Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.
You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.
Click here
Shido sat easily upon his throne, his arms laid on the arms of the chair and he stared down at the audience chamber below. The room was empty save for the two men and he didn't know what exactly that meant. The Half Blood Demon took in the features of the Blood Demon Lord and cataloged it in his mind. He was tall, standing at six foot three, and extremely lanky. He had long lavender hair that fell to the middle of his back in a high ponytail and rounded, golden eyes set in an alabaster, regal face. He wore a long sleeve black silk button-up shirt, tight fitting black pants, knee high black leather boots, and a black leather belt.
Normally when meeting with a member of the Clan, the Lord had his partner and his Mate flanking him on either side of his throne. However, there was no one but the two of them in the audience chamber and he had to wonder about the significance of that. He had never heard of anyone meeting with the Blood Demon Lord and not having an audience. That was kind of the point of meeting in the audience chamber, but for some reason, they were they only one's. That made him a little nervous, but he banished that to the back of his mind and remained emotionless as he stared at his Lord.
"Our esteemed Emperor has called upon you to perform a task for him. This task will have to do with Acheron, the Command Assassin, but I want you to do the exact opposite. After all, we aren't loyal to the Emperor and the Empire. The Blood Demon Clan is loyal to the former General and will do nothing to harm the man." Shido said in a low, conspiratorial voice and he blinked. This was a complete surprise to him, but he knew that what his Lord said was fact. They were loyal to Acheron and Acheron alone. "The Command Assassin lies within the Wilds and that is where you will find him. However, the Emperor wants you to go into the High Forest and disrupt the alliance between Acheron and the Amazons there. You will do the opposite. You will tie another alliance to the Amazons and the Elves there to our Clan for when we desert the Empire."
The Half Demon stared at his Lord in surprise. Desert the Empire? That was something that he never would've believed they would do, but here was his Lord laying it out and calling it not only an option, but the plan. However, he knew that he couldn't argue with his Lord. After all, he was the man that ran the Blood Demon Clan and he was completely loyal to the Lord of the Clan. He drew himself from his reverie and he stared into the golden eyes of the Blood Demon Lord and he bowed his head low to the man before turning away from the throne, walking out of the audience chamber.
No better time to get started then right now, Breal supposed. After all, it wasn't every day that one set out to betray and desert the nation that he had always known. He stepped out into the hallway once more and he walked down the hallway towards the front door. As he understood it, he wouldn't be meeting with Acheron and would instead be making alliances with the Amazons and the Wood Elves.
Time to get to work.
White snow blew across the sky and fell upon the ground, adding inches to the already snow covered ground. Acheron trudged atop the white snow and his boots sunk slightly into the snow covered ground. The swirl of snow brushed past his cheeks and flew past him, not having any affect on him at all. Demons didn't feel the extremes of weather, whether it was blistering heat or freezing cold. Demons could survive in weather that not even nature could survive in and that was one of the things that made them one of the most dangerous races on the Mortal Plane.
He looked around, but he could see nothing but snow for miles and miles. There were some husks of what use to be trees, but had long ago been stripped of any semblance of what they use to be. There were some hills and rocky outcroppings, but they were all covered in snow so they were hard to tell exactly what the rocks were suppose to be. They could've been ruins of some ancient city that he was walking over for all he knew or they could've been just rocks sunk in the snow, he didn't know.
The Chaos Demon halted in his tracks and he allowed the wind to blow around his skin. It felt rather good on his skin and he rather liked being in such a cool environment. The warm air of Dalkia was long behind him and he didn't want to go anytime soon. This was so different from the High Forest which was a warm and muggy climate while this was pure cold. It didn't seem like anything could live in such a land, but he knew that there were sentient creatures here somewhere and he was going to find them. He needed allies and he needed to find Trissieal so this was the next most likely place for him to look.
The Command Assassin walked and he walked fast. He reached out with his aura while he walked, and despite the wind, he was able to reach for miles in all directions, looking for any sentient life. He stopped, frowning when he came across three auras, but there was something wrong there. Two of them had the feeling of power and joy as they stood over the third. The third one had a feeling of fear and it was a heavy emotion that didn't allow for anything inside.
