The Demonlord Chronicles

Chapter III – The Darkness of Light
24.
“Good, ol’ home...” Hemlat sighed contently, leaning onto his weapon, overseeing the snow-covered plains below the hill they were standing on.
“Gah!” Myra was walking on the spot, trying to warm herself up. “I can feel the freezing winter bite through my fur! I can’t remember the last time I’ve actually been cold...”
“Hah, only real men can survive the cold of the high north! And keep in mind, we don’t even have a fur!” Hemlat said, starting to laugh.
Suddenly both of them started to feel uncomfortable, the cold appearing to increase steadyly, when suddenly a voice behind them said. “Puny mortals... calling this cold... Shall I show you the real cold? Temperatures at which your very skin turns into ice, falling off your flesh, whilst youd blood becomes tick, slowly freezing, piercing through your veins and...”
“Teyrim!” Ardan yelled harshly. “Toy with the angels, not with those willing to help us, even if they aren’t demons.” Tyrim, a strange figure consisting of a bare skeleton encased in ice instead of flesh, chuckled lowly, before returning to a group of demons. Ardan moved over to his two friends. “I’m sorry... but given he is a demonlord, I can’t exactly order him to stay off you and the others...”
Myra wave aside and said: “You know, he’s probably just like that becasue he’s got noone to warm his heart...” Hemlat started chuckling audibly whilst Ardan frowned at the terrible pun. “But honestly, why here and not somewhere else? I mean, there are large deserts in the western area of Dania, aren’t there? Why do we need to fight here?!”
“It was the angels choice. I insisted on a plain area, bare of cover, far off any mortal settlements. They dictated the exact place, this northern tundra. I’m glad they accepted my proposal in first place... It seems they actually are after me...”
“I still don’t like the way this war is fought...” Hemlat lamented. “You step through a some strang purple whirl, find yourself at an entirely different place... You send messengers to your enemy, negotiating the field of battle...”
Ardan smiled weakly. “It’s the way immortals fight. Only angels can open a portal to heaven and only demons can open portals to hell... it’s impossible for either side to attack the other at their home stead. That’s why, since millenia, fights between angels and demons are fought in the realm of mortals, usually at desolate places like this one. It will be a fair, straight-out fight....”
Turning around, Ardan looked down upon the crowd of demons gathered around the hill. It was strange to be here, as demonlord, commanding an army of immortal bloodthirsty beings. But it had been Ord’s explicit wish that Ardan would command it. The demonic Draken couldn’t but chuckle at his fate... born as a simple mortal, on a desolate hill in a small hut... and now he was here, as a demonlord, commanding the dark side in a battle between light and darkness, on a desolate hill again... Fate and irony... always entwined...

Ardan... it’s time... come to me...
Ardan blinked, awakening from the sleep-like trance he had been in. Though his body definitely wouldn’t need sleep, he didn’t mind relaxing his mind like that. But usually he wasn’t having dreams like this, yet he was sure to have heard a voice.
Looking at the wide, snowy plains, now lightly illuminated by moon alone, Ardan noticed a small sparkle, a glimpse of light. When he turned his head, he saw that light disappearing into something that appeared to be a small group of trees, next to a few rocks the only change in the monotone tundra.
He couldn’t but feel bothered by the thought of some light, probably a lone demon, sneaking around and decided to bother checking it. Noone asked or followed him when he made his way down the hill and towards the trees, his legs easyly cutting a path into the snow.
When he arrived, three minutes later, at the small grove, he saw it were merely six trees surrounding a clearing of not even two meters diameter. And empty clearing. He turned around, already stepping forth to return to his army, when he suddenly saw the figure standing in front of him.
In an instant, his talons shot forth from his claws and Ardan backed up, taking a defensive stance in case the angel was going to attack right away. Of course she could be another messenger… but why would she show up at night, in all secrecy?
The angel, a women with long, white hair, wasn’t wearing any sort of visible armor or weaponry, merely a ornamented robe, giving Ardan enough hints to consider the possibility of her being a dangerous spellcaster. However, she did not move as much as a finger, simply standing there.
“Who are you?” Ardan asked, still extremely careful. “And what do you want?”
When she answered, her voice appeared to be bright and clear, resembling the star-covered, nightly sky. “My name is Hiopa. Don’t worry, Ardan Flamehearted, as I’ve come without malicious intent.”
Unsure how to react, Ardan lowered his threatening claws, but yet remained at distance, still suspecting foul play. “Then what do you want? Do you have a message for me?”
“I want to talk to you. For the first time, after watching you for many years... The time has come for us to meet face-to-face, finally.” There was a strange, pained glare in her eyes. “I wish this meeting could have happened sooner... But I could not permit myself to put my personal interest above the plan devised by fate itself. Ardan... Ajan...”
“How... How do you know the name of the human I was created from?”
The angel smiled gently. “Because I’ve been there when it happened, when you were born as a demon... Actually, I’ve been with you from much earlier... You should know, I’m a seeress... and that time, centurys ago, I had my first vision. I foresaw chaos, doom to everything, mortals and immortals alike. And the vision told me how I could prevent this from happening... And I acted.
I seeked out Serrukran, the last remaining dragon on Daina. I told him things I have seen about his previous life in my visions and I told him about the part he had to play. I sent him to a cult ritual of a human tribe who worshipped a demon. He ambushed the demon, destroying him and used the demon’s portal to break into hell... there, he met Xoreyi and, whilst I merely told him to cooperate with her, the two actually fell in love.
Time passed... and the plan proceeded, Rihukan and Cyraminon were born from the essence of Serrukan. As he had asked Xoreyi to, she sealed both of them in the realm of mortals. Rihukan was sealed into a statue in the west, forced to fulfill the wishes of anyone accidentally passing by. Cyraminon was transformed into a stone, her abilites sealed, forcing her to remain like that for years.
Then I waited, for a specific human to be born. I guided him on his travels, appearing to him in his dreams and giving him advice. And he became a known adventurer. When I was sure he was of good heart, I sent him to Rihukan. It was there, when the half-demon saw a chance to break free... and sealed himself into the future off-spring of that man, abusing the wish to be protected from dark magic.
Ajan was born, imbued with the essence of Rihukan. I manipulated Zerestral, a mage known for his sealcasting, a friend of your father. He didn’t realize my influence, but simply desired to visit his old friend... and he found you, cursed with Rihukan’s presence and cast a seal upon you.

I followed your steps, most of them, watched over you when you meet the Wolven Srazih and the warrior Hemlat. I watched you fight your way through foes and obstacles, your body more and more loosing it’s human shape. And I was there, seeing how you were reborn as immortal.
It was a pain to see Rihukan torturing your innocent mind, but I knew it was necessary. You accepted your demonic new life and fell in love with Saraneozehi. Everything proceedes as the vision had revealed to me.
Travelling into the southern jungles, I once more intervened, sending a vision to a Wolven seeress, called Inminkathia. It pained me to have her sacrifice herself... even though I knew it couldn’t be done otherwise. You met Myrahathika, were accepted into the village. You learned from them, cheered with them... and fought for them.
You freed Cyraminon from her seal and all three of you travelled to the realm of demons...
I don’t know what exactly happened there, I only know it went accordingly. You returned as a demonlord, with more power then ever before, as well posessing the powers of Seraphim and Gaia. You expelled the human army from the jungle and chased off the angelic scouts.
And now... the last step of the great plan is approaching. The one, last fight.
Ardan, I’m here to lead you. Will you follow me?”