It’s not here either. She pondered. And yet I sensed its aura at this location.
Kanzen didn’t like mysteries. Mysteries were complicated, she liked to keep her life simple.
She sat atop the still searing hot corpse of an ancient Dragon amidst a field of bodies. The scores of mutilated dead still steamed in the frosty morning air, the pools of spilt blood reflecting the burning ash skies of the Crater Lands.
Crawling through the mangled remains of the army that attacked her were jet-black goblins, searching for her prize and taking the occasional bite from the macabre buffet of fresh meat littering the ground. One approached her cautiously.
“It not here.” The hideous creature informed her, confirming what she already knew. She stood, not bothering to demean herself by responding to her impish lackey, and slowly dismounted the house sized corpse.
The goblin’s large snout, floppy ears, and sharp scraggly teeth combined with his short stature to produce a truly hilarious looking creature. Few that saw these vicious scavengers at work laughed however when they witnessed them attacking their prey like a swarm of rabid land piranhas. The wretched monsters’ mistress however, could not possibly be more different.
Kanzen stood over seven feet tall, her figure statuesque, her form perfect. Her features had a precise symmetry and glorious proportion that no mortal woman could ever hope to match and her beauty was such that no man could conceive of it, even in his wildest fantasies. Silver hair poured down her back all the way to her waist. It had a color and life that only her eyes, of all the gorgeous things in the world, could match.
She raised her head to the burnt sky, as if basking in its hellish glow. Reminds me of home. She thought.
Kanzen was a Demon Lord, one of the strongest in the infinite Hells that circled beneath the physical plane. So powerful was she that even the gods were wary of approaching her without a legion of powerful monsters backing them up. She was the Princess of her clan, the Jaaku, a noble bloodline that dated back to the creation of the universe and, with the exception of her father, was the most potent of the spirits to ever inhabit her home dimension of Kilk’Ill. An impressive title, considering the power of the legendary beasts that spawned there.
Princess Kanzen had left the realms of Gods and Demons to find something of great importance but no matter what she did it seemed to elude her. As she stood feeling the icy wind of morning caress her alabaster skin she made a point of stifling her anger and focusing on what to do next. Even the sorcerous goblins seem unable to find it. She mused. She had hired the foul pests because of their legendary tracking skills but even their sharp, magic detecting noses had failed her.
“Annoying isn’t it?” A voice said, interrupting her thoughts.
She slowly opened her eyes and gazed upon the figure before her. It was a young man, Human, at least in form. He was pale and clad in voluminous black robes, with a large mane of dark curly hair that’s length nearly matched that of Kanzen’s own.
“You can’t find the Lance no matter where you search.” He stated, a hint of a smirk touching his lips.
She studied him for a long moment. “It’s dangerous to sneak up on me.” She cautioned. This declaration was not made as a threat, but as a simple statement of fact.
His eyes traveled her body. Only the thinnest of white silks covered Kanzen’s nakedness, and these seemed to blow about as if on an invisible wind revealing tantalizing hints of the flesh beneath. Eventually his gazed returned to her face. “I know where it is.” He informed her. “Or more accurately, how it can be found.” A hint of glee touched his tone, nearly imperceptible to the human ear but as obvious as a volcano to Kanzen.
The search for the Lance of Olympus, the weapon of a God, had long been an obsession of Kanzen’s and the reason she had come to this pathetic little world. Said to contain the essence of the slain God Artemis it would be the perfect weapon in her war against the Heavens and now, conveniently, a man stood before her offering her the prize so had sought for months.
“I’m listening.” She replied.
“I’ll want something in return.” He informed her, his tone serious.
She gave a slight nod. “Speak.”
“An Ogre Mage, by the name of Oni’Iya, guards the location of the Lance with his illusions. I can lead you to him.” He imparted, grinning as he revealed this secret.
She stood staring at him expectantly. Realizing that was as much of a go ahead as he would get, he frowned, put off. Clearly he had been expecting at least some questions as to how he had received such hidden knowledge. Finally he turned and waved for her to follow.
