"Ugh..." Ilian groans as he awakes to a pounding headache. Where am I? He thinks as he looks around the plain room, trying to remember how he got here. I don't remember coming here.
He looks around the room, apparently made with bland gray brick and smelling of months-old piss.
Am I in a torture chamber? Or a dungeon of sorts? He thinks with confusion. How did I get here? Did someone spirit me away overnight? He shudders in fear at the implication of someone having that much power.
The last thing he could remember was stopping at the inn last night for a quick drink and chatting with a traveler at the bar.
The traveler seemed rather normal, but as he was thinking back, he notices a detail that he somehow missed the previous night. As they go to shake hands, the man moved his arm OVER Ilian's ale, slightly shaking it in the process. Was I... drugged?
As he twists to look and see if there is anything behind him, he feels a slight pinch on his wrists and looks down to see his hands shackled to the wall with a loose chain.
"Well, shit." He says, as the door in front of him slowly opens. "Oh good, you finally woke up. Now we can properly get to know each other.
"What are you doing in the lands of Twilight Hollow? Who sent you? Don't you know that your kind aren't welcome here? Archangel scum." The demon spat at the floor at Ilian's feet.
"Wait, I'm in twilight hollow? How did I get here? I arrived in Duskgrove merely a night ago. Is this one of those tricks your kind like to play?" Ilian responded with a questioning voice.
"You think I would play mind games with you? If I ask you why you are in Twilight hollow, then you are in twilight hollow." The demon snapped. "Now I will only ask nicely once more. Why are you in our lands? Is your kingdom plotting another war?" the Demon shudders at the thought of the angelic army sweeping through their last line of defense. They barely managed to survive the last time, but not without losing their previous king.
Ilian looks at his interrogator with a mixture of rage and confusion. This could be bad. If I really am in Twilight Hollow, they're not going to release me without verifiable evidence that I mean them no harm. Why, of all places, did I have to get yoinked into the kingdom of the demons? I'd much rather end up in the mountains with the dwarves.
"If I really am in Twilight hollow, then this is disastrous. I was meant be in Duskgrove, on king Mikel's orders." Upon hearing the name Mikel, the demon's eyes glow a deeper red, and he steps back in fear. Mikel was the strongest of all the Archangel's, granting him the title of King. If this was one of his emissaries, this Archangel being here was indeed very disastrous.
"So, playing like you know nothing, eh? Alright. I'll be back, try not to miss me." The demon winks at him before exiting the cell, slamming the door behind him.
Let him starve for a few days, then we'll see how loose his tongue will get. Xephor thinks, heading back to his bedroom located on the second floor of the palace of Twilight Hollow.
Still, I must speak to father about this. We can't afford another war with the archangels. The last one nearly wiped us out. And for what?
After thinking this, he changes directions, heading to the throne room of the demon king.
As he's walking, his mind drifts back to the disastrous war that took place merely a year ago. He had thought it was the end of his kingdom, that day he was strolling in the garden, and looked up to see thousands of angels descending upon them. They had defeated all the demon cities between Twilight Hollow and Celestialis (A/N: Celestialis is the kingdom where the angelic races live) on their way to wreak havoc upon them.
He tries to shake the memory, as all it would bring is grief. He lost both his brothers and his mother that day, fighting on the front lines. I should have stayed behind to protect them... how could I have been so stupid? Then he thinks to his father's orders, after his grandfather had fallen, telling him to leave them and defend the city.
It's his fault they're dead. I'll never forgive him. He's a horrible father and a horrible ruler.
As he's thinking this, he finally reaches the doors to the king's antechamber.
Oddly enough, he hears what seems to be a conference taking place.
He called the council together? Without me? The demon thinks as he walks in unannounced. As everyone turns to look at him, he gives a stiff bow and looks at the demon king sitting in his throne.
"My lord, I thought you should know, an archangel has been captured and is in the dungeons below us as we speak."
"Oh, that thing? That's old news. Our spy master drugged him and brought him here overnight. We plan to use him to send a message that we're not to be trifled with." The king responds.
He... captured an Archangel? To 'send a message'? Is he trying to kill us all? How can he be so stupid!?
"But my lord, we can't afford another war with the-"
"Don't tell me what we can and can't afford to do, Xephor! Think you to be the head of this kingdom? You have much learning to do if you wish to be the crown prince. Open your mouth too much, and you might end up like your siblings.
"Now, leave us and let us discuss the exact message we will leave with the filth. I expect you won't have an issue questioning my decision on this as well?"
"No, my lord." Xephor bowed again, before exiting the throne room. So, they captured an archangel and didn't tell me, huh? I wonder what else they're hiding...
As he's walking back to his quarters, all he can think about is the archangel in the dungeons that his father captured to send a message.
There's only one way to avoid another war... Xephor thought, with a hint of determination in his eyes. He quickly detours and heads down to the dungeons, intent on finishing his task before the council finishes their meeting.
He quickly flew into a rage, his blood boiling at his father's barely veiled threat. He would actually threaten to have me assassinated? I'm the last of his bloodline. Does he plan to start all over and hope to be able to reproduce again? Xephor snorts to himself. Still, should I really be freeing this Archangel? If I do, then I will no longer be able to show my face within the borders of this land. God, what to do?
As he opens the door, his eyes fall upon the archangel, whose shoulder length blonde hair and golden eyes perfectly matches the attributes written about in his textbooks.
If unsure what type of angel you're facing, look them in the eye. Archangels always have golden eyes.
As he's lost in thought, Ilian sneers up at him ready for another interrogation. "I already told you; I didn't mean to come here. Remove these shackles and let me leave!" He says with contempt.
Xephor looks down at him with a frown. "Relax, I'm helping you escape. My father has a foolish idea that's going to get us all killed."
Ilian looks up at the young demon in shock, not expecting one of his kind to actually show compassion for the others of their race. "But how do you plan to remove these shackles? I don't see a keyhole."
"Oh that? That's easy." Xephor says with a smirk, reaching down to grab one of the chains in his hand, which immediately starts to melt.
"What is this?" Ilian gasped. "One of the hellspawn was born with the ability to control hellfire? And you're rebelling against your king?"
"I wouldn't call it rebelling," Xephor responds with an icy glare. "I would call it... saving my kingdom from another pointless war." He says as he reaches toward the other chain, melting it as well.
"Now, let's go! Quickly! We don't have long to get you out of here!" Xephor snaps, the reality of what he's doing starting to sink in. "I'll lead the way."
He immediately turns to sprint towards the exit from the dungeons, planning to take the rear exit which is far less guarded.
But before he can even step out from the dungeons, he notices a sickly green light coming from the exit, and hears a woman say in a sickeningly sweet tone, as if both amused and ready to kill,
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"