Chapter 100 - Ninety-Six

Or should I say… that I 'try' to call upon my fire army.

But he acts first.

Not with a physical attack like one would expect, but with a smooth casual mannerism that I, with my eyes closed and still confused mind, am unaware that his attention was on me nor do I notice when he walks up closer until it was too late.

And that's when, at the same time that I decided to call upon my army, that he takes off the cloth over my head, revealing my ears and hair and exposing my crystal, who was directly stared at by him.

"'Lower your hands'"

The effect was immediate as my hands drop from my eyes and I'm unable to move, to react, to gaze away from his pure blue-sky eyes.

He smiles then, crooking his head to the side in a cute way, bringing forth his plump lips even more.

"Ahh, The Terror is here, is such a great surprise to meet you once more so soon, I did not think that we would meet again so quicky… But don't misunderstand, it is my greatest delight to see you once more, though I have to say I'm questioning some circ.u.mstances of it…" He says after a quick look at my outfit.

"Haha, I'm kidding, I'm kidding, 'you can relax'."

I immediately feel my body relax, my shoulders drop and the tension on the muscles of my back leave as I simply 'obey'.

And I'm left conflicted by liking and hating the sensation of it.

Tthe worst part is that I knew it was forced, that I knew that this liking and relaxing sensations were involuntary, comanded upon me by his magic.

Yet like alcohol it didn't matter that I knew, as long as I keep consuming, being overcome by it, it kept having an effect over me, almost like a physical reaction.

"How about a little walk Thilgon? This place is a little too crowded…" He says after enlacing my arm with his, guiding me out and leaving all the others behind without a care, for he knew it wouldn't matter.

They were under his charms the moment he wanted it to be that way.

He starts walking under the moonlight and fresh air of the night, passing over the many gardens this place held.

"I knew I was certain about you, you know? I have conquered many kingdoms and kings already, many… important people, and yet you are the first one to notice what I'm up to, and that quickly even! I'm impressed!"

For a moment only the sound of our steps could be heard as I tried none stop to break free; but it was a subtle, small part of me that manage to try, almost as if… he took away the basic wish to break free, almost as if he tried to make me 'want' to be under his command.

"But tell me more about you, I'm curious to hear more…'You can speak freely.'"

We pass under an arch of leaves, walking over the stone path and not being questioned by anyone, or rather, there was no one on this side of the temple, like they were deliberately told not to meddle here.

"Speak freely? Then how about you stop with your little act of good guy and stop trying to control my mind?" I say, annoyed by his little act, trying to look all kind and gentle while keeping an invisible hand over my mind, trying to control it as if managing invisible strings.

The only good part about that is that my resistance keeps increasing, though there was a limit to how much it could grow all at once.

For a second I can see his eye twitch at my blunt answer, but he is quick to overcome it with a smile and say: "Alright, it is indeed an impolite thing to do, but I only ask that you… stay and talk with me. How does that sound?"

"Alright." I say, knowing that it would give me a chance to escape if needed be, though I cannot deny that I was rather… curious about his intentions and what he had to say.

I need to learn more about my enemy.

He lets go of my arm and walks over to a tree with a thick trunk bent over the path, looking like a big bonsai, and sits down on a bench under it and crosses his legs, suddenly letting go of his control and making me dizzy, almost… longing for it?

The sensation of having him in my mind was somewhat addictive… which was really dangerous, like a drug, like a forbidden fruit that calls to you in an almost painful need.

"Let's start this again then Terror, my name is Cain and I'm the king of Rotherhithe, an island southwest from here." He waits, as if wanting me to say something, but I only shrug.

"You already know who I'm, so cut the bullshit and answer me, are you the one who kidnapped my brother? Where is he?" I ask, clenching my teeth and hand, feeling all the anger I suppressed these pass days wanting to surge back up.

He keeps smiling, patiently, looking over the plants surrounding us as he stands, talking while he walks back and forth in an elegant manner.

"It wasn't me, but it was under my orders, yes… and he is not here."

"Where is he then?" I ask over his words, not giving him time to say anything anymore.

And of course, he doesn't like my tone of voice.

"You are in no position to threaten me, Terror."

