The Demonlord Chronicles

Chapter III – The Darkness of Light
27.
Teykheim. Guan. Benel. Azael and Ritame were wounded or about to be wounded, as well.
But as he felt how their presences vanished from the mortal realm, he as well catched a last, stray thought: ‘It’s not Ardan’
“Lord Ogadana! It’s Lady Hiopa in company of a demon. She says there’s a message for you.” a guard yelled from the other side of the large, golden metal door.
Opening his eyes, Ogadana raised from the throne he had been resting on, the largests in the hall of the circle. “Let them in!” He commanded, his voice simple, yet loud enough to fill the entire room.
The large door opened just a bit and the guard angel entered, followed by Hiopa and a figure hidden below a cloak. Though it’s dark leather and the red insignia’s ornamenting it said well enough about the person hiding below the hood.
With a grim smile, Ogadana said: “I see... you may leave us alone.” The guard nodded and quickly left the room. “Well then... Ardan Flamehearted... you have a message for me?”
A low chuckle sounded, then Ardan reached for the hood, striping it off his head, revealing his scaled face to the leader of angels. “No. Hiopa has a message for you. And this message is me.”
“Even now, you go unnecessary ways just to hold up your ideal of ‘honor’, don’t you? A messenger, even a demonic one, is permitted to enter the realm of angels, as long as he swears not to fight. But if you’re not the messager, you don’t feel bound by that promise...” the angel concluded, stepping of the platform his throne was standing on.
Striping off the leather cloak as well, throwing it off, Ardan reached for his bone dagger, drawing the weapon, response enough.
“And you probably realize I would not just surrender, even if you beat all of my generals and leaders and simply intend to kill me...” Ogadana continued, gesturing around, as he approached Ardan. “There’s one thing, though, which I don’t understand: Why, Hiopa? I didn’t think you would be disloyal to me... and don’t tell me you’ve been tricked or something like that...”
Her voice still soft and clear, the female angel answered. “No, Ogadana... I’ve not been tricked... I’m the only one amongst all of our race who hasn’t...”
Ogadana stopped progressing and lifted an eyebrow. “What exactly do you mean by that?”
Ardan chuckled. “We know it. We both know it. I have always suspected something to be strange about all this. About the actions the angels took. The way they were going to cause a war amongst the mortals.
Light itself turned to darkness, justice became mayhem and angels behaved like demons. I’ve wondered, since weeks, where that came from... Now I know... You are the source, Ogadana... Or should I rather say: Zuul, master of illusions?”
Laughter sounded, filling the room as whole, growing deeper and more sinister by the second. It was Ogadana. “Oh my... after all these centurys... Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.” He flipped and suddenly his shape appeared to shatter like the pieces of a mirror, revealing a new form:
A black demon, standing up three meters high, his skin appearing to be shadow itself, yet appearing to shine in the light of the large circular room’s torches. His form was mostly humanoid, though his shoulders appeared unnaturally wide, spikes emerging from the shoulder’s ends. As well two horns came from the front of his head, running sidewards long his head and angling upwards further behind.
“I’ve always thought you were a mediocre seeress, Hiopa... opposed to your sister, who could predict everything happening in the three realms... But for you to be the only one to see through my disguise...” The demon chuckled with a dark voice, staring at his hands. “I’ve hidden myself way too long...
Long, centurys, ago, I once was a weak demon, like anyone. But I fought wisely, picked opponents I could beat and grew stronger. Somewhen, I challenged one of the twelve demonlords and used his arrogance to kill him when he thought to have finished me. And from there, my power grew even more and mere months later, I was the one leading the demons as whole, accumulating more and more power...
But then a young and, no doubt, brave demon showed up, his name was Ord. And after becoming a demonlord himself, he managed to unite the other ten against me, persuading them into the thought of me being way too dangerous...
I could probably have won the fight... Maybe not... But I decided I wouldn’t achieve anything by fighting them at that point... Instead, I gave up half of my strength, using it as a decoy whilst creating the illusion of my own deaths...
I travelled to the realm of mortals, where I incorporated a manic priest. I ensured to create enough rumors to even draw the angels attention... They send someone to take care of me, as I was causing more and more fanatism across the human religions... and I slaughtered the angel, taking on his identity. I became Ogadana.
Across the course of centurys, I rose in the rows of angels. They are arrogant and blind... Even without my abilties they may wouldn’t have noticed me. It wasn’t hard to cause ‘strange disappearances’, as I devoured more and more of them, restoring myself to my old strength and beyond.
And somewhen I decided to take the lead and created the illusion of a godly light, blessing a choosen prophet, the angel Ogadana, electing him to the new leader of light, a figure even above the circle of light.
Everything was running great... but then Hiopei, Hiopa’s sister, had the vision of a puny mortal, who would, somehow, become a threat... And I sent an angel to deal with him... but he survived... Hiopei forsaw he was heading for a specific other demoness, called Cyraminon, long ago sealed in the realm of mortals... And I sent three experienced fighters to kill her before he could reach her...
But instead he killed all three of them... and now he managed to have his comrades beat up the leaders of my army and stands in front of me:
Ardan Flamehearted.” Zuul ended his long speach.
“Why do you tell me all this?” Ardan asked curiously.
“Oh well... I don’t know for sure... Maybe I just felt like talking about the truth after all these centurys of lies and illusions... My abilitiy is interesting and highly useful... but if you forget about it only being an illusion, it somewhen becomes truth. It feels good to talk about the past, remembering all those details...” Zuul answered, rubbing across his chin.
Shaking his head slightly, Ardan raised his bone dagger. “Well then, are you ready to fight?”
“You really want to pull this off?” the demon held out a hand towards Ardan. “Why don’t you just join me as my follower? We are probably the two strongest immortals across all planes... If you follow my orders, we can errect a kingdom beyond the borders of the realms. A place where I rule, where we both make up the rules for everyone to live. Wouldn’t that be something you’ve always desired?”
Ardan looked down upon the ground. “Even if you were not the master of lies, I wouldn’t accept your offer. Yes, I once desired that... hunted after the same dream many demons did: Aquiring power to create a world to your own liking... But, by now, I realized that this wish of mine is already granted: If I slay you and reveal your identidy to your previous followers, they will realize their mistakes. The angels will withdraw and may we can even erect an eternal peace. The balance will be restored and the realms will florish again!”

“Yes... yes...” Zuul nodded. “I see your point and yes, that would be a valid way of accomplishing your dream... Though, I see a small flaw in your logic: You won’t be able to slay me. I’m the master of lies and illusions... but you can trust me if I say my offer is meant honestly. And as well, I’m serious about the ‘you can’t kill me’ part. You’re strong. As a demon and as an immortal. But yet you’re no match to the power I’ve accumulated across the course of centurys. Realize that and forfeit now, Ardan... or your life and that of everyone you hold dear will be in vain...
I think there is this one mortal you’ve fallen in love with... If you join me, I will promise not to harm her or any other mortal you know or like... However, if you insist on fighting me... you will die... and I will force her to live on a cruel, long, pained life, always aware of your demise... actually I imagine something similar to how her sister”
A burst of fire brushed right past Zuul, who had quickly dodged sidewards.
“You. Will not. Harm. Srazih!” Ardan stated, every single of his words with the weight of a given fact. “And as well...
...you will die!”