They were several miles ahead of him, and from the looks of things, they were behind one of the rocks in the nearby distance. That was what was hiding them from view, but it couldn't hide them from him senses. He touched the hilt of his broadsword and he debated drawing the weapon, but he didn't do so just yet. It might just be a misunderstanding or a criminal having been caught and he didn't want to break any chances he had of being able to make allies in this area. Decision made, he took off at high speed towards the three individuals and the snow covered cliff in the distance.
Acheron stopped at the side of the cliff and he peered around the edge, taking in the scene beyond. There were two broad shouldered men a few feet ahead of him wearing brown furs and brown leather armor. They had their swords in hand and were chuckling about something unseen. In front of the men, looking scared out of her mind was a girl wearing black furs, but she didn't have any armor and she didn't have any weapons. It was obvious that the girl wasn't a warrior and these two shouldn't be hassling her, but she was kneeling in the snow, looking up at them with fear in her eyes.
She was petite, maybe five foot three or five foot four, and slender. She had long auburn colored hair that fell in a high ponytail to the middle of her back unrestrained and dark blue eyes set in a pale, girlish face. She wore an elbow length black fur top, a black fur skirt that fell to mid thigh, black fur boots that stopped just below her knees, and a black fur cloak that fell to her ankles. The fur cloak was held tight around her to keep out the blistering cold and he could see tears in her eyes, but she was fighting them back so as not to show weakness to the two men holding her hostage.
The Chaos Demon didn't know what to do. On the one hand, he knew that he should go around the corner and defend the woman. On the other hand, he didn't know what the woman had done, if anything, and if she were a criminal, defending her would break any possible alliance. He narrowed his eyes on the two men as they looked at her, and as he watched them, he sensed it suddenly. The overwhelming level of lust coming from the two men was unprofessional and he had a feeling that these two weren't any sort of guard or peacekeepers.
The Command Assassin made a decision and he stepped out from behind the cliff, staring at the two men intently. He knew that his power and the level of his stare would draw their attention, but neither one of them had looked upon him just yet. However, he noted that the blue eyes of the woman was on him and she was staring at him with wide eyes. A little bit of her fear diminished as she looked at him, but he didn't do anything just yet and he stared at the back of the head of the two men, waiting for them to turn around.
He saw the two men shift slightly and they cut their eyes to cast their eyes behind them to see who it was behind them. The two men cursed when they saw him standing there and one of them turned to look at him, straightening his spine as he stared at him. He noted that the Human man held a large battleaxe in his hands and he looked proficient with the weapon. The Chaos Demon stared at the man with eyes devoid of all emotion and he narrowed his eyes on the man, wondering if he would run right then and there, but he didn't move.
"Step away from the girl and you will live." Acheron said in a voice devoid of all emotion and he knew that his voice was as chilly as the Tundra around him. The man shifted and the second man turned to face him, obviously no longer worried about the woman fleeing while they were dealing with the man. It was obvious to Acheron that they were worried about who he was and what he was doing here. He continued to stare at the two Humans and he allowed his thumb to tap against the end of the hilt of his broadsword, making the threat - or promise however you looked at it - clear.
"This is not your business." the other man said, his voice trembling and filled with fear. His eyes cut over to his friend to see if he was going to flee. The man looked ready to run, but he didn't do so yet and because his friend was staying it seemed that he was going to stay as well. The second man held a long spear with a long shaft and a hook on the side of the spear blade. It looked like a very deadly blade, but he wasn't worried about these men. He could sense that they were only Humans and when he was finally killed it wouldn't be Humans to put him down. "Leave us be and we will leave you with your life."
The Chaos Demon stared at the two men, not moving and not going to move. They must've been able to sense that because they shared a look with one another and looked back at him. He reached for the hilt of his broadsword and he drew the weapon. The sound of steel rasping against wood filled the clearing as well as the snow that blew past him and the two men shared another look. He held the blade down by his leg and waited for what the two men would do.