Traveling through the Crater Lands was a confusing and sometimes even sanity shattering experience, time and distance didn’t mean as much in the magic saturated landscape as it did in the mundane world and only Demons and beings with magic talent could avoid getting hopelessly lost. Add the fact that Lands were mostly heat-baked deserts, shattered stone and twisted black shrubs all covered in swirling red dust, and you had a place few life forms could survive.
The pair and their trailing goblin brigade marched for many days toward the mountains of the inner impact range, through burning days and freezing nights. They spoke little and rested never, for she and her magical minions had none of the weaknesses that would cause mortals to take a break in their journey.
As they traveled Kanzen played with the diamond pendant she wore around her neck, pondering her new traveling companion. He’s Human. She realized early on in their trek. Magic about him, but not very strong. She observed. She watched him as day after day passed and saw that the lustful stares he gave her grew in number rather than decreased, as though he was anticipating something.
Certain things don’t fit. She considered. He never tires, and he appeared before me out of thin air… She paused. Ah.
Kanzen had been alive for centuries and had rubbed shoulders with some of the cleverest and most subtle beings in the universe. The Ogre’s simple trap was easy to see once she put the facts together. Using an illusion to lure me to his lair… To what? Devour me? That was the only mystery left in this clever little scenario. He even used himself for bait. She chuckled to herself.
Hearing her soft laugh her companion looked over his shoulder at her, a curious expression on his face. “Let me in on the joke?” He asked.
“You’ll know soon enough.” She informed him, her tone neutral. When I shred the flesh from your true body’s bones. She added mentally.
He slowed his pace to match hers so that he was no longer directly leading but walking beside her instead. “You know…” He began.
She turned her face to look at him.
“I had a very specific reward in mind when I offered to help you… But now that we have spent so much time together I think I might choose to take a different prize instead.” He said leering.
She kept her face blank, but projected an aura that said ‘Go ahead, try and touch me, see what happens.’
He chuckled and increased his pace, taking the lead once more.
“I must say, you seem to have the lusts of an Ogre.” She deadpanned to his back. He stiffened momentarily. And there’s my proof. She thought.
They traveled in silence for several more days until at last they stood before a towering mountain.
“He is within.” The boy informed her, pointing at a solid cliff face.
“An illusion.” She stated, no question in her voice.
He nodded. “I’ll wait for you out here.” He said.
Kanzen started toward the wall, ignoring the boy. She felt a slight tingle as she passed through the illusion to find herself in the entrance of a large disease ridden cave. Her goblin horde recoiled at the stench but she walked on without complaint, leaving them behind. The floor was covered in viscous brown goo and putrid slime coated the walls. Insects and vermin milled about everywhere. She stepped on their crunchy bodies as she continued her journey into the heart of the pestilent mountain.
She found Oni’Iya deep underground, in a cavern that had never been seen by Human eyes and she was impressed, truly, by his monumental foulness.
Oni’Iya was an Ogre King, though his mutated form was even more disgusting than that of the majority of his brethren. His leathery skin had formed into snake-like scales and was an unhealthy putrid brown. Gigantic talons extended from the shredded meat of his hands, as long as lances and far more deadly. He was bipedal in form, his shape vaguely man like, though he would never be mistaken for something so clean. At thirty feet tall and weighting over twenty tons, he towered even over his fellow Ogres, but what truly separated him from the rest of his species was his head.
Massive antlers framed a rotting face with wagon wheel sized lidless eyes that stared in milky malevolence at the world around him. Stranger still was his skull, which was open at the top, exposing his blue veined brain to the air.
He was currently snoring loudly, his tongue hanging from his mouth like a dog as he slept, unaware of his silent observer.
Not even awake to greet me? She marveled. Does his arrogance extend so far? She walked slowly up to the sleeping Ogre’s head. “WAKE UP!” She roared, her voice somehow retaining its seductively feminine allure despite the animalistic overtones of her bellow.
