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I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites
Thank you if you take the time to read it!

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Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 34: SOME TRUTHS

                During the weighty years Malia had thought Gorken dead, his green eyes had stayed present and vibrant, seared into her mind. No immortal she had encountered shared that lush color. She hadn’t seen it in her recent times among humans either. It belonged only to him.
                Therefore she was sure, as they read the intriguing words of an unhinged stranger, that she hadn’t been the only one to glimpse at Gorken at the mention of green eyes. He was still reading, his expression inscrutable beyond the perplexed curiosity they all partook in.
                She felt improper studying the parchment pages; the tale on them was a private confession, a fragmented admission and a lousy explanation. She could arrange the information she recognized until it almost resembled a coherent picture… and then one of the holes would bring about a question, then another, then another, and all her efforts would cascade into shambles.
                It was easy enough to deduce there had been some kind of power-hungry scheme that had resulted in a big, realm altering spell. The author of the letter had been part of it, and he regretted his involvement due to the outcome. But I know nothing of a Guardian Clan, or of a dragon and maidens and rituals and an ancient pact. The names Argent and Arian didn’t ring any bells either. She didn’t know about silver children, but the leap from that to silver witch was an obvious one.
                It was tough to choose where to start questioning Kadem about it all. The presence of the Daimonlance axiom in the letter was a strong candidate for first inquiry. Three are the races. One to rule. One to protect. One to serve. Malia had gotten the chance to get tired of the familiar words during her childhood; every tutor seemed determined to start their lectures with them, as if they were a stubborn prayer.
                Aldous was the last one to reach the bottom of the page, so it fell upon him to crack the silence, “…Is everything we need to know supposed to be here? ‘Cause…”
                “No.” Kadem stared intently at one of her curls, “But you might have greatly overestimated my knowledge. I have questions of my own… All I can tell you is that I was a foolish child who let a strange man into my house and got taken hostage, apparently. I only vaguely remember that day. My brothers…” Kadem paused, gathering the strength to say their names, “Argent and Arian cast a spell that somehow created the divide between immortals and humans, and thus the current order of our kingdom came to be. But I have no answers regarding a Guardian Clan or a Demon King. I was too young back then. Too young and too stupid.”
                “All a human can ever be is too young and too stupid.” Hedera said proudly, imbuing the dejected air with much needed enthusiasm, “Luckily for you we’re not human. Now that we’re no longer sealed, we hold some of the answers you seek.”
                “That sure is heartening.” Kadem said, and none of them could tell whether she was being sarcastic or genuine.
                “I’ll start by clarifying the most basic fact!” Hedera’s spirits were undeterred, “Not too long ago, the silver witch said that demons were the guardians of balance, and that’s true. But the thing is, everyone is a demon!”
                As one, the group turned their heads toward Licorice, expecting her to make sense of Hedera’s nonsense as she usually did. Instead, Hedera took offense, “Hey! I’ll explain it!”
                The noisy demon cleared her throat, “All living creatures are a vital part of their own ecosystem, and thus we’re all intrinsically protectors of natural balance. For a long time, that’s how it worked. Birds and trees and wolves and sheep and flowers, we’re all demons. What eventually separated humans from the rest of us was their ability to disregard natural balance in favor of their own desires. That is what makes humans human. Magic wasn’t a thing back then… it just developed over time, as the ultimate manifestation of their willingness to alter the world as they saw fit.”
                “Nature will always tend towards balance.” Licorice continued in her sister’s stead, “Life itself is an incessant balancing act. When humans arrived to magic and to the danger it posed, the dance of equilibrium gave birth to two extremes, two mutual foils meant to cancel each other out: silver children and the guardian clan. Silver children were the champions of magic; their innate affinity to it made them powerful, lasting and boundless. The guardian clan was the opposite: its members were born with green eyes, and their innate tendency was to forgo magic. In its place, they were blessed with strong bodies, healthier and tougher than any other human’s.”
