130: Demonic Sanctuary (Patreon)

“Somebody better start talking,” Vir said, cautiously eyeing the dozen soldiers in the room. Dance of the Shadow Demon was ready to go anytime.

“Allow me,” Reth’s ‘slave’ said, tossing her collar aside. “This was a test. Perhaps a foolish one, but one designed to determine your loyalty. I fear far too many demons have succumbed to human brainwashing. This would not be the first time we’ve been betrayed by such agents.”

“You could’ve just asked,” Vir replied, still confused about what exactly was happening.

“Talk is cheap. Actions resound loudest.”

Gone was her meek slave demeanor, replaced by overwhelming confidence. The type of attitude a supreme leader would have.

“Who are you?”

“Ah, my apologies. I’m Disanna. One of the three leaders of the Pagan Order.”

“Lord Reth isn’t the ruler?”

“Well, I am,” Reth said, his cocky, arrogant demeanor having vanished without a trace. “But only one of three. Together with Disanna and Zora over there, we form the Tribunal. The governing body of the Order.”

“Reth is our public image, but Zora and I have equal authority,” Disanna said. “We just prefer to govern from the shadows.”

“I… had no idea,” Vir said, eyeing the lanky, deformed gray demon. So that’s Zora, huh?

“First time seeing a Ghael?” Reth asked. “Don’t blame you. Most humans exterminate them upon sight. They survive by staying hidden.”

“Is… what are they?” Vir asked, immediately regretting his words as Zora narrowed her eyes at him.

“Demonkin,” Disanna replied. “Brothers and sisters of demonkind.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Zora said in a hoarse, gravelly voice. It was as if her body simply wasn’t built for human speech. “I’m not offended at all.”

Vir flushed with shame. “I’m sorry. Truly. Erm, h-how’d you know I was a demon, though? Since when?” he asked, desperately trying to change the topic.

“Since Daha,” Zora said. “And no. We did not see through your disguise.”

Vir waited, expecting her to say more, but no explanation was forthcoming.

Reth coughed to break the awkward silence. “The Ghael—Zora’s kind—have an innate ability to sense prana. Or at least, some of them do.”

Vir raised a brow. “They can see prana?”

“Not see, no. But they can sense it somehow.”

“We taste it,” Zora replied.

Taste? Must be like how Prana Vision’s colors manifest as an addition to my regular sight.

“Saw your Ash prana,” the Ghael continued. “Knew you were a demon. Had to be.”

“You know of Ash prana?” Vir asked, shocked that anyone in this realm was aware of it. “Does that mean…”

“Does that mean we know Talents are merely Earth prana? And that Shadow and Ash prana exist, but are unknown to humans?” Disanna asked with a smirk. “Yes. Yes, in fact, we do.”

Vir’s head spun. “You’re supposed to be primitive barbarians. How do you know—” Ah. “The Ghael?”

Disanna nodded. Without the Ghael, we’d be no better off than humans in this regard. It is thanks to them we’ve made several advances.

“Then your fanatical demon hunting…”

“It’s all to bring them back here, Apramor. To bring them home. To give them a sanctuary unlike anywhere else in this realm. A place where they can live freely, without need for disguise or subterfuge.”

Vir’s mind churned through all that had happened. It still sounded unbelievable for a nation to pull such a rug over the world’s eyes. But if what they said was true…

“What if I’d killed your guards? Or that prisoner, for that matter? This was awfully dangerous, don’t you think?”

Reth merely chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry. That demon’s far stronger than you realize. Even your seric blade would’ve been no use against him.”

“Oi! Don’t go saying stuff like that! I was taking a risk, Reth!” the gray demon said from a corner.

“Yes, of course. And you were well compensated for it,” Reth replied.

Vir found it hard to believe the demon would have fared well against him. Without any prana within him, what hope could he have had? Even if his demonic constitution was better than that of most humans, he was being sapped of prana. Everyone here was.

“So you see, Apramor? You’re among friends now. A healthy amount of skepticism is a good thing, but there’s no need for your wariness.”

“That’s… That sounds nice and all, but I didn’t see any demons walking around in the streets. Seems like things aren’t much different here from the rest of the world.”

Vir so badly wanted to believe them. Even now, his heart throbbed at the possibility of a demon sanctuary. For the first time in his life, he’d be among his people. He’d finally have a place to belong. He could walk outside without face paint — a luxury he’d not known since his village days. And even there, he’d always worn a hood to hide his complexion.

But he also knew from experience to district anything that sounded too good to be true. There had to be some catch. Some secret, dark side of the Order. Otherwise…

Otherwise, what reason would I have for seeking the Demon Realm? The very idea of braving the Ashen Realm made his stomach knot up. If he found kin here… maybe he wouldn’t have to ever take that risk.

