Demon blood

“Leave us.” Charles sends his guards away.

They relent, still suspicious of the former king William but they obey. William cares for Avilasa’s gardens, he has done so since he was forced to step down six months ago.

“May I?”

“Always an honor to see you brother.”

Charles sits next to William as he cleans the garden area. “I want you to return to Avalyn. I will make you king, we need you.”

“You are a better leader than I.”

“William. You cannot waste away here.”

“I am not.”

“Avilasa will not return.”

“That is not certain. This is her home; this is her garden. I will care for both until she returns.”

Charles stands and grabs William by the collar. “Stop being a coward! If you wish to pity yourself like this then it is best I slay you myself.”

William pushes Charles away. “I forced the woman I love to go through such strife alone! What kind of man cannot keep a promise? I haven’t kept any to you, to her, to the kingdom. If she never returns then that is my fate.”

Charles punches William, sending him crashing to the ground. “You are not William. You have fought have against demon and kin, this is where you fall?”

“If I am only useful with a blade then I will help protect the kingdom. But I am no leader, I am not fit to carry such responsibility.”

“No one is. But it is man like you that carry the weight and move forward with a smile. Or it was. Perhaps it is best you never reunite with Avilasa; I’d pity her is to see you now.”

William rises to his feet, kicking up dirt in his hastened movements, and grabs Charles by the collar. “Do not speak for her.”

“So you can show some life? Say, where is this spark when you look in the mirror?”

“I see the reflection of who I am, not of who you wish me to be.”

“Then you have lost sight of who you were. As you are, I hate you. You abandoned us, and will abandon her next.”

“I did not abandon her! I… I cannot end this war, Charles. I will fail even after countless lifetimes. It must be you. It has to be. I can only hope that she will still accept me when you succeed.”

“She will not.” Charles pushes William’s hands away. “You both are fools. When did it change, William? We fought together but you never shared the weight. Why would you not rely on me? Why would she not rely on you?”

“I don’t know.”

“How unfortunate. There is a battle within a few hours. Should we lose, I ask that you evacuate the kingdom. You are free to do as you wish after.”

“You expect defeat?”

“The future is not a merciful ally.”

After Charles returns to the kingdom, William heads inside of Avilasa’s home. He sits on the table where he has spread old books, those open are old family picture books.

All of his attempts to contact or find Avilasa have failed. Six months with no progress, of worsening relations with the races, William is left with little hope for the future.

“But your words ring true brother. She will not love a coward. Perhaps this is my true nature.”

William flips through a nearby picture book. Pictures of a young Avilasa with her parents fill the pages, marks from tear drops surround many of the pictures stitched inside.

“How adorable. If her parents were here maybe they could have guided us about the rumors.”

Flipping through the pages, pictures of Avilasa’s parents with their gardens fill the earliest entries. Even before the birth of their daughter, their shared love gave birth to beautiful gardens.

“How wonderful…” William stands. “What have I been doing? The answer is so simple.”

Gathering his armor, William leaves for the kingdoms border.

“Lay your arms down human. You are outnumbered and lack the desire for victory.”

Charles stares at the demon commander. His men wait for the order to engage but Charles can no longer find the heart to send his men to die.

His pleas to concede will never be accepted, orders to flee will be ignored. As their king, Charles cannot abandon them after all their courageous efforts that have built the kingdom they wish to protect.

“William will take care of everything even if I am gone.” Charles pulls his sword form the dirt and raises it into the sky, both sides prepare.

“Wait!” William rushes to the center of the battle on his trusty steed. Although an exiled king, he remains a feared warrior.

“William.” Charles breathes a sigh a relief as he lowers his sword.

“Charles, tell your men to stand down. I ask that the demons do the same.”

Both sides retaliate, insulting William and asking what authority he holds over anyone on the battlefield. The battle no longer concerns the man exiled from his own kingdom.

“Very well.” William lands on the ground and unsheathes his sword, but he points it at the humans. “Any human that raises their weapon will be slain by me. Charles.”

“Understood.” Charles raises his hand, an order for all to remain still.

William smiles at his younger brother, a great man who took to the throne running. “I am proud of you Charles. Now then.”

Sheathing his sword, William walks towards the demons.

“Stay back William!” The demon commander yells. “I know of your prowess. Another step and arrows will rain on your head.” After a final warning, the demon commander gives a hesitant order. “Fire at William!”

Arrows pierce William, even through his armor. He continues forward however, making sure to avoid being hit in a vital area. Arrows stick from his body but none have done enough damage to stop the former king from marching forward.

