Chapter Eleven: Lineage of Fiends

Doku's shell had not yet left Tairon. But his spirit was ranging far afield through the empire. He'd senses the summons a dozen times now. More and more fiends were drawn to the sisters and destroyed. Several times he had sent forth more fiends for them to hunt, leading them on.

With each victory, they grew stronger at a rate they had not in his direct tutelage. Perhaps Illustain had been right. He had always been a valuable subordinate of the Emperor if eccentric.

So he had waited. Waited until now.

Now his spirit stood over a hill overlooking Vairus; he set a hand to his spectral blade. "So this is the place they have chosen to stay this time.

"I am surprised at how far they have come. To succeed against so many fiends without the will of the Vigoor Empire. I can see why the Emperor has such a fascination with these two.

Still, there is the matter of how to proceed. Perhaps in the most direct way possible…"

Raising the spectral Dark Dragon Blade, he went forth.

Rachel and Alma had just finished yet another job. They'd had to hunt down a pocket of fiends which had attacked a factory. It had taken a bit of doing, but they'd destroyed the things and gotten themselves a nice payment,

Now they were celebrating by dining out.

As she bit into her hamburger, Rachel looked up at Alma. They'd learned to cook a while ago since it was cheaper. But eating out was still nice. Rachel leaned back in her set and put her hands behind her head. "Well, this has been going pretty well, if I do say so myself."

Alma bit one of her fries sarcastically.

"Oh come on," said Rachel. "You've got to admit, the fiend hunter business has been going well. I mean ever since we went out here we've had a lot more freedom.

"The hotel rooms we get are now way better than the Monastery. I like Illustain, but stone walls get cold at night. And this way we can wipe out fiends that threaten people in smaller communities.

"Not everywhere has the security of Tairon."

"I'm not paying this!" snapped a man, seeming a bit drunk. "This price is twice what I ordered!"

"Sir, you ordered three waters." said the waiter.

Rachel looked up to see the man shouting. "What… who charges for iced water! This is ridiculous-"

And then a shadow fell over him. A masked soldier had emerged from the shadows. "You are causing a disturbance sir. I suggest you pay your bill."

The man shuddered. "I… yes sir, I'm sorry sir."

"Good." said the man. "All of you, return to your meals."

Rachel finished her hamburger quickly. "Why is it that we have to have a policeman on duty for restaurants?"

Alma rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Alma." said Rachel. "Let's pay our bill and take our fries to go."

They did so and made their way out into the streets of Vairus. It was a large city, though not as large as Tairon The walls here weren't quite as oppressive and there were parks. But it still gave off the vibe of a place meant to channel, not be lived in. Like a castle built for defenses.

But Vairus had been built in the last century. Long after the age of castles. So was it keeping something out? Or in?

Unfortunately, the police weren't as subtle as in Tairon.

Case in point, the sound of a door being kicked in. Rachel looked up and saw a man being pulled out of the house. His wife and children were barred from him as a black bag was put over his head. She made her way over but was barred by a smiling red-haired policewoman. "Hold where you are, miss. We are the secret police. We are here for your protection."

"What happened here?" asked Rachel.

"The man of this house has been reported questioning the divinity of the Emperor." said the woman. "His thoughts have deviated from the will of the Emperor and are in need of correction.

Please, step back."

This kind of thing happened. Rachel knew that much. But she felt like she should do something. But Alma put a hand to her shoulder, and Rachel sighed. "Right, sorry."

She turned away as the man was forced into a truck that drove away.

They walked into the park. Within it, there were people walking dogs or having picnics. Rachel sat down on a bench and clasped her hands together. "That's the third time I've seen an arrest like that, Alma. It never gets any easier.

"Nothing like that ever happened in Tairon. Not in the open."

"Of course, it didn't. That would be contrary to the Emperor's will." said a familiar voice. Every single person in the park suddenly left. People packed up their lunches and left suddenly. Like rabbits sensing a wolf. The sun was shrouded by dark clouds and the air became cold. Rachel stood and saw a spectral figure appeared before them.

Doku.

"Master Doku," said Rachel, feeling a twinge of fear.

"You have been fleeing from him for some time, Rachel," said Doku. "A futile effort. Do you think you can escape the will of God by crossing a thousand seas? Or by fleeing to the tallest of mountains?

"His will is imbued into the very structure of the world itself. It cannot be avoided."

Rachel shifted. He was not possessing a suit of armor right now, this was his true self. A ghostly samurai. "How did you find us?"

"I believe my previous statement should be answer enough," said Doku. "But if you require more details, you have both been making use of your fiend blood. You had no choice. With the Emperor's will remove from you, you were forced to tap into your own strength."

"We're not going back," said Rachel firmly.

"We? Can not Alma speak for herself?" asked Doku.

Rachel looked to Alma, who seemed annoyed. "…Actually, no."

"I was speaking from a metaphorical perspective," said Doku quickly. "You have acted contrary to the will of the Emperor. And you have dragged Alma with you.

"Ingratitude does not suit you."

"Ingratitude?" asked Rachel.

"Did I not take you from the streets of Tairon?" asked Doku. "Were you not clothed by the Emperor? Armed? Given power and training? A chance to prove worthy of immortality.

"Is that not worthy of a price."

"How many fiends have we killed Doku?" asked Rachel. "We're using these powers to protect the Emperor's people. And we've been doing far more out here than we were in Tairon."

