Took me longer than I would have liked it to (But not THAT long.) I've never been one for major original characters, but I went ahead and made one. I'm sorry that this chapter took a turn towards the horrific, but I felt like doing it, hope nobody minds too much. Also, I know you're going to say I killed another character, but, please, don't jump to conclusions. :D

Demons of Deltora
Fallen

Endon ran through the streets of Del, heading gradually towards the outer city gate, where there would certainly be guards, who could probably explain what was happening. Then, through the crowd, Endon spotted one whom he recognized. "Brannik!" A head turned from across the street, and he grabbed Manus' arm and pulled him forward.

They emerged from the crowd and the guard kneeled down, looking at them closely. "Prince Endon! What are you doing out here?" He paused, and his eyes widened. "By the gods, the gates are closed now, you're trapped outside of the Palace." The guards were unaware of the secret passage into the palace, and Endon couldn't tell them, since he had no idea where it was himself. "Have you met Manus?" Brannik looked at him and smiled, recognizing him as a Ralad, he extended his hand and Manus shook it.

"I'm sorry that I have no way of reaching the inside of the Palace, you're stuck until the situation resolves itself." Endon blinked. "Wait, what situation?" But before Brannik could say anything, a piercing scream cut through the air, chilling their bones. "Endon, look!" Manus grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.

A seething cloud of green smoke seemed to be rising from the palace in the distance, tendrils of living mist spiraling off in random directions. Endon paled, but Brannik was already shouting. "Prince Endon, we must find shelter now!" Endon knew all too well, and he knew he had to run. A twisting tendril of mist spun towards the area near them, hitting a man in the face, he cried out, falling to his knees as it crawled into his nose, his mouth..

Endon, transfixed in horrified awe, was pulled away by Brannik with Manus tailing behind, the city thrown up into chaos. They had lost all sense of direction, and they were plunging through the crowd, desperately seeking some place to hide from the mist. Perhaps by the straying hand of fate, or just pure luck, they found their way to the forge, bright and welcoming. "In here!" Brannik, who hadn't seen it was surprised as Endon took the reins and dragged him inside.

"How are you certain that the forge will protect us? It's open, it's unsecure, we need to get to - !" Endon gave him a warning glance, and though the guard Brannik could easily take on someone Endon's age, he was the King's son, and perhaps he knew what he was doing. "It will be okay." He looked outside the window, the sky colored green.

Manus was looking at them both in disbelief. "Why are you both so calm? What is going on? What were you talking about earlier, Endon?" But before Manus could even get out the words, Brannik interrupted him. "Okay, you both need to know." He stole a glance at Endon, unaware he already knew enough. "Ealier today, something jumped out of the pit beneath the chapel." He glanced at Endon, and he could tell he knew of his earlier failed exploration. "We don't know what, it's not the Shadow Lord. At least not yet it isn't, there's no cause for alarm.."

"Not a cause for alarm?" Endon yelled. "There's a giant big smoke thing that kills people by touching them! Any second now it could - !" Manus touched his arm, and Endon bit his lip, looking away from Brannik's silent stare. "Now, as much as I hate to admit, I would have much preferred you had walked up to another guard at that gate. But I am now charged with protecting you, and you are no less important, Manus." Manus smiled weakly. "Now, we can't stay here, no matter what you think."

Endon sniffed angrily, looking at the floor. "There's a safe house in the city. It's for royals, now, I seriously doubt that they wont open it for the public, but we need to get there, and fast." Endon nodded silently and Manus tried to look cheery. "Now, come on. If the King doesn't overcome his sickness, we will need the heirs of Deltora." Endon looked up at him, Brannik staring back with a serious look on his face.

They stepped outside, the air hung with the bitter smell of death and decay, and Endon tried to repress a shudder. There was the faint moaning of the unearthly wind that propelled the mist through the sky, and the occasional scream or shout of the mist taking a victim, but otherwise, the city was now deathly silent, the sounds of chaos gone. They set off into the city, the silence weighing heavily on their shoulders.

