Jubaya Speaks.
Astrids and warrior fairies withdrew from the turbulent sludgepool as Kendra walked toward it, the horn clutched tightly in her hand. She stopped a couple of steps from the edge of the roiling pond. The surface became still. Slowly a shape arose from the muck, dripping black filth. It looked to Kendra like the charred head of a praying mantis.
"A bug demon? Should be easier to squish I guess." Seth stated with some anger in his tone.
Many in the room looked at Seth, perfectly getting he wouldn't be happy about Kendra potentially dealing with a demon.
"Hello, child," said a slithery voice that matched the words she had heard in her mind.
"Hello," Kendra replied, unsure what else to say. She did her best not to stare in horror. Judging by the dimensions of the head, Jubaya was probably two or three times her size.
"I mean, I'm very sure you fought things many times the size of that." Raxtus commented.
"Sure, but still being by myself on a big demon's lair would still make me nervous." Kendra defended herself.
"I am Jubaya," the demon said. "Tell me your name, child."
"Kendra."
"Your full name."
"Kendra Marie Sorenson."
"You are the one who slew Gorgrog the Vile, King of Demons."
"Yes," Kendra admitted, her grip tight on the horn. She wondered if Jubaya might lunge at her to get revenge.
"Demons are cruel and evil, but they aren't dumb, Jubaya was the one that told you to take my horn, and being even just slightly touched by it would mean massive pain for a demon of that kind." Bracken said.
Kendra nodded, that made sense.
"Relax, child," Jubaya soothed in greasy tones. "I pledged not to harm you, and I am bound by my word. It is you who could harm me. Contact with that horn would send me to the endless night."
"I'm not going to attack you," Kendra said. "How did you know I killed the Demon King?"
"Such an act leaves an unmistakable residue for those with senses to perceive it." A six-fingered hand emerged from the sludge, the grimy fingers extremely long. "Would you take my hand?"
Warren whistled.
"Wow, a demon is making a move before you, Bracken." He tried to humor the situation.
The glares from girl and unicorn were pretty worth too, Vanessa smiled and shook her head to Warren's comment, and kept reading.
"She will probably pull you into the pool if you take that hand..." Seth muttered.
Kendra recoiled. "I'd rather not."
The elongated fingers rippled. "Please, Kendra, I must get a sense of you. The horn will protect you from my touch. It is why I asked you to bring it."
"Can't we just talk?" "There are other ways to communicate besides speech. Just take my hand for a moment. Don't be afraid. I promise not to hurt you. Do I appear so hideous?"
"My brother got burned making a deal with a demon," Kendra said. "People I love died."
"No deals," Jubaya asserted. "Just a conversation. I wish to help you."
"Why would you want to help me?"
"Huh, curious." Vanessa commented.
"What is curious?" Stan asked.
Vanessa showed the book to the group there, a black and white image was in the next page, with Kendra holding the unicorn horn, extending her hand to the demon, which really had big eyes.
"Oh cool, the sisters added some images so we can see better some of the stuff." Warren said.
"This is really a weird book of prophecies." Bracken stated.
"I will tell you after you take my hand. Don't be afraid. Don't be squeamish."
Kendra didn't like the idea of touching the demon, but she didn't want to be rude, and it was clear the conversation would not progress unless she relented. Bracken would not like it, she felt, but how big of a deal could it be? Was she just being prejudiced? She had the horn and could strike if the demon attacked. If Jubaya wanted, she could lunge at her right now. Instead the demon waited, hand extended.
Kendra stepped forward, bent down, and shook cool fingers that felt like raw hot dogs. The contact gave her shivers. She let go and wiped her hand on her jeans.
Bracken sighed, having to take the demon's hand was not on his plans, either present or future.
"Ah," Jubaya said, her hand disappearing into the pool. "Much better. Why did you not strike me with the unicorn horn? You had my hand. You could have destroyed me."
Kendra felt off balance. "I don't want to destroy you."
"But you could have," Jubaya said. "I am a threat and a problem to your friends. You have personal reasons to mistrust demons. I have caused discord and strife throughout my long years. You made no oath to spare me."
"Does this demon actually want to die or...?" Seth asked to no one.
"I don't go around killing people," Kendra said.
"And yet you killed the Demon King."
"He was attacking," Kendra said. "I was protecting my friends."
"You are not ruthless, Kendra," Jubaya said. "It's an endearing weakness. We are fundamentally different, you and I. We do not view the world the same way. We do not employ the same methods. If at any moment in my life I could have killed Gorgrog, I would have done it without hesitation. My approach to life has particular strengths and weaknesses, as does yours. You used Vasilis to slay my king. The Sword of Light and Darkness."
"How do you know?" Kendra wondered.