Reaching the demon commanders reach, William speaks. “I ask that you stop this war.”

“That is impossible. We demons are desperate for resources kept from us by the humans.”

“I apologize for this. Stop this now and you have my word to receive help. We’ll even offer you homes in our kingdom so that we can prosper together.”

The demon commander laughs. “I’ve always liked you; your words are filled with sincerity. But how will you convince your brethren.”

William smiles. “With a wedding.”

“William, they have deemed Avilasa a witch who sought to seduce you. They’ll never accept her.”

“I disagree. Charles!”

“Yes!”

“Enact a new law. No war is allowed on fields with flowers.”

“Flowers? It is done then.” Although confused, Charles places his hopes in William.

“Now then, will you bring my fiancée to me?” William sits, pulling out arrows form his body in the meantime.

The demon commander raises his hand to stop the restless murmurs behind him. “Only because you are William. Bring Avilasa! I warn you, if you fail this war will be the end of us both.”

“Then we have nothing to worry about.”

After an hour, Avilasa is brought. She rushes over to William who remains sitting in soil marked by his blood.

“Are you insane!” Avilasa uses her robe to stem William’s bleeding but William embraces her before she can continue.

“I missed you.”

Avilasa pushes him away. “Fool! I have betrayed you! How can you be so foolish?!”

“But you have not. You proved your love for me by revealing yourself to everyone. How could I not love you?”

“I failed to prove it! Even if you are sincere in your emotions for me, I cannot return that gesture. As much I would like to… I failed.”

William grabs Avilasa’s hand. “The rumors of demon blood are common knowledge, but there is a mistake. Love is needed, but not just from demon blood. Your parents worked on their gardens together.”

Avilasa gasps. She wastes no time in cutting her hand. The crowd watches as Avilasa’s blood joins William’s. Only seconds later, flowers grow.

“They grow.” The demon commander mutters.

“Of course they do.” Charles mutters.

Avilasa covers her face as she sobs. “I knew it. I knew I didn’t betray you. I knew I loved you.” Avilasa embraces William, her tears dampening his shoulder as he pulls her closer.

Charles walks up the flower patch that continues to grow around Avilasa and William. “As you can see! My brother was not betrayed, his love for his beautiful woman, and hers for him, paint color to our dull world! Something only possible with the blood of different races. What more can we achieve? What other beauty can we bring to this world? Will you continue to brandish your blades? Or will you choose a world of harmony?”

Both sides remain still. The first to move is the demon commander, he drops his sword and sits inside the flower patch. He looks to Charles, a patch of flowers ready for him to sit.

Charles drops his weapon and joins the demon commander.

“It is time.”

“Yes, at long last.”

The sound of weapons hitting the ground fill the air. The desire to fight long gone, now only admiration for the beauty of color and love springing to life right before them filling their eyes.

Flower petals swim across the kingdom of Avalyn, the largest kingdom in the world. It is a kingdom of unity and peace marked by the endless gardens that surround its fields.

The most beautiful flowers belong to a couple that live in their cottage however.

“How about we start a new plot?” Willaim asked.

“Even we need rest, my love.” Avilasa said. “Although, we could have our little helper care for this one.”

“Perhaps, but only after we return.”

“Hmm, should we take it slow? Our trips become rarer by the month.”

“We’ve filled much of the fields with flowers already, we only have so much blood after all.”

“Yes, and we’re no longer the only couple of our kind.”

“Does it make you sad?”

“No, I think it is wonderful. But I want to make more gardens with you.”

“Then we’ll travel even further then the kingdom’s grounds then.”

“Where shall we go?”

“I’m not sure, let’s ask Syna.”

Avilasa giggles. “That girl shares your endless energy, if we let her decide we may never return.”

“I do not mind so long as you hold my hand, my love.”

“Then prepare to venture into the stars. Syna!”

A young halfling girl rushes from inside the cottage and to where William and Avilasa stand. She shares much of Avilasa’s demon features, but her eyes and hair are William’s “Yes, mom, dad!”

“Sweetie, is there anywhere you would like to go?” Avilasa asked.

“Hmmm, I’d like to see a waterfall!”

“A waterfall? Why not, we haven’t ventured by the waterfalls of the southern hills.”

Only a day later, the family leaves for their destination. Flowers will follow where they go, color returns to the fields as their love grows, their love the catalyst for the peace long desired by the world. 

Thank you for reading ! Until next time. - E.F. Veda