It was unnatural, the city had been a screaming tumult of terror just minutes ago. How many were left? Could the entire city already be gone? Was the Palace lost before the culling of the citizens even began, were the King, Queen, and all of their heirs..? Endon pushed the thoughts completely out of his mind, focusing only on following Brannik to wherever he wished to take them, for it was all he could do.

Brannik turned a corner and cried out. "Good god!" He turned away from Endon and Manus and heaved on the ground, stumbling against the wall. "They're all – all of them!" Manus led the way forward, and he turned away in horror, but Endon was transfixed on the sight, unable to turn away.

Bodies, hundreds of bodies. They lay upon the ground, in mounds and waves, there was no blood, but they were covered in green veins twisting beneath their skin, their flesh stretched against their bone. They were stopped in their death throes, some stricken where they had stood, collapses in piles upon the streets. But were clearly trying to escape, laying face first against walls, marks where they had scratched desperately clearly visible.

Endon heard Manus calling his name, and he slowly turned away, clutching at his stomach, trying to hold back his nausea, he stumbled forward blindly, but Manus caught him. "We must go. There is nothing more to see here." Endon swallowed, Brannik drug his feet beneath him, and they moved forward, their backs turned to the street filled with the dead, so no one saw the small sliver of mist arching up out of the gaping mouth of a man lying in the street, as it whisked forward toward their backs. Not until it was too late, not until there was a gasp of pain and someone collapsed on to the ground.

"Manus!"

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Doom stood in the upmost balcony of the palace, looking past the grinning demon's head, into the city. He stood still, his hands behind his back, emotionless. He could see a thousand bodies writhing in the streets, alone. Here and there something moved or scuttled through the city, but he had no idea how many had found shelter, or reached the safe house. There were no guards upon the city gates, and he didn't know if any had survived.

There was only the grinning demon, standing motionlessly on the gates, and the swirling green mist that had overtaken the Deltoran skies. Several attempts had been made at shooting the demon down, arrows had been shot at it, some had volunteered to climb up to it, but were struck down by its noxious mist. Eventually, even Barda's bravest guards had succumbed to the fear emanating from it. No one even bothered to remove the bodies of those who had tried to attack it, and there they lay, rotting away.

Now everything was quiet, the pallid sky churning above, Doom and the demon looked in an endless stare-off, and yet it brought him no closer. It was thinking about what to do, holding them hostage. They had nowhere to go, it had absolute power. Despite what anyone else said, or the rumors surging with breakneck speed around the palace, Doom was positive this was not the Shadow Lord. This being wanted only to destroy and torture as many as it possibly could, bringing anyone or anything in his way to his knees.

But now, there were footsteps behind him, but still, Doom did not break his gaze with the creature down below. "What is it?" He said roughly, he did not want to be interrupted during his brooding for anything trivial. "Sir, it's, umm.." The man's voice broke out, and Doom turned abruptly, and the man backed up in surprise.

He was a mature guard, shaking, his eyes red, and this made Doom anxious. "What is it?" He hissed. Something was going on. "It's King Lief, sir. He's, he's - ." He broke off, swallowing, but Doom was bristling. "What?" But it was a rhetorical question. Rage and despair tore through Doom, a mixture of emotions he had never felt before. No! This wasn't how it was supposed to end! He never lost his composure, and the guard's knees knocked together.

Doom turned back to the balcony, looking at the demon waiting below. Its eyes glowed with green fire, its maw of sharpened teeth mocking him. It had won their little contest, but worst of all, it was looking into him. He knew it knew it now, it saw it in his soul.

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There was a bright light, and for a moment, panic seized him. But then it focused into view and he saw an open window's light streaming down on him. "Jarred?" His eyes shot open, and his blurry vision focused. A girl with freckles and blonde hair tied back in a ponytail stood over him. "Ugh.." Jarred put a hand on his throbbing head.

"Should we go get Marilen?" Jarred turned his head, blinking, revealing a boy with neatly combed black hair grinning at him. "What's up?" Jarred groaned. "My head feels like it's going to split in two." Josef laughed. "Where's Endon?" His brother wasn't in the room anymore. "He went out into the city, Jarred."

