Chapter 24
Moving on
Fillan returns to his room. Shia and Barret were inside cleaning up. When they see Fillan, they get excited and run up to him. Barret picks him up and hugs him. Shia taps him on the shoulder and tells him he did all right. Fillan felt happy.
Fillan notices the bandages they have. Barret puts him down and smiles. Shia asks Fillan about using magic. Fillan, with a disappointed look, tells him that he can't remember what happened. Fillan said he only remembers being calm. Shia then changes the subject.
Shia tells Fillan about the days he missed. He starts with what happened after the battle. Fillan first asks about where he was in all this. Shia said to him that he acted strange after getting his butt kicked. He told him that he told them what to do.
Shia explained to Fillan that he looked like someone already used to fighting. He said Fillan gave off this weird feeling, and they knew he could be followed. Fillan felt embarrassed. After Shia tells him what he did, he tells Fillan about the reinforcements.
Shia said that the reinforcements came late afternoon. General Musashi was happy and let everyone who fought take some time off. Shia talked about all the food he ate and the celebration they had. Barret nodded at most of what Shia said.
Fillan listened to Shia tell him about what the new soldiers were doing. They were getting ready for an all-out attack against the humans. Shia also mentions that all the surviving children are being taken to learn at the demon kingdom. Shia didn't look too happy saying that. He changed the subject and told Fillan about all the dark boulders the reinforcements brought.
Shia talked quite a lot and slowly became hungry. They still had time off, so they could do whatever they wanted. Fillan told them he needed to pack up because General Musashi had told him. Hearing this made them happy for some reason.
Shia and Barret said they would meet him at the dining hall. Fillan then asks about Fearty. Shia and Barret went silent and were going to say something when Fearty's voice was heard. He sounded happy and was talking to someone. He enters the room.
Fearty sees Fillan and becomes nervous. He goes to his bed and takes out some notebooks from his drawer. Fillan asked him how he was doing. Fearty, in an occurred voice, told him he was okay. Shia and Barret were looking at him with mean gazes.
A voice from outside calls Fearty. Fearty creeps out of the room. He didn't say much to Fillan. Fillan thought it was strange. He asks Shia about it. Shia looked away and didn't want to answer. Fillan looks at Barret, who also looks away.
Fillan knew they were hiding something but didn't want to make them feel awkward. He told them he would see them at the dining hall. Shia and Barret left Fillan to pack alone. Fillan shakes his head. He began to get his things together.
Fearty was walking with some of the other demon children. They seem to follow him now. They walk for some time and discuss what they need to improve on. Fearty then excuses himself. Fearty goes over to a secluded part of the fort.
He looks around and calls out. He didn't hear anything, but a child's voice was heard. From the shadows, Kenny walked out with a grin on his face. He welcomed Fearty and asked him if he had brought what he asked for. Fearty showed him the notebook.
Kenny began to talk to Fearty about General Musashi and his way of teaching. He made fun of it and asked Fearty about any secrets he had. Fearty told him that he had already told him everything. Kenny made sure his nobleman clothes didn't get dirty.
"Man, this kid sure is obsessed with General Musashi. If I can use him, then I will."
Fearty remembers meeting him. After the battle, the older demon soldiers praised him for leading the other children and helping them gain the upper hand. Fearty was considered a hero to them. After celebrating, Fearty went to get some air.
He was up on the wall looking at the wasteland. He suddenly hears a voice. Fearty gets scared and takes out a knife. The voice told him to calm down. Fearty sees a shadowy figure. He calls out to him. The shadowy figure turns out to be Kenny.
Fearty looked at him and was about to call for help when Kenny showed him his horns. Fearty then drops his guard and asks him who he is. Kenny introduced himself as a messenger to the demon lord. Kenny began to express his excitement for their victory over the humans.
Fearty also gets excited because Kenny says he saw his bravery and accomplishment. He told Fearty he would tell the demon lord all about him. Kenny smiles as Fearty talks to himself. Fearty asks Kenny if he would rise in his rank.
Kenny nods his head. Kenny then asks Fearty about General Musashi. Fearty looks at Kenny and tells him what he knows. Kenny asks if General Musashi has any secrets. Fearty wasn't sure if he could trust Kenny yet.
Kenny praised Fearty and told him the demon lord would welcome him to his castle when they reached his island. Fearty didn't know what he was talking about. Kenny told him the children would be taken to the demon's island to train under expert soldiers.
Kenny told Fearty that he would be in charge of all the children. This makes Fearty smile, and he becomes full of himself. He thinks about all those who made fun of him. Fearty mutters some things. Kenny picks up on it and asks if he wants to get rid of someone.
Fearty looks at Kenny and asks him if he can. Kenny smiles and tells him he could make it happen. Fearty tells Kenny all about what he hated to do because of the other races in the groups. He complained about General Musashi taking sides in some instances.