They must have reached a decision because they suddenly raised their weapons and faced him down. There was confidence in their stance and they both looked determined. What they were going to do was something that they needed confidence - maybe even a little bit of arrogance - to do. After all, it wasn't every day that Humans attempted to take on a Demon and win, not that either man knew that he was a Demon. They obviously knew that he was dangerous, but they didn't know what he was or the moment he appeared they would've run for their lives.
The Human on the left, the wielder of the battleaxe, let loose a battle cry and lifted the weapon over his head before rushing him. The Chaos Demon watched with eyes devoid of all emotion and watched him dart straight at him. He was slowed down by the weight of his weapon and had him a bit off balance as he ran across the snow covered ground. The Human swung his battleaxe in a broad sweeping arc and aimed right for his skull. The battleaxe would never hit its mark.
The Command Assassin lifted a hand and caught the battleaxe under the razor sharp, moon shaped blade. The Human stared at him in shock and it was obvious that no one had ever stopped his battleaxe attack before. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and he saw the other Human was rushing him with his spear plunging towards his side. He used his grip on the other Human's battleaxe as he side stepped the spear attack and he sliced the other Human's head off with his partner's battle axe.
He pushed the only alive Human away and the man stumbled back. The Human stared at the corpse of his partner and he could see tears in the man's eyes, but he was pushing back the tears as he looked at him. The human tightened his grip on the battle axe with both hands and he let loose a cry. Then, he rushed the Chaos Demon and swung his great battleaxe once more towards his neck. He watched the axe flying towards him and he knew that if he didn't block the attack he would lose his head. However, he also knew that this Human wouldn't be the one that would kill him.
Acheron lifted his broadsword and blocked the attack of the battleaxe. The Human's eyes widened in surprise as he stared into his eyes and was shocked by the fact that this man could block his attack with such ease. He was holding his broadsword with one hand and was easily holding back the battleaxe. It was at that moment that the Human had to know that he wasn't dealing with an ordinary Human and was in fact dealing with some supernatural being.
Emerald eyes burning, the Chaos Demon put forth a little more force and sent the Human flying across the snow. The man skidded over the snow covered ground for several feet, and when they finally stopped skidding, the man was down on one knee. He was holding his great battleaxe, but the razor sharp blade was down in the snow and it seemed impossible that the man could lift it again. The Human stared at him and shook his head, his mouth opening before closing once more. Then, the man rose to his knees once more and took a firm hold on the shaft of his battleaxe, but he didn't lift the blade.
"You aren't Human." the fur clad man said, shaking his head. His dark eyes were filled with fear, and now that his partner was dead, it was obvious that he didn't hold the same pride as before. It looked like he was ready to run now. There wasn't a single person on earth who wanted to die at the hands of another and obviously his pride wasn't getting the better of him anymore. When it came to fleeing or dying, this Human was obviously being smart about it. He wanted to flee. "What the hell are you?"
"A Demon." Acheron replied even though he knew the question was a rhetorical one. He saw the Human's jaw drop and he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He cut his eyes over and he saw the same expression on the woman's face. She looked just as shocked and horrified by this as the Human man who'd just been giving her problems. She probably believed that she'd escaped from one evil and was now stepping into a whole new evil. Nothing he could do about that now. "A Demon who will cut you to pieces if you ever think to lay a hand on this girl again. Now, leave this place and never return."
The Human man stared at him for a couple of seconds, obviously surprised by the option to flee. He had probably expected that all Demons were evil and all Demons thirsted for blood. While it was true that most Demons would destroy a Human without a second thought, he was not one of those Demons. Suddenly, the Human man regained his composure and he released his weapon before turning around to flee. He watched the Human running across the open white plain, sticking out like a sore thumb in his brown furs and he noted that the Human had been so afraid that he'd left his battleaxe in the snow.
