Chapter 26: A Tale of Terrors

It’s day three of our voyage and I’m feeling much more steady on the sea. I haven't had much choice but to adapt since Camilla hasn't slowed down on my training either. Every morning, I’m carrying cannonballs up and down the deck, hoisting soaking wet rope up and down the masts, and even pulling the anchor chain as it trails behind us in the sea. It is getting a bit easier I’ll say. I’m getting stronger, faster. We just finished sparring and I was able to dodge a couple hits there, still haven't landed any hits but these things take time I guess. After I finish my cooldown, Camilla beckons me over.

“You’ve been doing well. I’m surprised how quickly you're adapting to the routine!”

Yeah, we can thank the suit’s regenerative power for that. It still takes about 10 hours and hurts like hell but my body is able to slowly bounce back from this hellish training faster than normal.

“We can't just train your body though, we also have to strengthen that mind of yours. Knowledge is the most valuable tool on the battlefield. Tell me, what do you know of the demon race?” She asks, wiping sweat from her chest.

I recite what little knowledge I have. “Hmm, well I know they're the bad guys. They’ve been at war with humans on and off for a few thousand years and their leader is the demon king Rojan.”

“That is all true but do you know why we’ve been at war with them? Or where Rojan came from? Can you tell me the difference between an elder demon and a Demon Lord?”

“Uhhh, one of them is… elderly?” I guess.

Camilla chuckles softly. “You have committed yourself to a war against a powerful foe. Don’t believe for one second that martial power alone will see you through. You must know your enemy better than they know themselves. Exploit their weaknesses, create unfavorable situations for them, break them apart from the inside out.”

This all sounds pretty intense so I grab a barrel and sit as Camilla proceeds to explain the finer details of demon kind.

“For now we’ll start with the basics. Demons are divided by a hierarchy. At the top of course is the demon king. Just below him are the elder demons or ‘princes’ as they call themselves. They rule over demonkind as their aristocracy. Next down the list are the generals, then the lords and then the knights. All of these are considered ‘titled’ demons and the weakest of these is equal to an army of a hundred men. A titled demon can be recognized by their signature long red hair and coal black eyes. Serving under them are the dark soldiers and lesser demons, both still very dangerous but manageable for a trained adventurer. Last but not least are nightmare beasts. These creatures are mindless engines of destruction. Natural forms broken and twisted into monstrosities. A nightmare beast is very easy to recognize so I won’t bother explaining further.

“Now, with that covered, I’ll tell you the origins of the demon kingdom and Rojan himself.

Many thousands of years ago, before the first men and beasts walked the earth, there was the Land and there were gods who tread upon it. These beings were not like you and me, but primal and made of purer parts of reality. Some of them were thinkers, some were builders, some were leaders, but one was a schemer. This god’s name was sealed long ago, we simply refer to him as the Destroyer. Through his greed and pride, he brought about a terrible conflict among his brethren. Though much of what happened is not known, we do know many gods died as a result.

The Destroyer created mountainous chaotic creatures known as terrors that would worship him and add to his strength, so in response, the Gods of Mercy, Judgment, Wisdom, Power, and Death created their own beings. One of these groups of beings were humans. Unfortunately, the other gods had taken all the claws and fangs for their creations so we were left naked and unprotected against the horde. That is until, the gods gifted us the dawn relics.

There were a countless number of them in the beginning, enough for each human to wield one and they all had different purposes. Some made you stronger, some made you faster, and some even augmented your magic ability to spectacular levels. It was with these tools, that the first of our kind laid claim to the land. The Destroyer was defeated and locked beneath it along with his terrors using most of the more powerful relics to build their prison. The gods left the land to us to do with it as we saw fit and took up their thrones among the stars.”

I find myself completely enthralled with the story. It would be easy to dismiss as fiction if not for the fact that I own one of these dawn relics now. I listen intently as Camilla continues her lecture.

“Three thousand years ago, The Destroyer finally found a way to reshape the soul of one of his terrors. He transformed it down into something else entirely and that creature was able to slip through the bars of their prison. The Destroyer names this creation Rojan The Demon King. After escaping, Rojan set about freeing his master and brethren as well. Taking a small piece of himself, he was able to inflict a curse upon the first humans he came across. It amplified their fear and hatred and the ones who succumbed to it became the first elder demons.

He and his minions set upon the land like a plague, creating horrible beasts and lesser demons with their black magic. They were able to conquer many territories and topple magnificent kingdoms in mere days. Rojan’s power was unmatched, more or less a god unto himself. It wasn't until an alliance was formed among the races that we were able to halt the onslaught. The first heroes, a group of warriors and mages fought their way to the demon king’s castle and slew him. It is these heroes that we base our class system off to this very day.”

I raise my hand to interject. “Sorry, shouldn’t that be the end of the story? I mean, you said they killed him right?”

“I did, but death doesn’t mean the same thing to all beings. Rojan must be killed with a Dawn Relic, otherwise his soul will live on. It was the intent of the heroes to finish him off in this way but at the very last moment, one of Rojan’s minions shot him through the heart. His soul left his body and was allowed to roam our world as a spectre and regain strength for the past three thousand years. The Rojan we face is one that has haunted humanity for thousands of years. He has watched our every move, learned our strategies, how we make war and he has learned to do it better. If we ever hope to defeat him again, we will need to evolve both physically and mentally.”

I nod somberly. “I think I’m starting to get it. The demon king won't be defeated by anything but the best we have. We need new ideas, new strategies.”

“Exactly right!” Camilla pats me on the shoulder.

“Do you know of any weaknesses we can exploit?” I ask.

Camilla taps her chin thoughtfully. “Outside of holy magic, there isn't a whole lot. They aren't big fans of lightning either but that's about all. It is important to note that higher tier demons have quite good fire resistance.”

“Ah crap! That’s bad luck for Rina then!” I exclaim.

Camilla gives me a confused look followed by a sudden realization. “Oh you must be unfamiliar with elves as well.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“It’s not fully understood why but elven magics, specifically spells from the elves of the wildfire clan like Rina, are extremely dangerous to demons. That’s why the demon king laid waste to their homeland and had them wiped out.”

Wiped out?

The new knowledge washes over me in a sickening wave. Just when I think I understand the depths of Rojan’s cruelty, I find myself sinking deeper into it. He stole Rina’s home, killed her family… How did she live through something so horrific? I don’t think I could ever have survived something like that. My heart swells with pain for her. I wish there was something I could do.

Without warning, the sound of a bell echoes across the deck. I whip around to see the crew all running to their stations.

“Ready the cannons!” One of them shouts.

Kizzik drops from where they were hanging in the crows nest.

“This should be fun!” They say with a big grin.

“What should be? What’s going on?”

They rush off to their quarters but not before shouting something I really was hoping not to hear.

“Pirates!”