He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes, looking at the blonde-haired girl, Scout, Barda nad Lindal's only blonde-headed child. "Are you well enough to walk around?" Jarred dropped his feet over the side of the bed and stood up, wincing as pain shot through his head. "Eh, good enough." She smiled at him. "I can try and go out in to the city and catch up with Endon." He started to drag himself to the window, but Josef suddenly looked nervous.

"Well, actually, the gate is just - ." Scout frowned, but Jarred had already reached the window, looking out into the courtyard in disbelief. "What is that?" Scout walked up behind him. "We don't know, they just closed the gates on everybody. They won't tell us anything!" She looked over Jarred's shoulder and let out a gasp. Josef blinked. "What..? What?!" He hurried over to the window, staring out.

There stood a great green demon upon the gate, squatting silently, watching as several men with spears and swords mounted the steps of the gates in front of it. It watched them with little concern, and the first reached the walkway over the gate, sprinting towards it. It flicked out its hand and the man froze, unsure of what was happening. The rest came up behind him, shouting. But all at once, a tentacle of green smoke arched from above and wound itself between the men, their screams piercing the air.

They clutched at their throats, falling off the gate one by one and hitting the ground below. Scout let out a cry, turning away from the window and shutting her eyes. "Oh, god, what is that?" Jarred couldn't turn away, but Josef moving at his side snapped him out of it. "How much do you want to bet thatis why they closed the gate?" Josef widened his eyes and Scout paced around. "But what is it?" She sat down on the infirmary bed, rocking back and forth, taking deep breaths. Jarred tried to smile and pat her on the shoulder.

Unfortunately, he was sure he knew what it was. Those piercing, green eyes, looking into his soul. They had been in the mist coming from the pit, and it had to be the same. There was no doubt in his mind. Josef broke the silence. "Scout, let's go find your Dad, he might know something." Jarred felt a pang of sadness, thinking of his own father on his sick bed, but he pushed the thought out of his mind. He had to brave for Scout.

"Okay, let's go." Scout got off of the bed, falling them sadly through the corridors of the palace. Jarred found that he was leading the way, and eventually that he had lost his sense of where he was going. He turned around a corner and bumped into a man, and they both toppled over each other, Scout and Josef slammed into the wall.

"Daddy!" Scout ran forward, throwing her arms around Barda as he stood up on the back of his hands. She burrowed her head in his shoulder and he stroked her hair. Jarred edged over next to Josef awkwardly, and Barda got up, pushing his daughter off of him. "You've seen it, haven't you?" There was a shakiness in his voice that wasn't characteristic of the gruff man, and Jarred found it odd he was shaken up so much.

Barda noticed Jarred, and he saw a flash of sadness in his eyes. "Jarred, I see you're awake." He paused for a moment, and Jarred felt a feeling of dread crawling up in his stomach, but Barda seemed to be hesitating. "Where's Endon?" He said monotonously, and Jarred smiled nervously. "He's locked out in the city." Then Barda stiffened, his eyes widening in horror. "Are you sure he's in the city?"

Jarred nodded slowly, not sure what he was so concerned about, but Barda swore loudly, and Scout narrowed her eyes. "The mist is in the city?" Jarred had another vivid flashback to his time in the pit, but now there was another feeling in the pit of his stomach, sending chills crawling up his spine. "Doom says there's no one left." Barda shut his eyes, as if in pain, then looked back at Jarred. "But, Lief.." He broke off.

"What?" Jarred burst out, clenching his fists so hard his nails pierced the skin. "It's, it's nothing." Barda struggled with his words, and Jarred wanted to scream at him, to know what he was keeping from him. "Just come with me." Barda said, the sternness returning to his voice, turning promptly around back into the corridor.

Jarred stood by himself for a few moments, staring in disbelief. Scout paused for a moment, looking back at him. "C'mon, Jarred, we need to follow him." She sniffed, and he locked eyes with her for a moment, and drug himself forward. But he kept shouting in his head that it couldn't be true, that Endon had been left out in the city and poisoned by the creature, he was alive. He had to be!