Seeing that the fur-clad Human wasn't going to be any trouble, the Chaos Demon spun his broadsword in a tight circle and sheathed the weapon. Then, he turned and stared upon the Human girl still kneeling in the snow. If there had been fear in her before, it was outright death fright pouring off of her in waves. Obviously, she was afraid of him because of his admission as a Demon and she shared the same assumptions that all being assumed about Demons. That they were evil and that they didn't do anything good without having ulterior motives.
"Who are you and why are you out here?" Acheron asked in a soft voice. She stared at him, her auburn hair blowing behind her in the wind. Her dark blue eyes were wide with fear as she stared at him. However, her eyes were quickly getting back to normal and he could sense the fear in her ratcheting downward. Either she believed that he wasn't going to harm her or she was damn good at hiding her emotions even from herself. He didn't know which it was.
"My name is Diana. I am of the Elk Barbarian Tribe." the woman said in a proud voice. She stared at him with determined eyes and she slowly rose to her feet. Even at her full height, the top of her head only reached to about the middle of his stomach, but she stared up at him with defiance in her dark blue eyes. She obviously wasn't going to back down from him, no matter what he was there for. He had to admire that about this woman. "I got left behind on the travels of my Tribe. We are a nomadic people, and because of how much we travel, they didn't even notice that I'd fallen behind."
The Chaos Demon stared at the woman, wondering if what she said was true. When he'd been the Command Assassin of Dalkia, he'd heard of the many Barbarian Tribes of the Tundra, but he had never had to go into the Tundra so he'd never actually seen one. However, he'd heard the stories of the warring Tribes over land and power. The Tribes hated one another, each and every one was at war with one another. It was an all out war with no allies between tribes and everyone was an enemy. Or at least that was what he'd heard, but he could be wrong.
"I am called Acheron. I'm not going to hurt you if that's what your worried about." the Command Assassin replied in a calm voice. The woman stared up at him, her eyes widening slightly. However, she regained her composure and he noticed that her small hands tightened into small fists at her sides. She was ready to fight if she needed to. That was something that he could appreciate. "If you would allow it, I would like to escort you back to your Tribe. That is, if you know where they are."
The Barbarian stared up at him with disbelief in her eyes. He couldn't say that he blamed her. After all, he was a Demon, and from what she probably knew of Demons, they didn't offer anyone assistance. If they did, it was usually a trick and that was probably running through her mind. Then, she regained her composure and stared at him with calm eyes. It was obvious that she didn't fear him, but he couldn't figure out why this tiny woman wouldn't fear him. He could sense no real power emanating from her so it was obvious to him that she didn't think she could defeat him in a fight, but she was still not backing down from him.
She was a fiery one that was for sure.
"They head west." Diana replied finally. Her voice was calm and carefully devoid of all emotion. She placed her hands on her hips and continued to stare up at him. Then, she turned her gaze away from his face and towards the dead man in the snow. She was obviously running over the fact that he'd so easily killed the man and hadn't had to fight at all to do so. Then, she turned her gaze back to him and her dark blue eyes glowed with no fear in them. "I must warn you that the Elk Tribe might not accept your presence and you could be killed on sight."
"Lead on." Acheron told her with a smile. The woman stared at him for a second, and then, she nodded. The Barbarian turned away from him and she pulled her cloak tightly around her. She walked across the snow covered ground, heading west. He watched her for a moment, the snow falling on the ground as she walked and he had to admit that she was a beautiful woman. Then, he started walking after her and his long foot steps were taking him closer to her, but he still stayed behind her so as not to appear to be threatening her to take her to her Tribe.
He could only hope things would go well.
Diana sat across from the Demon, but she didn't feel any fear when staring at him. She didn't know why she didn't fear him, but she didn't. It was that simple. There was a campfire between the two of them and there were two moles frying over a fire. He had been the one to gather the wood for the fire and hunt the moles for dinner. She hadn't had to do a thing and she found that to be a curious thing also. She was a part of a Barbarian Tribe, and as a Barbarian, she was expected to fight for her own food. Otherwise, she would go hungry. However, it would seem that he didn't hold to that kind of philosophy.