The Ogre sprang to his feet so quickly that his antlers slammed against the cavern roof, dislodging a number of stalactites, which crashed noisily to the floor. “WHO DARES?!” He roared back, matching Kanzen’s volume and adding a great deal of rage. He swung his head back and forth, looking for the intruder.
“Down here.” Kanzen said, in a normal volume.
Oni’Iya’s cataract eyes traveled down to his miniature invader. “What? He asked incredulously, to no one in particular.
“I’m looking for something.” She informed the Ogre King. “And I hear you know where it is.”
Oni’Iya lunged forward to snap Kanzen up in one bite, all he got, however, was a mouthful of shattered stone. He spat the rocks out and glanced around to find where Kanzen had hidden.
“Up here.” Kanzen called calmly from his right shoulder, startling him. He slashed at her, tearing deep groves in his own neck that rained rotten flesh down to the cavern floor near to where she now stood.
He looked down once more. “Your fast.” He observed, and took a deep wheezing breath, seeming to reign in his anger.
Controlling his rage? An impressive feat for an Ogre. Kanzen thought. I should be careful with this one.
“You seek the Lance.” The Ogre said, more statement then question.
Kanzen nodded slowly.
“I won’t help you.” Oni’Iya said simply.
Kanzen stared at him for a long moment. “But you are its guardian?” She inquired.
He gave a sinister coughing laugh. “Recruited by Zeus himself to watch over the resting place of his beloved daughter.” He acknowledged.
“Give it to me and I won’t destroy you.” She offered.
The Ogre King began to laugh once more then suddenly flinched back as she shot him a deadly glance.
“Zeus is dead.” She informed him. “He cannot harm you if you break his trust. I on the other hand…”
He reared up. “You threaten me?” He boomed. “I, who has slain armies! Who has wrestled Dragons! Who-“
Her charge was a barely perceptible blur. She tore through his left shoulder, her claws severing his arm in a shower of black blood and yellow bile. His limb struck the ground with a meaty thud as he howled in agony. He collapsed forward, barely arresting his fall with his remaining hand.
She returned to where she originally stood, untouched by his gore except for her left hand, which dripped with his foul liquids.
“Tell me what I want to know.” She commanded him. “Or I take your other arm.”
His howls slowly faded into a pained pant. “Alright!” He cried. “I’ll tell you! It’s in the Demonheart Citadel, at the center of the Crater…”
“Impossible.” She replied. “That’s were I started my journey, months ago, I would have detected it.” She cracked her knuckles. “Your lie will cost you another limb.”
“WAIT!” He shrieked. “You didn’t detect it because-“ He huffed and puffed. “-I use my psychic powers to disperse the Divine aura, creating duplicate auras across the land. I will drop my illusion, you’ll find it for sure! Just let me live!”
A wave of irritation passed through Kanzen. Fake auras. She thought. That’s what I have been chasing all this time. “One final question.” She asked. “What did you hope to gain by luring me here?”
Oni’Iya hesitated, looked confused. “Lure you? What are you talking about?”
Kanzen leapt forward, slicing into his chest. Though her claws only struck a small portion of his ribs the magic behind them shredded his entire torso, splattering blood, bone and organs all over the cavern.
“Obstinate till the end.” She commented as she touched down. The Ogre’s severed head struck the ground nearby, the light fading from its eyes. Demonheart Citadel. Kanzen mused. Right under my nose all along. Her anger faded as she realized that the Lance would soon be hers.
“He wasn’t lying you know.” A voice called from behind her. She turned to see that her curly haired companion had followed her.
Not an illusion? She questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“I’ll take my reward now.” He said. Something about him had changed, he stood straighter and spoke in a far stronger and more commanding tone, no longer slimy and mocking.
“Your reward…” She mused.
“I led you to the Lance’s location, did I not?” He challenged.
“Yes.” She acknowledged, mulling over whether or not to kill him. “And what would you have as your reward?” She asked.