Kenny was getting bored of all the complaining. He then asks if General Musashi has hidden anything from them or talked badly about the demon lord. Kenny was also becoming frustrated. Fearty notices and thinks about himself. He began to plan his rise.
Kenny's appearance made Fearty question him. He saw Kenny as just some kid who works as a messenger. On the other hand, Kenny wanted to rise above Musashi and sought any information to help him. After some time, Kenny asked Fearty if he had anything to show him.
Fearty told him about his notebook and what he had written down. He told Kenny that he had mentioned General Musashi a couple of times. Kenny wanted to go, so he asked Fearty to show him that notebook the next time he was there. Kenny promises to do Fearty a favor for it.
Fearty was excited and agreed. They both left thinking about their plans. Fearty was happy that Kenny delivered on his promise. Kenny told him that the children would leave soon and that the wolf boy was not going.
"Fillan should have never been recruited. General Musashi was a fool for doing so. He showed something on the battlefield, but that is all he could. He is now back to where he started."
Kenny thanks Fearty for the notes and tells him to be ready. Fearty asks about his promotion. Kenny tells him that he will be their captain on the island. Fearty left with a smile on his face. Kenny calls him an idiot and laughs.
General Musashi was in his office drinking some tea. He feels a presence and sees Kenny sitting on the chair. General Musashi tells him to enter his office like everyone else. Kenny laughed and began to question his mood. General Musashi then asks for his reason for being here.
Kenny tells General Musashi that all the preparations are complete. The children will be leaving tomorrow morning. Kenny then tells him that the overseer of the fort will also be here tomorrow. General Musashi doesn't say anything. Kenny gets up and heads to the door. He looks back at General Musashi.
"Our King has given you some time for yourself, but the other General are wondering. Is this it for you? Is the great Musashi retiring? Strangely, you asked him for some rest time when we are about to start his great rein."
General Musashi stares at Kenny with menacing eyes. Kenny pretends to be frightened. General Musashi tells him to mind his own business. Kenny laughs and opens the door. He steps outside, and his body begins to fade away.
"Oh, I almost forgot, Azar misses you. He asked if you were all right. He told me to deliver a message. He said we need the harbinger of death; we need Bellum."
General Musashi sees Kenny disappear. He thinks about what he said. He then mutters that he is no longer that person. General Musashi continues to drink his tea. He looks out the window and sees the soldiers working hard.
The following morning more troops and supplies arrived. Among the group was a captain. The captain introduces himself as Captain Oliver Buster. General Musashi greeted him, and the captain bowed to him. General Musashi asked him to get up.
General Musashi looked happy. Captain Oliver told General Musashi about himself. He said to him that he was from the main demon homeland. He also told him said to he belonged to his family lineage. He told General Musashi that his parents wanted to use human names.
"The Terra Clan."
General Musashi gave a tour of the fort and showed captain Oliver where specific entrances were. They discussed the plan the demon lord had talked about. Captain Oliver asked General Musashi his opinion on the war. General Musashi said nothing.
Once the tour is done, they head over to the training area where all the children had gathered. The children talked to each other about what was going to happen. General Musashi and captain Oliver stand before them. General Musashi sees what remains of all the children he trained.
General Musashi begins by introducing captain Oliver. The children salute him. Captain Oliver was surprised by them. He heard that they helped change the tide of battle. Captain Oliver greets them. General Musashi then talks about their future.
"All you standing here today have proved that you have a future. Those who cast you away and imprisoned you have made terrible choices. I chose to rescue some of you while others sought to find a place where they could belong."
Someone from the crowd calls General Musashi's speech boring. The children moved, and Kenny was with them. He tells General Musashi to speed things up. The children didn't know who he was. General Musashi gets mad. Kenny laughs and heads to the front.
General Musashi shakes his head. He continues to speak. He tells all the children what will happen. He tells them they will continue training at the demon lord's island. They will spend their time training until they are ready. The children whisper to each other.
Wagons begin to line up behind General Musashi. Captain Oliver tells them to grab their bags and head to a wagon. General Musashi expresses how proud he is of all of them. He tells them he awaits their results. The children run to their rooms and grab their packed bags.
General Musashi sees Fillan and calls him over. He also expresses anger at Kenny. Kenny said he wanted to leave already. Fillan stands in front of them. He looks at Kenny. Kenny greets him before walking away. Captain Oliver looks at Fillan.
Fillan salutes him. Captain talks to Fillan. He asks him some questions regarding the wolf clans. Fillan could not answer. Fillan told him about what he could remember. He spoke to Captain Oliver about his younger days living at an orphanage.
After their talk, General Musashi told Fillan what they would do. He told him they would wait two days before leaving on their training journey. He told Fillan to get his things and head to the blacksmith's housing building. He was going to stay with them the two days.
Fillan bows and leaves them. Captain Oliver asks General Musashi why he is going to train him. He said he sensed no magic from him. General Musashi explains Fillan's troubles and what he expects from him. Captain Oliver stares at Fillan again.