                “And that’s how the ‘pact’ came to be!” Hedera stepped in front of Licorice, “We demons took the advent of both silver children and green-eyed warriors as a sign of it all being part of nature’s plan; just another instance of the incessant balancing act. Therefore demons didn’t need to interfere with humans… or so we thought. Then the ludicrous spell that’s binding the realm came into play. Argent and Arian, right? Anyway, that’s about all we know. Demons dwell in universal truths, not in human history and conspiracy. We don’t know about the maidens and rituals and who betrayed who.”
                “…How do you even know about all this?” Bayard’s calm voice grounded the twins’ primordial discourse, “Do all demons know? Birds and wolves included?”
                “Of course not!” Hedera chuckled, “We know because we’re ancient demons.”
                “So what?” Aldous sounded annoyed, “Are our old ladies the only ones that look old?” he gestured with his only arm toward Kadem, then toward Hedera and Licorice.
                “What is ancient about us is not our age.” Licorice corrected, “It’s our memory.”
                “…That explains nothing.” Aldous was close to accepting defeat.
                “Malia!” Hedera pointed at the princess, “How do human babies know to suck their mother’s breasts straight out of the womb?”
                “Oh,” Malia was initially startled by Hedera’s abrupt motion, “It’s their instinct, right?”
                “Correct!” Hedera nodded, “All creatures are born knowing things without anyone needing to explain it to them. For animals, it’s what they need to survive. For us, ancient demons, instincts include the wisdom of the earth. Simple.” She crossed her arms boastfully.
                “…Simple.” Malia echoed ironically. It was a lot of information to digest. But in the midst of all the facts, and names, and definitions, there was one truth that propelled the hasty thumping of her heart, “So the current state of our kingdom… is manmade.” She didn’t need to say the next sentence out loud. They were all aware. What is manmade can be unmade. Immortals, humans with no will, fallen demons… they had been shaped, created by other humans. It can change. We can change it.
                The air was passive inside the room, and yet Malia could have sworn she felt a breeze pushing her from behind, nudging her into the possibilities opening up before them. There was no clear path, but the belief that they could choose how to step forward cradled her mind. She had never thought that the uncertainty of freedom would bring her solace... And yet there she was, surrounded by friends, excited about the dubious future.
                “Lady Kadem,” Licorice’s words were almost a whisper, “your brothers, the blacksmiths of the chains that bind this land… Were they twins?”
                “They were.” Kadem kept her eyes on the floor.
                Even though most of them didn’t grasp the significance of the exchange, no one was brave enough to disturb the quiet that followed. No one but Lyra.
                “We should write all of this down, should we not?” the blonde woman arranged the pages that had been resting on Malia’s lap, “That will help us sort out what we know and what we don’t. Organizing the information can give us a sturdier foundation for any future thinking. And this knowledge needs to be documented either way.”
                “Lyra,” Malia clung to her handmaiden’s skirt, “I missed you.”
                “I believe you.” Lyra giggled gently.
                “I second the motion!” Aldous raised his arm, “I need to sort out my thoughts for sure. I have a feeling I forgot to ask a few of the questions I had.”
                “I’ll go prepare some tea.” Gorken stood up, looking more tired than the rest.
                “Mister Gorken, I’ll help you with the refreshments.” Lyra scrambled to her feet, “Princess, your penmanship is excellent. You should begin the transcription.”
                “Bayard’s pretty good at writing too.” Aldous sounded oddly pleased.
                The peaceful atmosphere of taking things one step at a time, side by side with trusted allies, slowly descended on Kadem’s lair, appeasing fears and giving breathing room to fatigued minds. The task of penning history and truth through their clumsy scribbles made them feel silly and transcendentally important at the same time. It felt like an adventure.
                And then, their sincere joy cracked under the pressure of one single melodic voice coming from the entrance of Kadem’s tree, “Hello? Is anyone home?”

