Snow
Chapter two: The Bat Queen
By: Aeris
I don't own the Tamora Pierce characters or Tortall. I do own the Bat-Demons and i.e. Ateo, Queen Ratellciea and others, the Empire of Imp, Emperor Imp, the Wolf-Demons, and other demons. If you wish to use them e-mail me at kurumi2244@aol.com
There she stood. Her black wings stuck to her back.
"Batavia." A man said as he came from behind. He looked at her his black violent eyes met her violet ones. He too, had wings and ears of a bat.
"Ateo, Ateo, Ateo," The bad-lady said speaking slowly, "Give me a good reason why I should spare you worthless life."
"My lady, my Queen, you wouldn't hurt me would you?" Ateo asked and stepped back.
"Don't call me 'Batavia' either you moron you know my name. What you did, that stunt with the Black God… you're lucky you stand on this ground. Bring back the dead you fool! And that man you brought back… Roger no wonder the Black God didn't kill you." She said and started to pace. "But, he'll still frown upon the Bat-Demons forever."
"He's happy to help ageists those mortals, if you call them that. Roger, he's a fair mage, not like that Numair guy but he'll do. There are some, minor problems, like that retched lady companion of the kings--"
"Lady Companion?" The demon queen smiled, a bitter smile. "This won't be so easy will it? Not with lady knights. They are the ones with strength men, can you say idiot?"
"Queen Ratellciea, I don't think that men are any different in strength then women, if fact I do believe that they are--"
"Do not say anything you ignoramus, you go tend to that little mortal and report to me when you are through. Ateo vanished into the night his wings carrying him swiftly.
~*~
"Bat-what?" The Lioness asked that night at a meeting.
"Bat-demons," Was the kings stern reply. "They come a night, in your dreams. Attach you with your fears and dreams. They can suck you into a word of bewildered fantasy and slowly kill you. You don't wake up you just sleep. Signs come, you sweat, you cry out for lost things, you kick violently and sometimes vomit. The final stage is when you turn deathly pale and then you die. It's that easy they kill you. Frightfully scaring for those who watch, can cause them to an early grave." Jonathan had a worried look in his eyes, none of the knights were back yet, and he didn't need the bat-demons messing with them. "Thayet, Thayet was hit. She was evidently their first target." The said king wiped his misty eyes, "Sorry, anyway this could've been prevented, easily. If I had known earlier…"
"It's okay Jon, it's not your fault it could happen to anyone, me, Raoul, even George. We'll save Thayet, Jon." Alanna said and Raoul snorted.
"Leave me out of this," Raoul muttered.
"So, don't be alone, at all. Not at night, not in the morning, not in the afternoon. Ever." The king said sternly as he eyed the crowed seeing that Numair was missing, Daine just simply shrugged when she saw Roland's sons face. Jonathan gave her that look that he understood that Numair had locked him self up in his room over a spell. "Our wonderful mage Numair has apparently devoted him self to a spell, hopefully to rid us of these horrible demons."
"I still don't understand something- why are the demons coming out now? No demons have set foot on Tortall in centuries." Neal asked.
"Anybody ever realize that all these things happen after Alanna came?" Sir Garth the younger asked to receive a punch in the arm from the Lioness.
"Ah hum," The King said glaring at Alanna and Gray. "This goes for all of you, particularly Alanna, don't play hero, don't look for trouble. ("I don't look for trouble!" Alanna scowled.)
"The bat-demons are our enemies. They came 400 years ago at the begging of the Human-Era. When we though that all the immortals had left us be, then demons struck. Other demons came the wolf-demons, gave us the most hostility. They are wolf like creatures with an alarmingly high amount of strength and bodies of wolves with human hands and four tails. We beat their head and they fled so we though we were safe. The bats were the weakest of all the demons, now one of the strongest leagues. The have their own world, the demons that is, called the Empire of Imp."
"Empire of Imp?" Alanna said suppressing her laughter.
Jonathan ignored Alanna's remark. "The Imp is their leader, their Rouge, their King, their Emperor, you chose. The Imp is more powerful then the Dominion Jewel." A few gasps came from the mages in the group. "Evil power seldom this great, so be on your guard! I can't stress this enough, don't go anywhere alone even to walk to your room were another person is." The king dismissed them and they all shuffled out talking of their new horrible enemies.
~*~
The evil duke smiled an evil smile. He looked into a mirror that shown the Lioness with his cousin sitting next to the sleeping queen. He touched the image, "I hear the third times a charm, oh Lady Knight." Blood dripped from his fingers on to the mirror, "I'll have me sweet revenge yet, oh sweet one."
"I think he's crazy," A young female bet-demon said as she was looking into Roger's room.
"Yep, he's only died twice. It's not like mama, she's died at least four times and she's not crazy." Remarked a male bat-demon that appeared to the same age.
"Tillion," The girl-bat said. "I think we should go. If he sees us then--"
"He won't see us Buna," The boy-bat, Tillion, told her.
"Can we go, please? If mama finds out that we're gone, she'll won't let us hunt with the elders anymore!" Buna told her brother.
"Fine, but you worry to much Buna," Tillion said as the two walked down the winding black hall way lit with the same brilliant purple flames that lit the Queens room.
~*~
I know that was a short chapter, don't throw rotten food at me. Save that for the next chapter. Review!! Thankies!
Preview of next chapter~
More people are taken into the hands of the bat-demons, leaving Tortall in a period of morning. The other knights are found few come back. The reasons for the Demons attaches are reviled.
