektor’s words caught in his throat as the realization dawned on him. “You’re an ascended!”

  The woman chuckled. “You are a sharp one.” She tilted her head, looking him up and down. “The fabled Rexun king does not disappoint.”

  Alektor narrowed his eyes, his posture becoming more aggressive. “Who are you? And what is an ascended doing here, in my study? The spirits—”

  “Calm yourself.” She held her hands up, interrupting him. “I am more than capable enough of hiding myself from the presence of the spirits, your highness. Let alone any Dae who might know that I am here. As for who I am, and why I am here?” Her face went more serious. “I will not stand by and watch as this kingdom falls into darkness, Alektor. I have done that before, and have regretted it every day since. There is so much more at stake than you realize.”

  “Enlighten me, then.”

  “These creatures you’ve chosen to ally yourself with.” She started, walking toward his assortment of wine, and pouring herself a bowl. “Are they friend, or foe to the Dae?”

  “They are ultimately our salvation.” Alektor replied, earning a sharp exhale from the woman.

  Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

  “Don’t tell me these things you want to believe, but don’t, Alektor.” She waved her hand dismissively. “You can lie to them out there. To the myriad of fools and bootlickers or politicians who surround you. But you can’t lie to me. They scare you.”

  Alektor looked at her for a moment, unsure how to respond. “It would help if you told me who you were.”

  “Ah, yes.” She chuckled between sips of wine. “You lack information, and therefore can’t properly gauge the field, right? How could you possibly determine what your next move will be without all the information at your fingertips?”

  “Information is essential.” Alektor placed his hands behind his back as he made his way back to his chair. “For example, how will I know if you are a threat or not?”

  The woman narrowed her white eyes, her small smile widening slightly. “My dear Alektor, I have walked this world for millennia. Seen countless generations of kings and heroes rise and fall. Some of whom have deeds that will never be known to all but the oldest of us. You have nothing to fear from me.”

  “So, then why have you come?” Alektor took his seat, picking up the bowl he had left there and taking a sip from it. “If I am just another one of these kings or heroes, why would you care? Ascended don’t normally get involved in the affairs of mere mortals.”

  The woman looked at him thoughtfully, her unreadable eyes seeming to study him with great intensity before she sat down across from him in an empty chair. “I wish to speak to you about these creatures that have seemingly appeared out of thin air, Alektor. About the monsters you face, and about the trials that still lay ahead of you. But first, I wish to tell you a tale of a hero who changed my life. A man who’s strength and determination showed me more in the short time I knew him, than in the centuries before.” Her words hung in the air like a great stone; the gravity in them a promise of wisdom.

  Alektor nodded toward her, gesturing for her to continue.

  “As you can imagine, being an immortal isn’t always decades of meditation or isolation.” She pressed, her eyes drifting above his shoulder, as though lost in a memory. “We often interact with Dae society, as low-level warriors, or sometimes merely as observers. It was one such occasion, that I had masked my presence. And was enjoying the streets of Thule as a common girl. I had never been there before, though I had heard much of it.” She leaned forward. “I never did much like Eleutheros, or Visgothia, as I remember it. Before the rise of the first High King.” She waved her hand, “But that’s another story for another time. Here, I was happily enjoying the pleasantries of the markets. When a group of Rexun warriors began shouting at another assortment of warriors. Intrigued, I stayed close to see what all the fuss was about. To my delight, it seemed that a fight was brewing between warriors of different clans.”

  She took a long sip from her wine, her smile one of genuine happiness. “That is the first time I saw him. A young officer of Rexun, who commanded great respect from all of them, came and defused the disagreement. At the time I was disappointed, you see. I thought it would have been fun to watch the brawl. But, alas, it was not meant to be. Instead, my focus was shifted to the handsome young officer. Something that I didn’t expect, and caught me a bit off guard. We ascended don’t have the same vices as normal Dae. The need for such things is obsolete in the face of immortality.”

  Alektor leaned forward, his interest peaked, but his patience was starting to wane. “Is there a point to this story?”

  The woman chuckled, “Mortals are always in such a hurry. I didn’t know why, but I became infatuated with him. I orchestrated a meeting between us, and we fell deeply in love with one another. Passions and feelings that I thought long removed from my ability to comprehend, overtook me in the bliss of a union that to this day, words cannot describe. We were in love.” She hummed pleasantly, before taking another drink from her bowl. “In fact, we got married to each other. I played the part of his loving wife, and he, the dutiful and protective husband. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that as an ascended I was sterile. The spiritual energy changes us in ways that make it impossible to conceive. Until it wasn’t.”

  Alektor’s ears perked, “You had a child?”