"When we touched, I saw much that you have seen. Your mind is well protected. I needed voluntary contact for a glimpse. After you killed Gorgrog, you could have claimed his crown. You could have attempted to become the Demon Queen. Why did you abandon the crown to Orogoro?
"Excuse me, what? Just taking a crown would make anybody the ruler of all demons?" Seth exclaimed.
"You are not wishing that you took the crown, right?" Stan said with a glare.
"Of course not, I don't want to rule over thousands of stinking demons, this is just so absurd, do they not have actual free will? Anyone can take the crown and do whatever?" Seth pondered.
"That is the way for many magical species, Seth." Bracken began to explain. "Certain creatures will have to bow down to the king or queen at the moment that has the Crown, the magic of that kind of crown will make anyone able to take it, give orders to those creatures."
"Do fairies and unicorns go by the same rule?" Kendra asked.
"This isn't really a topic I should talk about much... but yes, my Mother has a powerful crown that gives absolute ruling." Bracken slowly explained.
"Same with my dad, he is the one with the Crown, though other dragons are allowed to challenge him for it if they are brave or dumb enough." Raxtus told.
"This is just an awful system." Vanessa suddenly stated. "One could be suddenly forced at any point to do horrible acts, no matter who is the one wearing the crown."
Bracken looked to a side... those thoughts had appeared on his mind rarely at times on his long life, and now, here he was, pondering if maybe the others are right.
"No reason, really. Taking it never crossed my mind."
"We are so profoundly different, Kendra. That was one of the five major crowns. You could have become one of the most powerful women in history."
"I don't really get what you're talking about. Major crowns?"
"The Demon King. The Fairy Queen. The King of Dragons. The Queen of Giants. And the Underking. The five great monarchs. You could have been one of them. Any regrets?"
"The Underking?" Seth asked.
"The King of all types of Undeads and Ghosts, one of the most dangerous beings in the whole world. It is said that if you just look at the Underking, you will instantly become an Undead." Stan explained.
Seth shivered.
"I like talking with ghosts and all that... but meeting that guy and becoming one... no thanks" He said.
"I'm glad at least you got enough sense to understand that." Ruth said.
"Not really," Kendra said. She thought about it. "I wouldn't want to be the Demon Queen."
"But the power."
"Besides, some other demon would have probably killed me."
Jubaya nodded. "Yes. On that point at least we share common ground. Self-preservation. And you're right. My kind would have eaten you alive had you attempted to rule them."
"Orogoro is the new king," Kendra said.
"Indeed. Ruling from a new prison. How very majestic."
"You didn't leave with the other demons," Kendra said.
"And so I am in a position to help tidy up the mess they left behind," Jubaya said. "Rushing forward at every opportunity is not always the wisest tactic. Are any of those who departed talking to the slayer of the Demon King?"
"No."
"You asked why I wanted to take your hand. Demons view the world differently than you do. Let me allow you a glimpse. To a demon, all the world is a chessboard. An elaborate game with so many pieces. A game that can be won. Most of the pieces are virtually irrelevant. But some are important. You, Kendra, are an important piece.
Seth sighed, that was so similar to the way Graulas expressed some things...
"Me?" Jubaya gave a slow, rich laugh. "I adore the innocence. Kendra, some would argue that the most valuable pieces in the entire game are the five monarchs. You destroyed one of them. And earned the trust of another. And you befriended the insecure son of a third."
"Raxtus," Kendra said. He had been there at the battle against the demons with his father, Celebrant, King of the Dragons. How much had Jubaya seen?
Raxtus raised his head up at the sudden mention of him, still wondering when he'll appear.
"Are the monarchs the most essential pieces, Kendra? Or the pieces that alter the destinies of the monarchs?"
"I don't know," Kendra said.
"And yet you bend the world with your will," Jubaya murmured. "We truly are different, Kendra Marie Sorenson. I wish I better understood some of what you don't know."
"Is that what you wanted to tell me?"
"No. Why do you imagine I desired to speak with you?"
"Well, if you think I'm important, I guess to use me somehow?"
Jubaya bobbed her head. "So you do understand something about demons. How do you imagine most demons will view you after you killed their king?"
"I thought they would hate me," Kendra said. "But it sounds like they might also admire me?"
"Right on both counts," Jubaya said. "Would you rather every demon in existence wanted you dead? Or would you prefer to have every demon in existence impressed by you and supporting you?"
"That seems obvious."
"Gee, an admiring crowd of many deadly creatures, or a deadly crowd of creatures after me, this is the hardest choice of my life." Warren said.
"I would refuse that "support" from every demon, one day I'll probably just be clawed by a dozen of them after lowering my guard believing they won't do anything." Seth stated.