“Show him,” Reth said, gesturing to Zora, the Ghael.

“Come with us,” Zora said, leaving the room.

Vir glanced at the myriad of guards before following after her. Disanna followed behind. Prana-starved as everyone was, Prana Vision couldn’t pick out their affinities. Not unless Vir got right up next to them.

Which meant that Vir couldn’t discount the fact that they might’ve been Talent wielders. Abundant Earth affinity prana coursed through the ground. More than usual, Vir noticed. It meant that despite the lack of prana in their bodies, they could execute Talents without issue if they possessed Earth, Shadow, or Ash affinities.

In fact, due to their bodies’ lack of prana, they might even be able to execute Talents quicker than those in prana-dense regions. Prana sought equilibrium. It’d flow faster to a body with little prana than a body saturated with it. Vir had seen these effects back in Daha when he’d purged his body of prana to fight the Prana Swarm.

But depriving the body of prana wasn’t a pleasant experience. While it might’ve boosted his Talent invocation speed, it robbed him of his stamina and energy.

Still… can’t believe I didn’t think of that. It was a tactic he could use in a pinch.

While Vir ruminated over the workings of prana, the entourage passed several halls until they arrived at an unassuming door that looked like it led to a bedroom.

“What we are about to show you is highly confidential information,” Disanna said, staring Vir in the eyes. “This knowledge is to stay with you.”

“I understand,” Vir replied. If the Order really was who they claimed to be, Vir wouldn’t even think of betraying them.

“Very well then. Zora, please show him down.”

The Ghael nodded, then beckoned Vir to follow her through the door.

The room on the other side wasn’t much of a room at all. It was completely empty, save for a rectangular rope lift that dominated the center of the space.

The wooden lift was large enough to fit three Ash’va side by side, but it was the amount of rope that caught Vir’s eye. Looped on both corners of the room, there was an immense amount of it.

Which means this lift descends far. Very far.

Vir’s suspicion was soon proven correct as they boarded the lift and began to descend. Half the guards accompanying them stayed back to man the mechanism, lowering them slowly down into the abyss.

There were no lights on the way down, plunging the lift into darkness. Only Vir and Zora maneuvered around the lift naturally, thanks to their Prana senses. The others sat down and waited.

“I’m, uh, sorry for earlier. Really am,” Vir said softly. “I know what it’s like being reviled. I’ve always had to hide my appearance out of fear of how people might react if they saw how I really looked. It’s… never pleasant.”

“I know,” Zora said, and Vir thought he sensed her smile, though he was likely imagining it. Prana Vision simply lacked that level of granularity. “I take no offense. This place… when the Pagan Order found me… let’s just say if I believed in the gods, I would have called it a blessing.”

“They took you in, then? How long have you been with them?”

“Young. Every demon here was taken in by the Order at some point,” she replied, sweeping her gangly arm around them at the sitting guards. “Either as children, or as adults. The younger we bring them in, the better off they are. I was one such.”

Vir went silent. Zora’s prayers had likely gone unanswered. He could scarcely imagine what life she must have lived before the Order picked her up. Despite whatever Ash-hell she must have endured as a child, she must have been one of the luckier ones. As he knew well, there was no love for demons and their ilk in the scriptures.

“The Order raises children?” Vir asked. The image he’d had of this country was quickly crumbling away, one piece at a time.

“Yes. Many. The adults… Some are too far gone. Brutalized by men, their minds broken. We seek as many children as we can. A life here is far superior to any they’d have elsewhere.”

Vir remained unconvinced.

“You say that. Reth said the same thing. And I understand that it’s nice to live in a country where you won’t be ostracized if people find out how you really look. But you still hide. You still disguise yourselves.”

A guard who’d overheard their conversation chuckled.

“Why do you laugh?” Vir asked, genuinely puzzled. Then he noticed that the guard was actually the very same prisoner he was supposed to kill during the ‘test’. The other Ashborn.

Vir had so many questions for the man, he didn’t even know where to start.

“Well, you’ll see… right about now.”

The column of rock that surrounded their lift finally gave way to a vast open space. For a brief moment, Vir thought he was peering into a bottomless abyss, but then he saw the lights far below.

There, at the bottom of a cavern of incomprehensible size, lay a city. An entirely subterranean city, blazing with bright white lights.

“Welcome, friend, to the Undercity,” the guard said, standing up.

“The city above is a facade,” Zora said. “Merely a sham, for prying eyes and bigoted humans who seek to hurt us. This is the true face of the Pagan Order. Our hidden city, built by demons, for demons. A place where no one ever has to hide who they truly are. The name Balindam means strength. And so I welcome you to our stronghold. Our sanctuary—Balindam. The real Balindam.”

NOTE: Was pretty excited to get us to this twist. Arc 4's in full steam now! Strap on, because it's only gonna get more epic from here!