A Darker Shade of Sorcery - - (leveled readers .txt) 📗

Vanderain’s brow furrowed faintly and his smile retreated. “None of the Venators were harmed seriously. There are two dozen injured Realmers in our infirmary, but they shall make full recoveries. It was a bold but desperate attack by Kurrlan. His army consisted of lesser demons, little match for our higher ranked Realmers.”

Evan breathed a deep sigh of relief.

“However,” Vanderain continued sombrely, “there were casualties.”

Evan’s stomach lurched.

“The elves of Veneseron forest have been slain.” Anguish overshadowed Vanderain’s voice. “Except two. The brothers Arantay and Falawn have disappeared.

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Rumours are circulating that Falawn was the traitor, that he opened a gateway for Kurrlan's demons.”

The word traitor made Evan's stomach clench painfully as he remembered all Cera had done.

“Vanderain, it was Cera too, she-”

Vanderain held up a hand for silence. “I know. Lord Sangel and his wife disappeared shortly before the battle began. After I returned you here, the Masters noticed all the Venators were safe and present except Cera. When Padrake checked the Sangel house he discovered evidence of communications between the family and Kurrlan himself.”

Vanderain sighed heavily. “I suspect they turned to the side of demons only recently. Lord Sangel may have brainwashed his daughter to follow his ways, but I suspect otherwise.”

“What do you mean?” Evan asked.

“There have been other instances where Dread Lords have given humans their power. Unfortunately, Kurrlan likely never told the Sangel’s the magic is temporary, or that it drives whoever uses it slowly insane. I'm afraid there won’t be a happy ending for Cera now, such is the price when you make deals with demons. Soon, her borrowed magic will disappear and insanity will begin to plague her. I’ve sent a force of paladins to track the Sangels down.”

Evan didn't know how to respond. He wanted to say Cera didn't deserve such a fate, but part of him thought she deserved everything she got. Out of everything that had happened to him, Cera's betrayal was the hardest for him to understand.

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“I must find Arantay and his brother shortly, but I had to speak to you before I left,” Vanderain hurried on. “Knowing that you were in a Dread Lord’s clutches, you were my first priority.”

“You’re leaving again?” Evan exclaimed. “But you just returned.”

Vanderain nodded gravely. “I know. If I had never left in the first place none of this would’ve happened. I accept full responsibility. Even without me here and with help from the inside, Kurrlan shouldn’t have been able to get demons into Veneseron.

Kurrlan must’ve had help from a Disciple, only they might’ve been powerful enough.” Vanderain frowned. “Not Akirandon though, she wouldn’t have sent a pawn to do her work. I must think on this. Regardless, I was foolish in neglecting the Fortress for so long. The Venators need me, always.”

“It’s not your fault, it’s Kurrlan's,” said Evan grimly.

“That’s why I needed to talk to you before I depart again, Mr Umbra. I need to ask, do you know why Kurrlan wanted you?”

“He…he was speaking, but I was in too much pain to focus properly. It’s all over now though, right? They won’t come here again?”

“Never,” Vanderain promised. “Never before has a demon gained access to this world, and never shall it happen again. From now on my absences from Veneseron will be as brief as I can make them.”

Evan nodded gratefully. A huge weight had been lifted from him now he knew he didn’t have to look over his shoulder for monsters anymore.

“I regret that I had to destroy Kurrlan so soon, I wished to question him. My son tells me you survived three separate demon attacks, not including the mass invasion.

He said you dealt with it amazingly, even killed a few of them.”

“Your son?” Evan frowned.

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“Tarensen of course, didn’t he tell you?”

“No,” Evan said, thinking just how strange this revelation was. Tarensen appeared double Vanderain's age. But then he remembered Tarensen’s pale blue, almost silver eyes, like his father’s.

“And Taretta is your daughter?” Evan remembered the conversation he’d spied on between Tarensen and Taretta, how their eyes were the exact same colour.

“Indeed, a fine pair of children.”

“But, they look older than you.”

Vanderain’s smile faltered and Evan immediately knew he’d said the wrong thing.

“Yes, they get that from their respective mothers, both were human you see.” Evan was startled to see a great sadness fill Vanderain.

“They’re long dead now. But it appears my children have some of my Eternal blood in them. Their lives have spanned far more than the average human, I just hope I don’t outlive them too.”

Evan was lost for words.

“But…where have you been all this time?” He finally asked.

“On too many realms to count. The forces of Velkarath are rising and their eventual end game is to destroy us. Don't worry, when I am in Veneseron nothing can portal in or out of this world without my consent. It is my spell that protects this realm and it's stronger when I am near. I'm only sorry I was gone for so long, my attention was needed elsewhere. A dozen Dread Lords had formed an alliance and planned to destroy your old realm.”

“Earth! Is it okay?”

“Yes, my companions and I took care of the Dread Lords, but know Evan, that Akirandon is far more powerful than any demon.”

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“Who is she? I keep hearing her name.”

Vanderain looked incredibly uncomfortable, as if building up to something.

“I need to tell you everything I know.”

Evan was filled with a horrible dread.