Kendra sighed, she really hoped that one day, her brother will learn to forgive himself. It was his fault, but he truly believed Graulas was helpful, he was just tricked, but Seth still blamed himself so much.
"The emotions to drive reactions in either direction are present. Knowing what you know of demons, do you expect they are happy about their defeat? Do you suppose they rejoice that a new age of demonic rule was thwarted?"
"No." "What do you imagine they want?"
"Revenge."
Jubaya chittered. "Exactly. The question becomes whom they will target. You killed the Demon King. It was a pivotal moment of the battle. But what is the main reason the demons went to the fairy realm instead of spreading across the world?"
"The dragons?"
"That should not be a question. Demons and dragons have an ancient rivalry. If world domination is a game, the battle of Zzyzx created a major shift in the balance of power."
"What can the dragons do?" Kendra asked. "They went back to their sanctuary."
"Yes, they did," Jubaya agreed, "but armed with new power. Heed my words, Kendra Marie Sorenson. I have studied world events for many millennia. A new age of dragons is about to dawn, and there are few who will be ready or willing to stop them."
Everytime this situation about the dragons was mentioned, Raxtus would just sigh, it was so evident a terrible war will break out, he already picked a side, but that did not mean he liked this.
The dragon suddenly felt a touch on his side and a light glow on his scales, he looked there, and saw that Kendra had placed her hand on his hand, with a reassuring smile.
"Raxtus, I know that out of everyone in the room, this affects you the most, but I want you to remember we can help you." She said.
"I know what to do, if war breaks out, I will help you, you are my true friends, while the dragons only those days are starting to appreciate me, but this is just such a bigger danger than anything else, I wish I could just run away... but I won't." The dragon answered honestly.
Everyone in the room was happy that the dragon would still stay by their side despite what might happen.
"How does that affect me?"
"Would you like to see dragons take over the world?"
"No."
"Who else do you suppose would like to see the dragons fail?"
Kendra finally realized where Jubaya was going. "The demons."
"Now you're seeing it."
"You want to help me stop the dragons?"
"Without the backing of the dragons, you would not have stopped the demons. Should you end up fighting the dragons, most demons will see you as an ally and view the fall of Gorgrog through more generous eyes."
"Why would I fight dragons?" Kendra had barely survived her brief stay at Wyrmroost, the dragon sanctuary. Some of the worst experiences of her life had happened there. Dragons were enormous and virtually unstoppable. The last thing she wanted to do was become their most wanted enemy.
"Perhaps you will not," Jubaya said. "But if you do, help might be found from three demons: Talizar, Batoosa, and Vez Radim. They could be of great service to you . . . and to your brother."
"No, hell no. I'm not taking help from another demon, even less, three different ones." Seth instantly interrupted.
"You have to admit that this is highly unusual though, a demon wouldn't just recommend other demons like that for help." Tanu stated.
"Even then, I got enough in my life of trusting demons, I know I can control the undead and ghosts if I do it well enough, demons don't care, they just want to kill." Seth argued. "Please kept reading, Vanessa." He requested.
Vanessa sighed, Seth wasn't going to take it easy for a long time, and she could understand, and hoped for the better for the kid.
"You are fairykind. There are some limits to the assistance they could offer you. But Seth is a shadow charmer."
"The last thing Seth needs is new demon friends," Kendra said heatedly.
"He was betrayed by Graulas," Jubaya said. "I wish I could say I was surprised. But interacting with demons can be a more profitable experience when you share common interests. Demons have a score to settle with the dragons. You could receive help from the sources I named. With my mark on you, they will look upon you favorably."
"Your mark?" Kendra asked. She had worried there might be a catch to all of this.
"I shared it when we touched. It will cause you no harm, and only demons can see it. My approval will be a protection and will open doors for you."
"A demon marked you... this will be a terrible idea." Bracken muttered.
"Let's believe she is saying the truth this time, it really shouldn't harm me, that would break the oath." Kendra calmed him down.
"What if I don't want to go through your doors?"
"Then don't," Jubaya said. "I wished to converse with you. We have conversed. If a day comes when you could use help, remember our talk. Or forget it. That choice is yours."
"Okay," Kendra said, once again wiping against her jeans the hand that had touched Jubaya.
"Go tell your unicorn that I will now submit quietly."
"Thanks."
"Your gratitude is premature. Don't thank me yet. The day may come when you actually mean it.
"This is the end of this chapter." Vanessa stated.
"What could the next one be about now?" Warren wondered.
"I hope we appear." Doren said.
"Could I read the next one?" Hank asked, who had been pretty silent up to this point.
Vanessa nodded, and Hank looked at the title.
"This one is called, Visitors." He announced.