"And what makes you believe that it is the will of the Emperor that these people be protected?" asked Doku.

Rachel was less surprised by the question than she'd like to admit. "Why would you train us to hunt fiends if you didn't want us to hunt them?"

"The fiends are as much the Emperor's subjects as the humans," said Doku. "As a human grows stronger from food, the fiends gain strength from devouring humans. As they devour further humans, fiends grow in strength, becoming stronger.

"But a mind is something they lack. They become little more than savage animals.

"Greater fiends may in time be created from ordinary fiends. But the process takes innumerable ages and most die long before that. That was why the Emperor has Ishtaros and Nicchae breed with mortals.

"You must have noticed that as you fought, your strength grow ever stronger. As you destroyed more fiends, their blood fed into yours. So it was that you became ever stronger. But your mind and ability remained.

"With the power of the Dark Dragon Blade, I may now summon the strength within your blood. I may complete the transformation."

"And what if we say we don't want any part in it?" asked Rachel flatly.

"Then that is your decision," said Doku. "You are serving a purpose here. But is it truly your desire to grow old and wither like these humans?"

"Weren't you human once?" asked Rachel.

"I was, but I have long since transcended my previous nature," said Doku. "My family were traitors and have earned no loyalty from me. Any more than a human owes loyalty to the cells that formed him."

Rachel shifted. This wasn't right. She needed time to think about this. "We aren't going anywhere, Doku."

"So be it," said Doku. "But I wonder if your sister is in such agreement with you. The ancestors who sewed the seeds of your presence are watching. Do you not wish to be reunited with them in glory?"

"No thanks." snapped Rachel.

Doku shifted, and for the first time, there seemed uncertainty in his bearing. "I do not understand the root of this resistance. If your desire was to prove you could operate independently, you have more than proved that."

"I've noticed something, Doku," said Rachel. "All these fiend appearances. They've been increasing every day. Stronger kinds are appearing.

"But the military and secret police haven't been responding. All my contracts have come from third parties. Bountys.

"With a crisis like this, shouldn't we be up in arms? Unless there isn't a crisis."

Doku remained silent. "You are perceptive, Rachel. "Very well, the truth then. Humans are necessary. But they are ultimately the lowest of the Emperor's subjects. Just as human nations designate certain of their number lower class, so do we. They build the temples, create statues and act as frontline soldiers.

"And in some cases provide food for the lesser fiends."

"All those areas we went to with fiends in them. You were drawing them there," said Rachel.

"Of course," said Doku. "Their numbers had grown larger. Too large. The lesser fiends needed to be culled lest they damage the human population. Both serve their own purposes. And by having you kill them, we increased your strength."

"How could you?" said Rachel.

"Very easily," said Doku. "When I give a command to a fiend, they heed my voice. For I am their Lord and authority over them has been granted me."

"You let the fiends eat people! Kill innocent people!" snapped Rachel.

"Does the wolf concern itself with the opinions of a rabbit?" asked Doku. "Do humans concern themselves with the opinions of the cows they butcher? And we treat them far better than than their own meat. Humans are allowed their civilization and an opportunity to seek their own goals. Some among them may even become Greater Fiends.

"Far better than the fate of cows and chickens. A miserable existence in cramped darkness, followed by an agonizing death."

His voice passed through Rachel's mind and she thought about that. She'd read magazines about the abuses of animals by humans. Perhaps he was right. A sense was in her mind that there was a door before her. A door leading to light and a hand was beckoning to her to go through. One of infinite understanding and benevolence.

All things had their proper place.

She shook her head. As Alma took a step forward, Rachel barred her path. "Humans aren't cattle!" snapped Rachel.

"Aren't they?" asked Doku. "Look around you at this city. The narrow alleys. The small windows. The walls on every side. In this place, humans perpetuate their miserable existence, shuffling papers, enduring abuse. They are achieving nothing of any note, without hope of betterment.

"The Emperor did not create this system. Humans made themselves into livestock."

"So that's all we are to the Emperor? Livestock?" asked Rachel.

"You are subjects, just as the lesser fiends are," said Doku. "And you are twisting my words. Both humans and lesser fiends consume one another. The greatest among both ascend to immortality and ultimate power.

"The weak are destroyed.

"Until now, the Vigoor Empire has maintained a larger number of humans. Now that our plans are progressing, it is necessary to increase the number of fiends.

"All we have done is channel both. Their conflict creates beings that may one day become servants of the Emperor. You and Alma are those beings."

There was command within his voice. It surged into Rachel's mind and now she was no longer beckoned, but compelled. She felt as though something had grabbed ahold of her and was pulling her toward the door. The light was still there, but it was cold. She feared it, as she feared Doku, and pulled herself free. "Forget it! I don't want any part of this! There is no way I'm going to serve anything that… that depraved!"

Doku went very still. A terror gripped Rachel's heart just looking at him. "…Have a care, Rachel. Until now, I have been courteous. It will not benefit you to see me angry.

"If you will not accept the gifts of the Vigoor Emperor, I will find another who will. Consider this well before you take any rash action."

Turning around, he faded, and as he did the clouds darkened.

Author's Note:

Okay, this chapter was meant to be posted yesterday. Unfortunately, I was sick and lacking inspiration. I decided to delay posting it until I was sure that it was high enough quality.

You tell me.