  “Yes.” She affirmed, her eyes wistful. “We had a wonderful son, who’s power was far beyond that of a normal Dae. It was this fact that led to the revelation of my true identity. Still, he did not turn away from me. But instead, loved me all the more. We lived together like this for another year, before the spirits started to come knocking. As skilled as I am at hiding myself, they always find me, eventually. He told me that he would wait for me. That he would raise our son to be a great warrior, and a great man.”

  Her white eyes locked with Alektor’s as a hint of emotion entered her voice. “I departed, and isolated myself for many years. Until the spirits finally relented, only to return and see that the love of my life had been killed by the ones he swore his allegiance to. I cursed them for their sins against me, promised retribution… but I was afraid. Afraid of the persecution of the spirits should I reveal myself and bring my wrath upon those who took him from me. I then cursed my foolish weakness… then.” A single tear rolled down her cheek as she raised her hand toward Alektor, and his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach as the pieces started to come together in his mind.

  “Then I saw as our son...” She continued, her voice tense with pride and emotion. “Rise against them, and bring the wrath of the ascended upon them in righteous fire.”

  “It can’t be…” Alektor’s mouth dropped and his grip on his bowl of wine slipped as her words echoed in his mind. “M— mother?”

  “I have waited many long years to meet you, my son.” She smiled, her hand reaching across the table to rest on his.

  “What? why?” He stuttered, his normally resilient mind falling to pieces. “Why have you not revealed yourself? Why now? I could have…”

  “I don’t have much time, son.” She squeezed his hand. “There is a great imbalance of spiritual energy, that has prevented me from revealing myself. Even when I saw you… nearly perish at the hands of the Espi-Dae. I was powerless to help you. Thankfully, you have greater things watching over you.”

  “The humans…” Alektor slumped, feeling the warm touch of his mother’s hand disappear as she lifted her hand toward him.

  “In all my years of life, I have never seen anything like these humans before.” She continued, her voice serious. “Their power, and their purpose are a mystery to me. And thus, I watched with great fascination how they developed and how they might change our world. They are both the saviors of my son, and the heralds of demons.”

  “What does it mean?” Alektor asked, his composure returning.

  “It means that there are greater powers than even the great spirits, my son.” She declared with conviction. “And they are both, for us, and against us.”

  “What about the demons?” Alektor asked, “how do we defeat them?”

  “They are a force that has always been held in check by spirits.” She shook her head, “But now, with the arrival of the humans, they are free to enter our world, uncontested.”

  “How so?”

  “Humans are not of our world.” She shrugged, sipping more wine. “But there is a connection, somehow. The true reason I revealed myself to you tonight, my son. Is because, as we speak, the gate within the Spirit-Forest is being opened. By this time tomorrow, your kingdom will be nearly overrun by demons.”

  “What?” Alektor’s question came as an outburst. “I am under good authority, that they wouldn’t attempt to open the gate in the Spirit-Forest. How do you know this?”

  “Don’t think that you can comprehend the power that we ascended wield, son.” His mother said, standing from her seat. “I can see them, as they are now. And you must believe me. You will never make it in time to stop them. The forest itself obeys their commands. You may not enter.”

  “Maybe, we, can’t” Alektor’s eyes brightened as a thought occurred to him. “But the other humans can, surely.”

  She smiled at him approvingly. “Your deeds will go down in history as one of the greatest heroes the Dae have ever seen, my son. And I will do what I can to help. Though, that might not be in a physical way as of yet, there are still things I can do. For now, you must gather your forces and prepare to repel an onslaught of demonic minions. I know that you can survive and defeat this threat, my son. You have the might of the greatest among us flowing through your veins.”

  There was a slight rumble that jolted Alektor, and his mother’s gaze snapped toward the entrance of the study. “It would seem my time is up, son.” She said, her voice tinged with sadness. “I will visit you again soon.”

  “Wait!” Alektor reached toward her, grasping her hand. “My father said your name was Erendi. Tell me your true name, mother.”

  Her white eyes softened as his words were registered, and she pressed her hand against his cheek. “I never told your father my true name, Erendi was one that I liked, so I became her. My true name is Delphina… but please, call me Erendi. It is how your father knew me. And how I wish to be remembered.”

  With her final words, she slipped from his grasp, and disappeared before his eyes, and the rumbling ceased. Moments later his door slid open, and several royal guards dashed in.

  “Your highness!” One shouted, “Are you well? The palace was shaking!”

  “I’m fine.” He responded, the urgency of the matter at hand taking precedence. “Asemble everyone immediately. I don’t care about the time. I want all of our officers, royalty, and the three spirit-sent. Now.”

  “Yes, your highness!” They replied, funneling back out into the hallway.

  Alektor looked at his hand, the one that he had touched his mother with before she disappeared. To his surprise, there was a small scroll within it. The only real evidence that what had happened was actually real. “Thank you, mother.” He said softly, clutching the rolled parchment as though it were the most precious thing in the world to him. “Thank you.”