Chapter 441: The Past: Devan Part 4

Brick by brick, the walls of a massive city were built. A single man worked day and night to build a city where only the dead could come and go as they pleased. Each building was painstakingly built by hand. He carried lumber rocks and everything else needed to build the city from all over. In this ink dyed land, no one ever walked by, so no one knew of the feat he was currently accomplishing. Devan never slept. Sleeping only allowed him to dream of those he yearned to see again. Like a machine, without any will of his own, he did nothing but build and build. 

After almost one hundred years of work, the city was finally complete. Above the huge main gates, a warning was written "Those of the living heed the rules of the dead. Once you enter, leave your soul behind." This warning was placed due to the runes Devan had carved into each stone and lumber used to build this city. It would not allow anyone but those with his blood and the undead in and out. If someone of the living entered, they would not be allowed to leave, they would be stuck there until they passed away. 

For one hundred more years, this city only had a single occupant. But the saying: if you build it, they will come, was very true. It took one hundred years, but one day an undead man who was wandering around stumbled upon the city. Out of curiosity, he entered and began to roam around. When he saw that a city that looked brand new was completely empty, made him very confused. 

He made his way to the castle and into the throne room. When he passed through the doors, he found a man sitting there propping his head up, staring off into space. "Ah, I am sorry. I did not know anyone else was here. I will take my leave."

Devan turned his eyes to the man who was about to leave and said: "Wait..."

The man paused his steps and turned back around. "Yes? Is there something I can help you with?"

"You an undead, right?" Devan asked.

"I prefer to be called a lich since I am not a mindless zombie. But yes, I am no longer alive." The man replied.

"Then, will you help populate this city? Bring more of your kind here? I built this city for those who were no longer alive. A safe haven for the undead." Devan had no intentions of searching for undead to come to his city, but since one showed up, he figured he could ask them for help.

"A city for the dead… A city of the dead… A place where we will be able to live normal lives once again instead of always wandering around… Hmmm.. This is intriguing.  Yes, I will help. My name is Keniil. From this day forward, I will swear my loyalty to you as long as you keep your promise that this is a city where the dead can live in peace." Keniil had no other place to go and was always wandering around. The living would always attack him if he was to show his face. Now that he was given a chance to live in a city made for the dead, he could not pass it up.

"I will never break my promise. This place will only allow the dead to exit and enter, but the living can only leave once they are dead. You can do as you please..." Devan's choice to ask Keniil for help on this day would bring about a new kingdom of the dead. 

Year after year, Keniil brought back more liches. He even created a spell that would use the death element in the air to create new liches. This brought on a boom of new citizens for the city Devan built. 

---

"Still reading?" Creige asked as he sat down next to Angelica.

"Mmm… Handsome Papa... Devan, is he?" Angelica was not sure if her assumption was right or not, but when she asked this question and saw the sadness in her father's eyes, she knew her answer.

"Mmmm… These detailed accounts of Devan's life were written by the people I had taken care of him. He was my son and your brother. Sadly, I never got to be a father to him, and I wished the ones I sent to take care of Devan did not execute my orders to the letter. Otherwise, maybe  just maybe he would still be alive.." Creige sat back in this chair and closed his eyes.  He knew one day he had to tell Kana about this, but he was not sure how he was going to explain things. He wondered if he should just wait until her memories returned. But he felt this would not happen until she reached the sea of stars.

"Oh… Then I will keep reading… I want to know more about mama, you, and my brother..."  Angelica could see the look of regret in her father's eyes. She wondered if he wished he could go back and do it all over again. Would he still care about her mama? Would he want to do things differently? She had many questions, but she was afraid to ask them.

---

Devan's city of the dead was brimming with life despite the fact that there was only one single living being within the city walls. But Devan seemed to be cursed. A great war broke out right on his doorsteps where gods and devils were fighting it out. The world around the city was on the brink of collapse. "Your majesty, what do we do?"

"Keniil, I will use my body to become a source of energy. Create a barrier around the city and then evacuate. "  Devan would not let everyone perish. 

"Then your majesty, what about you? We Liches owe you our current way of life. You allowed us to have normal lives again." Keniil did not want to leave Devan behind!

"Just do as I said. Only by you listening can the lich leave this place and start a new."