He pointed at her chest. “Your diamond pendant.” He replied.
She lifted her hand and began rolling the pendant between her fingers. She stared at the floor, thinking. “Do you know how I got this?” She questioned.
“Torn from the forehead of the Archangel Uriel when you first arrived in this world.” He answered.
“One of the hardest fights of my long existence.” She nodded in reply, remembering the titanic battle.
“Sentimental value aside, it’s magic is useless to you.” He told her.
In truth, though Kanzen knew the pendant contained powerful sorcery, she didn’t know what, if anything, it did. By the way this Human wanted it though, it must have had a power significant enough to risk everything for, as he had in coming to her. Too precious to lose. She concluded. “I’m afraid I can’t let it go.” She said, in as close to a diplomatic tone as she was capable.
“That’s ok.” He replied in a friendly tone, then his expression darkened. “I don’t need your permission!” He snarled.
Kanzen shrieked as powerful magic tore through her being. Ethereal chains of force appeared out of the air and enwrapped her body, tying her legs together and jerking her arms out and back painfully.
The boy watched her struggle to free herself for a few moments before smiling. “I wasn’t sure that would work.” He admitted. “Creating an entrapping spell for a Demon as strong as you takes weeks of effort to get every nuance right.” He grinned. “Lucky for me I got to spend so much time traveling with you.”
Kanzen was unable to speak to reply so she glared daggers at him instead.
“Convincing you I was part of the Ogre’s plan caused you to drop your guard didn’t it?” He smirked. “That’s the problem with you old ones, your convinced everyone less experienced than you are only capable of the most obvious ploys. I played you.” He said with obvious satisfaction.
Kanzen focused her energies, weakening the spell slightly. “Who are you?” She growled.
“I am no one really, just a humble dreamer.” The boy introduced himself with a bow. “And I’m a Demon, like yourself, though my power pales in comparison to yours.” He admitted as he slowly strode up to her and unclasped her necklace, putting her pendant in his pocket. He then drew a small dagger, made of black volcanic rock and pressed the flat of the blade up against her cheek, its point a centimeter from her eye. “This is an interesting knife.” He informed her. “It’s called Togatta, and any wound it inflicts will never heal.” He drew it down her face, slicing her cheek open.
She snarled wordlessly in response.
Reaching inside his dark robe the boy pulled out a small vial and unstopped it. He held it up to her chin, collecting the blood that poured down. “The blood of a Demon Lord has powerful mystical properties.” He informed her. After filling the vial he closed it and dropped it into a pocket. He then move to the fallen Ogre’s head and began slicing into its brain. “As does a psychic creature’s brain.” He commented.
Kanzen was quickly nullifying the energy of the boy's binding spell and would be free in moments. Her anticipation of cutting the sorcerer to pieces was like a physical pressure in her muscles. His agony will be delicious. She thought. She could already taste his blood on her lips and her vision was fading to red.
“You might be surprised to learn that I’m not actually attracted to you.” He revealed. “That was just a cover for the Ogre ploy. Although… It might be fun to violate you now that your all tied up.” He said snickering over his shoulder and waving his blade in a sinister manner.
“I WILL END YOU!” She shrieked, her human teeth elongating into fangs and her silver eyes turning blood red. The chains shook, she was almost free.
The boy stood, his robes covered in gore, holding a jar with bits of brain in it. “I should probably just slit your throat now, while your helpless.” He said with a mocking grin. “But I think you can be of further use to me. Seek me out in the human kingdom of Al'Lamar, should you want your revenge.” At that a pillar of darkness appeared at his feet and engulfed him, whisking him away.
An instant later Kanzen escaped her bindings. She shattered the chains, sending links flinging about that quickly vanished into thin air. She stood snarling, rage pouring through her veins like molten lava, her anger far beyond that of what a mortal could ever experience. “Boy…” She hissed. Visions of destruction dancing before her eyes. “I’m coming for your blood!”