"And you are in no position to tell me what to do."

He stares me down for a while, analyzing me with his big eyes, as if trying to read me like a book, as he smiles once more, a plan probably formed in his mind.

"Such strong-willed you are, troublesome indeed… but I've always liked a challenge…" He says under his breath, looking around then back to me as he continues:

"That's where you are wrong Terror, I hold something very dear to you and I can and will, if need be, control you. But…I think we do not need to reach such measures." He says while approaching me and reaching up to touch my hair, making me take a step back and growl.

"Such a beautiful crystal you have there…" He says, going back and forth in his analyses and words, as if separated parts of his mind were doing both at the same time; watching me and trying to convince me.

But convincing me of what I was still unaware of.

"We don't need to be enemies, Thilgon, I know and apologize for the fact that I had to take your brother away, but what other way would I have to have your attention?"

"Maybe you should have tried talking first." I say, ironically.

"Yes… but now I am, and I'm here to fix that mistake. I want us to work together. We 'want' the same thing. Peace. For our kin."

Our kin? I frown, and he truly smiles now, knowing that he had my attention if that.

He nods, continuing: "I'm not human, as you may have noticed. I'm a demon Lord and King to my kind. And you are a magical creature." He states, looking at my ears that were exposed together with my crystal. "A powerful one at that. Together we would be invincible, nobody would be able to question us."

"Is that what you want? Control? Power? You said so yourself, you already have kingdoms under your command, what more would you want?"

"There is never too much of both." He simply says, but I feel that there was more to it than he was letting me know.

That time I was the one to confront him, getting closer and staring him down. "What are you up to Cain? What do you really want? You wouldn't go to such measures for only peace. Is it power? Money? To do what?"

"I want everything." He says as if is normal, natural even, and it makes me realize how crazy he truly is, to think that he could have everything; no, that he deserved it all, as if it was totally natural for him to have it all, like the day cycles, something unquestionable, something bound to happen.

"You are crazy."

"Am I? And how else would we achieve peace, my dear Terror? You yourself are no better than I, you put the need of your kind first, even if it means changing the ties of a war, because you know that that is the only way. Have you ever thought of talking with the humans about it? Laws, freedom, none would matter, the only way was by imposing yourself, your wish, upon them. Tell me, Thilgon, how different are you really from me to call me crazy? I am, at least, very clear about my wants, and prepared for what I need to do to achieve that. What about you?"

That comparison takes me off guard and I don't know what to answer; but disagree with him only out of anger, only because I knew he wanted to convince me, which simply created an aversion to anything he said, even if it sounded remotely reasonable.

"So that's it? You simply want to control everybody?"

"Not everybody, the leaders is already enough. But how about it Terror? How about joining me? Not under me, but at my side? We could achieve so much more! Imagine! We could keep our kind safe, all of it, from the humans! No more wars, no more enslaved creatures, can you imagine that?" He says as his eyes truly glim with passion, a feverish light that makes me back out.

"That is a naïve dream."

"Is it?"

"Then tell me, if I say no, if anyone disagrees, what are you going to do? You cannot think that everybody will be ok with that."

"Oh, of course that will be resistance, I'm sure of it, but I have ways to deal with that…"

We stare each other down, knowing that this conversation was turning less friendly by the second as I ask:

"Even for myself?"

"Well, why do you think I have your brother now? But seems like that alone wasn't enough was it…? Perhaps I will need more to convince you…" He says, and for the first time lets his annoyance show, with something else… enjoyment?

This was all a game to him, I finally realize, and he was certain that he would win.

The only question it was how much fun was he having; how challenging it was, as he said.

That cold vision makes me suppress a shiver that wanted to run down my spine for how little consideration he had for others lives.

We were all paws under his fingertips.

"No."

"What?"

"I will not serve you, never, not in this life, nor any other that may come, and I would rather die than have you as a companion!"

I see for the first time a scowl rise on his beautiful face, giving him an ugly expression as he says:

"Very well, then you don't give me another choice; you will serve me, even if it's the hard way."

As the words come out of his mouth I can feel he is about to take over my mind so I quickly close my eyes.

That's when the shadows around us move and suddenly two erupt of the ground and attack him.