Description
I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites
Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 34: SOME TRUTHS

                During the weighty years Malia had thought Gorken dead, his green eyes had stayed present and vibrant, seared into her mind. No immortal she had encountered shared that lush color. She hadn’t seen it in her recent times among humans either. It belonged only to him.
                Therefore she was sure, as they read the intriguing words of an unhinged stranger, that she hadn’t been the only one to glimpse at Gorken at the mention of green eyes. He was still reading, his expression inscrutable beyond the perplexed curiosity they all partook in.
                She felt improper studying the parchment pages; the tale on them was a private confession, a fragmented admission and a lousy explanation. She could arrange the information she recognized until it almost resembled a coherent picture… and then one of the holes would bring about a question, then another, then another, and all her efforts would cascade into shambles.
                It was easy enough to deduce there had been some kind of power-hungry scheme that had resulted in a big, realm altering spell. The author of the letter had been part of it, and he regretted his involvement due to the outcome. But I know nothing of a Guardian Clan, or of a dragon and maidens and rituals and an ancient pact. The names Argent and Arian didn’t ring any bells either. She didn’t know about silver children, but the leap from that to silver witch was an obvious one.
                It was tough to choose where to start questioning Kadem about it all. The presence of the Daimonlance axiom in the letter was a strong candidate for first inquiry. Three are the races. One to rule. One to protect. One to serve. Malia had gotten the chance to get tired of the familiar words during her childhood; every tutor seemed determined to start their lectures with them, as if they were a stubborn prayer.
                Aldous was the last one to reach the bottom of the page, so it fell upon him to crack the silence, “…Is everything we need to know supposed to be here? ‘Cause…”
                “No.” Kadem stared intently at one of her curls, “But you might have greatly overestimated my knowledge. I have questions of my own… All I can tell you is that I was a foolish child who let a strange man into my house and got taken hostage, apparently. I only vaguely remember that day. My brothers…” Kadem paused, gathering the strength to say their names, “Argent and Arian cast a spell that somehow created the divide between immortals and humans, and thus the current order of our kingdom came to be. But I have no answers regarding a Guardian Clan or a Demon King. I was too young back then. Too young and too stupid.”
                “All a human can ever be is too young and too stupid.” Hedera said proudly, imbuing the dejected air with much needed enthusiasm, “Luckily for you we’re not human. Now that we’re no longer sealed, we hold some of the answers you seek.”
                “That sure is heartening.” Kadem said, and none of them could tell whether she was being sarcastic or genuine.
                “I’ll start by clarifying the most basic fact!” Hedera’s spirits were undeterred, “Not too long ago, the silver witch said that demons were the guardians of balance, and that’s true. But the thing is, everyone is a demon!”
                As one, the group turned their heads toward Licorice, expecting her to make sense of Hedera’s nonsense as she usually did. Instead, Hedera took offense, “Hey! I’ll explain it!”
                The noisy demon cleared her throat, “All living creatures are a vital part of their own ecosystem, and thus we’re all intrinsically protectors of natural balance. For a long time, that’s how it worked. Birds and trees and wolves and sheep and flowers, we’re all demons. What eventually separated humans from the rest of us was their ability to disregard natural balance in favor of their own desires. That is what makes humans human. Magic wasn’t a thing back then… it just developed over time, as the ultimate manifestation of their willingness to alter the world as they saw fit.”
                “Nature will always tend towards balance.” Licorice continued in her sister’s stead, “Life itself is an incessant balancing act. When humans arrived to magic and to the danger it posed, the dance of equilibrium gave birth to two extremes, two mutual foils meant to cancel each other out: silver children and the guardian clan. Silver children were the champions of magic; their innate affinity to it made them powerful, lasting and boundless. The guardian clan was the opposite: its members were born with green eyes, and their innate tendency was to forgo magic. In its place, they were blessed with strong bodies, healthier and tougher than any other human’s.”