----------

Jasmine sobbed quietly, her head on her arms on Lief's body. Her left hand crossed over and clasped Lief's cold hand in her own. His chest wasn't moving, and there was nothing she could do. Marilen sat in the corner, tears streaming from her own eyes, bent over Anna with an arm over her shoulders. She was sobbing uncontrollably, and Marilen couldn't do anything to make her stop it.

Marilen couldn't imagine how she felt, and yet, several years ago, she had been in the exact same position, waiting in the Palace for the King to return, not knowing if she would be the next queen, unable to bear the thought of it being so. But now, Anna, the eldest child, would have to be crowned, at such a young age.

Barda had stood silently in the doorway, just staring at Lief, motionless, on the bed. He had said nothing nor shed any tears, but Marilen could see the sadness in his eyes, and knew that the man was whirling with emotion on the inside. "Should I go tell.. Jarred and Endon?" He said it shakily, and he straightened up, trying to resume his proud posture.

Jasmine showed no response, her shoulders heaving up and down as she cried, and Marilen looked back at Barda, wiping away her tears. "No - No, not yet." She looked slowly at Anna, trying to regain her composure. "Just, just - don't tell them yet. Let's ask Jasmine first, when she's - she's calmer." She let out a sob, taking deep breaths to try to calm herself, but she couldn't, only succeeding in forcing even more tears out of her eyes. Barda nodded slowly. "I'll be back. Later, then." His voice wavered, and he hurried away. Marilen looked down at Anna, stroking her hair as she bawled. She couldn't blame Barda, even in despair, he tried to keep up a tough exterior, and must have wanted to grieve alone. But Jasmine, after all this she couldn't imagine what she was feeling.

She lay there with her head in her arms, and Marilen closed her own eyes, looking away. But Jasmine's own mind was whirling with uncontrollable thoughts. She cursed the world, why would they do this to her? WHY?! It wasn't Lief's time to go, it couldn't be, after all this. He'd saved Deltora too many times, he couldn't die from this. Not now, it was too soon. And then her thoughts turned to the demon.

It was all its fault. He was sent by the Shadow Lord. She would destroy it, she had to. The Shadow Lord would be next, he needed to be taken care of. He couldn't be forgiven for this, never, never.. Jasmine raised her head, looking at the emotionless face of Lief, emotionless, his eyes had been closed by Barda, and he looked so peaceful it almost made jasmine scream. Yet, the color had yet to drain from his face, and she still made herself look away.

Jasmine's eyes were drawn to the Belt around his waist, she had drawn back the covers in her depression, revealing the opal, reflecting its many colors. She sobbed again, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself. But it was impossible, her thoughts were racing, and her heart threatening to explode from her chest. It just make sense, she couldn't imagine life without Lief, ever since she had first seen him, helpless, on the forest floor of the Forests of Silence, they had always been together. It couldn't end now.

Jasmine felt her eyes again drawn to the Belt, and she reached under the covers absentmindedly, searching for the amethyst, the gem that calms and soothes. It seemed as if that could be the only thing that could clear her head and calm her down. Her head close to Lief as she leaned forward, she could smell his smell. It had no description of his own, but it was like a fingerprint, the smell that identified Lief as Lief.

But then, clumsily, she brushed her fingers against the opal, and before she could think a moment further, she was in a giant storm of flames. She screamed, stumbling blindly. There were the blazing ruins of some sort of giant building that she was inside of all around her. But, suddenly, she found herself falling down some steps.

Jasmine crawled forward blindly, scrabbling on the ground, her shadow dancing back and forth in the dust and grass. She was unaware of the arch above her, the giant iron doors hanging lifeless. She stood up, covering her eyes, the tears evaporating off of her face. Then, she realized what it was in horror. The Palace. It was engulfed in flame, towering above her, but its shape was clear and distinct.

Jasmine fell to her knees, screaming at the air. Then, there was an explosion from deep within the palace, and flame rushed toward her. Then, suddenly, she was back in Lief's sick room, thrashing about in all directions. Marilen had grabbed her beneath the shoulders. "Jasmine! Jasmine! What's wrong! There's nothing there!" Anna stared, teary-eyed, at her mother, shouting in a frenzy until she finally collapsed, sobbing, on to the floor.