The Demonlord Chronicles

Chapter III – The Darkness of Light
11.
With a loud squeak, the dual door slowly hovered open, reavealing a large hall behind it. Judging by it’s size, even large enough for Rihukan to fly around inside. Ardan figured it was the main part of that strange palace they had entered minutes ago.
For a palace, however, it had been sort of deserted: A large structure of stone, ornamented enough to be a king’s residence... but in the midst of barren wastelands, without any single trace of green...
A voice called Ardan back into the present. “You have come...” The simple tone of the voice made Ardan... stop? It was... There she was standing, back to those who just entered the room, next to a throne-like seat, made of a surprisingly white stone. And Ardan instantly knew she was Xoreyi. And yet...
Her voice had been... plain... soft... warm... Ardan was close to calling it human. And, for being a particulary powerful demoness, Xoreyi was utterly lacking the aura he would have exspected.
Cyraminon and Rihukan appeared to be likewise surprised, only proceeding hesitantly. But given the dragon lowered his head slightly and started to growl, there was no doubt they were facing the right person.
“After all... you have come...” she repeated.
“Yes... mother...” Ardan nearly twitched when he heard how agressively Cyra pronounced that word. He could hear a screeeek and already saw her talons slowly growing from her hands. And he could feel the rage building, not just in her, but in her brother as well.
“Then... he was right after all. Your father predicted you would, regardless of anything I would do, come back at some point.” the demonlord continued. Her voice had taken on a strange, bitter tone. “And he was right, when he said you would aquire the strength to fight me...”
And that’s why you banned us from here! Sealing us in the realm of mortals! Rihukan’s growl became deeper, threatening.
“Yes... but in the end... it was all for nothing...”
Within a mere moment, Ardan could suddenly feel a metal blade lightly piercing against his throat. He blinked in surprise and was calm enough not to make a hasty movement. Slightly angling his head, he could see Ninro standing in between him and Cyra, his arms outsretched, wielding two blades, each of them resting against a throat.
Rihukan let out a surprised whimper and Ardan saw Ronin sitting on his back, a longsword in front of the dragon’s neck, holding it tight against the dragons scales. Ardan cursed himself for believing in what Cyra had said. After all, these twins DID work for Xoreyi! Glancing over to Cyra, he could see her doubting herself, as well. And probably she was cursing herself for being naive, too.
Ardan quickly consideres his options. Technically, hunting down Rihu’s mother was not part of the original plan to save the Wolven race. If he wasn’t fighting for the Wolven’s sake... he couldn’t use Arcing. Well, he could, but he would not break a given promise like those twin demons... Not even if it would cost his life... probably...
Then a doubt rose in Ardan’s mind. May... this was the plan? But what was the use in seemingly taking Cyra and Rihu hostage? Shouldn’t Xoreyi pretty much don’t care about that?
“One move.” “And all three of them will die.” “Unless you surrender your life, Xoreyi.”
A slight shiver ran across Ardan’s back. Assuming the two were actually keeping their promises... this one would mean...
Xoreyi turned around. And Ardan gasped, when he realized the demoness was... crying. “Why did it had to come like this? Was all sacrifice in vain?! He gave his life and I accepted to be a figure of hatred to my own children... and now...”
Hitting Ardan like a truck, he finally realized the truth. It was like a puzzle, finally completed. It explained the loose ends, the strange things Rihukan and Cyraminon had told him: Why should Xoreyi banish and seal them in the realm of mortal, instead of killing them? Because it was the last wish of her husband? But why would she possibly listen to his last will, after killing him? She was a demoness, she for sure wouldn’t be sedimental about such stuff...
The truth was something else. “I see... he understood.” Xoreyi said. “You’re not my son... and yet I can feel his blood in your veins... You’re... Rihukan’s son?”
“Brother.” Ardan answered.
“You’re not his real ancestor... and yet you are the only one realizing the truth. Rihukan... Cyraminon... Your father...”
“YOU KILLED HIM!” Cyra yelled, the blade on her throat cutting slightly deeper, causing a single drip of blood to run down along her neck.
“Yes... to create you two...”
Wha... what?
“He was old... even as a dragon, his time had come... I did the one thing an immortal should never do and that was to fall in love with a mortal... I’ve fought with him, for him... but I couldn’t fight the curse of time.
In the end... we thought of a way how he could live on... I was against it... but he persuaded me. In the end, he was the one who invented the spell, the ritual and who told me what to do with you afterwards... 
I killed him. And I created both of you, from my own essence, his blood and his soul. And you were born, carrying on the legacy of the last dragon. But... as he predicted... you were weak... terribly weak... weaker then any demon. Even with my strength, I wouldn’t be able to protect you.
He told me beforehand, the only way to have you live... was to seal you in the realm of mortals, for you to grow and gain power, like any mortal being does. And to prevent you from coming back before you were strong enough... I altered your memories, implanting those of your father and how I killed him. Did you never ask yourself why all memories of this realm felt foreign to you? Why they were full of holes and errors?
In the end... everything went as he predicted. Up to the last piece. You gained strength, fuelled by hatred and lusting for revenge. He knew, focussed on that goal... you would not come back until you would have a strength surpassing mine. A strength to kill me... and to protect yourselves, in this realm.
And yet... you threw all that away... by trusting these two...”
Ardan could hear the twins starting to chuckle sinister. “The plan is easy.” “Wait for the half-breeds to return.” “Take them hostage.” “Slay the demonlord Xoreyi.” “And become demonlords ourselves!”
“You...” Cyra started, still visibly confused by what she was just told.
I... I always knew something was... wrong... but this...
“Make your choice, Xoreyi.” “Promise not to fight us.” “Or your children will die.” “If you surrender, we will not harm them, unless they attack us.” “And whether they do, is out of our hands.”
Ardan realized it. “Damn. They have beat us... They were never lieing... and yet they never said the full truth, either. They told us they had a plan. They told us, they intended to kill Xoreyi... but... they did not mention the truth behind all this...”
“Smart youngling.” “Do not try to fight us. And we can let you live.” “You will be a good demon, someday...”
“M-Mother...” Cyra stuttered. “I... I...”
“It’s alright, Cyraminon... You couldn’t know... It was our fault for not considering this...” Xoreyi said, her voice warm and calming. “But... at least I was capable to reveal the truth to you, after all these years... and may you will be able to forgive me... and not keep me in your mind as a person of hatred...”
The demonlord stepped forth, spreading her arms. “I promise not to defend myself, nor attack either of you, if you keep your word and don’t attack either of these three...”
No! “Mother!”
Within a split second, the twin demons lunged forwards, right towards Xoreyi.
“... who defeated me with the one weakness I permitted myself to have.”
The demoness closed her eyes.
And the blades struck, chopping off her head in a single, clean cut.