“I wouldn't have truly believed it if I hadn't seen you produce demon magic myself.”

Demon magic!

Evan thought back to the black mist that appeared whenever he was in mortal danger, how it had ripped the souls from its victims. Sintian had been right. I am a monster.

Vanderain took a deep breath. “Evan, I'm afraid to tell you, but I feel you have the right to know.”

“Know what?” Evan stammered, fear stampeding through his veins.

“Akirandon, demon queen and ruler of Velkarath, is your mother.”

Silence suffocated the room.

Evan stared at Vanderain, dumbstruck. Surely, he was joking. He couldn’t be telling the truth, it was impossible.

How can my mother be a demon queen? I'm human. I've seen demons. I'm nothing like them! He's wrong, he has to be wrong.

“No one knows this but my children and I. We hoped that Akirandon had failed.

But it's the only explanation for why you're able to conjure demon magic. It's just not possible for anyone but the most powerful of demons to use. One ray of light is that I’m sure Akirandon doesn’t know you still exist, and I will keep it that way.”

“Wait! Failed at what?”

“In creating you and your siblings.”

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Siblings! This just keeps getting worse.

“So, not only is my mum a bloody demon queen, but I have brothers and sisters too, and they’re all monsters like me.”

Evan leaped off the bed, not knowing what to do with himself. His head was a whirlwind, thoughts crashing into one another incessantly.

“No Evan, you are not a monster.” There was a firmness to Vanderain's tone that made Evan sit back down.

The door opened and Tarensen entered, with Brooke in tow.

“What the hell is going on?” Brooke shouted.

Evan was taken back by her tone.

Vanderain sighed. “Two of them, right here in my Fortress, after it was thought impossible.”

“Two of what?” Brooke cried.

“Demon-spawn,” Evan said quietly. “Wait, Brooke is one too?”

Brooke just stared, shell shocked.

“You were right Taren, she is the spitting image of Herak,” said Vanderain gravely.

“Can someone tell me who this damn Herak is?” Brooke demanded Tarensen answered, “Herak was a Master here at Veneseron. He disappeared some twenty years ago, captured on a mission by the demon Disciple Adena. Due to your appearance Brooke, and what I retrieved from your Earth parents, we believe that after your birth Adena hid you in the home you grew up in.”

“What…why?”

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“So you wouldn’t be discovered during the demon civil war most like,” said Vanderain. “Although why Adena didn’t reclaim you after the war ended, I don’t know. Something must’ve happened.”

“And you’re saying both Evan and I have demon parents?” Brooke asked, “are we related or something?”

“I don’t think so,” said Vanderain, “you, Evan, bear the mark of Akirandon in your eyes. I've only ever seen that pattern of red flecks in her own eyes. Considering you can also perform demon sorcery no human could wield, she must be your mother.”

“I recognise the names,” Evan murmured. “I read that both Akirandon and Adena were Disciples that were rivals to be the demon god's favourite.”

“Correct,” Vanderain replied. “I don't know how either of them did it, but they created the two of you, and likely more.”

“Oh my god,” Brooke sagged against the wall, shaking her head in shock.

“I know this a lot to take in, and none of it is your fault. Let me explain as best I can. You know a little of the god Ezanathul, I trust?”

They both nodded.

“Hundreds of years after Ezanathul was destroyed, two prophecies emerged. One proclaimed that Ezanathul would be resurrected by the sacrifice of a demon-spawn.

The second proclaimed Ezanathul could only ever be truly destroyed if he met his death at the hands of a demon-spawn. This caused much confusion, least of all because a demon-spawn had never existed. It’s impossible for a demon and human to procreate.

Some think both prophecies are true, just that the first has to pass to activate the second. The first prophecy foretold of only two demon-spawn, I believe one of these

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is you, Brooke. The second prophecy spoke of seven demon-spawn. As Akirandon’s son, you are one of the seven, Evan.”

“How could you know that?” Evan rasped.

“Akirandon was Ezanathul's right hand and she loved the god with a fanatical obsession. She chose to believe that if she could somehow create demon-spawn she could resurrect Ezanathul and rule all the realms at his side. For years upon years she failed. Then, through ways I know not, she was successful. At first, they died before birth or minutes after, until finally news broke across the worlds that she’d succeeded.

“Fortunately for us, many of the Dread Lords didn’t want Ezanathul reborn. His cruelty knew no bounds, even against his own kind, thus civil war ignited. Reports are conflicting, but many say Akirandon's demon-spawn were stolen. Some say the spawn were killed, more believe Akirandon still has them, others say the spawn were lost or else scattered across the realms. Most believe there never was any demon-spawn to begin with. I myself wasn’t sure what to believe, until I saved you from Kurrlan only hours ago.”

“God damn it,” Brooke snapped. “So I've got some demon twin running around out there and Evan's got six other siblings in who knows where? That’s nine in total.”

“I fear some demon-spawn will already be dead,” said Vanderain. “I’m sure they couldn’t have all survived. They may have been hunted, or let their demon sorcery destroy them from the inside.”

“Could… could that happen