                “And that’s how the ‘pact’ came to be!” Hedera stepped in front of Licorice, “We demons took the advent of both silver children and green-eyed warriors as a sign of it all being part of nature’s plan; just another instance of the incessant balancing act. Therefore demons didn’t need to interfere with humans… or so we thought. Then the ludicrous spell that’s binding the realm came into play. Argent and Arian, right? Anyway, that’s about all we know. Demons dwell in universal truths, not in human history and conspiracy. We don’t know about the maidens and rituals and who betrayed who.”
                “…How do you even know about all this?” Bayard’s calm voice grounded the twins’ primordial discourse, “Do all demons know? Birds and wolves included?”
                “Of course not!” Hedera chuckled, “We know because we’re ancient demons.”
                “So what?” Aldous sounded annoyed, “Are our old ladies the only ones that look old?” he gestured with his only arm toward Kadem, then toward Hedera and Licorice.
                “What is ancient about us is not our age.” Licorice corrected, “It’s our memory.”
                “…That explains nothing.” Aldous was close to accepting defeat.
                “Malia!” Hedera pointed at the princess, “How do human babies know to suck their mother’s breasts straight out of the womb?”
                “Oh,” Malia was initially startled by Hedera’s abrupt motion, “It’s their instinct, right?”
                “Correct!” Hedera nodded, “All creatures are born knowing things without anyone needing to explain it to them. For animals, it’s what they need to survive. For us, ancient demons, instincts include the wisdom of the earth. Simple.” She crossed her arms boastfully.
                “…Simple.” Malia echoed ironically. It was a lot of information to digest. But in the midst of all the facts, and names, and definitions, there was one truth that propelled the hasty thumping of her heart, “So the current state of our kingdom… is manmade.” She didn’t need to say the next sentence out loud. They were all aware. What is manmade can be unmade. Immortals, humans with no will, fallen demons… they had been shaped, created by other humans. It can change. We can change it.
                The air was passive inside the room, and yet Malia could have sworn she felt a breeze pushing her from behind, nudging her into the possibilities opening up before them. There was no clear path, but the belief that they could choose how to step forward cradled her mind. She had never thought that the uncertainty of freedom would bring her solace... And yet there she was, surrounded by friends, excited about the dubious future.
                “Lady Kadem,” Licorice’s words were almost a whisper, “your brothers, the blacksmiths of the chains that bind this land… Were they twins?”
                “They were.” Kadem kept her eyes on the floor.
                Even though most of them didn’t grasp the significance of the exchange, no one was brave enough to disturb the quiet that followed. No one but Lyra.
                “We should write all of this down, should we not?” the blonde woman arranged the pages that had been resting on Malia’s lap, “That will help us sort out what we know and what we don’t. Organizing the information can give us a sturdier foundation for any future thinking. And this knowledge needs to be documented either way.”
                “Lyra,” Malia clung to her handmaiden’s skirt, “I missed you.”
                “I believe you.” Lyra giggled gently.
                “I second the motion!” Aldous raised his arm, “I need to sort out my thoughts for sure. I have a feeling I forgot to ask a few of the questions I had.”
                “I’ll go prepare some tea.” Gorken stood up, looking more tired than the rest.
                “Mister Gorken, I’ll help you with the refreshments.” Lyra scrambled to her feet, “Princess, your penmanship is excellent. You should begin the transcription.”
                “Bayard’s pretty good at writing too.” Aldous sounded oddly pleased.
                The peaceful atmosphere of taking things one step at a time, side by side with trusted allies, slowly descended on Kadem’s lair, appeasing fears and giving breathing room to fatigued minds. The task of penning history and truth through their clumsy scribbles made them feel silly and transcendentally important at the same time. It felt like an adventure.
                And then, their sincere joy cracked under the pressure of one single melodic voice coming from the entrance of Kadem’s tree, “Hello? Is anyone home?”