"A hero for the demons, ay."
Fillan walked to his room. Barret and Shia were coming out. They told Fillan to get ready. Fillan also notices that the incoming soldiers are taking over their rooms. Fillan goes in and grabs his bag. Shia and Barret wave to him. He heads out and goes to the wagons.
Shia tells Fillan that he is excited. Barret nods happily. They load their bags and ask Fillan to put them in. Fearty was walking by and saw Fillan. He gets mad and asks Fillan why he is there. Shia then questions Fearty about that.
Fearty tries to avoid his question. Fillan tells Shia to calm down. He then tells them he isn't going with them. Shia becomes shocked and asks why. Fearty becomes relieved. Shia looks at him and asks him what he did. Fearty becomes scared.
Fillan then explains to them that he is going with General Musashi. Everyone becomes surprised. Shia asks why. Barret becomes sad and grabs Fillan's shoulder. Fillan tells them that he will train him. Hearing this makes Fearty angry.
He stutters as he congratulates Fillan. He also questions how that happened. Fillan told them that it was General Musashi's idea. Shia knew that there was nothing he could do. He smiles and tells him to take care. Barret was crying. He puts his fist out. Fillan gave him a fist bump.
Fearty left in anger. Captain Oliver told everyone to get on. The children hop in the wagons. The adult demons that were with them cheer for them. The newer demon soldiers also cheered for them. Fillan said his goodbyes, and the wagons left.
Fillan kept waving until the wagons left the fort. General Musashi was on the fort wall seeing them off. The children saluted and thanked him. General Musashi smiles and waits for the wagons to disappear. He then heads to his office.
Fillan made his way to the blacksmith's quarters. The head smith sees him and tells him to follow him. He takes Fillan to a small room and tells him he will stay there for two days. He also told him he would be working hard for those two days.
King John and his defeated army continued to return to the kingdom. Some soldiers succumb to injuries and die along the way. They were buried along the road. Some soldiers become bitter and talk behind the King's back.
The news of the human's defeat began to reach the other kingdoms. Inside a room decorated with elven designs, a group speaks. The group is covered from head to toe in fine elven silk robes. They sound like an older generation.
The elves speak about the demons to another, sitting on a throne covered by light. The person sitting there is an elf woman by the sound of their voice. She sounds younger than the group. The elf woman speaks in the elvish language. She wants to know if the demon king made an appearance.
The older group, also speaking in elvish, argue about the battle. Some want to attack the demons and mention sealing them away again. Others want to avoid conflict and let the demons destroy the humans. The woman then asks about the others.
"We are keeping our eyes on this conflict, but that does not concern me. I want to know if any of the other realms are involved in this."
The group says nothing. They then speak about the dark elves. They make suggestions to contact them and meet. The elf woman tells the group that she does not want to deal with them while this happens. They finish by asking her what their part is in the matter.
The elf woman tells them that they will continue to watch from afar. She worries about the other elf realms, as they call them, getting involved. She then calls the humans barbaric and asks them to deny any talks with them. Some of the group left in frustration because they could not agree again.
One of the older elves gets close to the throne and bows. A soldier steps out from the light. He was covered by elven armor. The elf woman tells him to relax. The soldier sounded even younger and called the elf woman princess as he apologized.
The elf princess asks the elf apprentice if he is still locked in his tower. The elf apprentice nods and asks her for help. The elf princess tells him that she cannot do anything. The older elf then apologizes for his master not being present.
"He is very stubborn and hard to deal with. If he weren't our greatest researcher of magic, then it would be different. He also holds somewhat power over me. Just let him know what we spoke of and have him share his thoughts."
The elf apprentice apologizes again before leaving. The doors close, and the light covering the princess fades—the beauty behind the light. The princess was like the fairytale elves. She has long blond hair and smooth fair skin. The elf princess had blue eyes, and her body was slim. She wore a dress made of silk that had elven designs.
Her guard approaches and asks her about her thoughts on the situation. She mentions dealing with the old elves and their way of thinking. She felt saddened by all this and wanted to figure out what to do. The princess tells her guard that they must be careful now.
"The humans are a powerful force. They will not go down so easily, but he might have to step in if there is a chance. If he does, I will not hesitate to move my forces."
On the other side of the continent lies another kingdom. The capital resembles that of the Roman empire. The streets and buildings are marble, and the people wear tunics and togas. Most living here were the beast race.
The beast race was made of different species. They were humanoid, which means that they walked on two legs. The beast men people were also like humans in that they worked and sold goods. They had different statuses and beliefs. The other difference was that some looked like humans while others looked like animals.
As they are called, the beast men have their problems at the time. The way they looked didn't bother them, and they lived like any other. The emperor's home is also modeled at the palace after the Romans' building. A Saint Bernard beast man walks the halls.
He was followed by two others covered in black. The Saint Bernard beast man gets to a door and opens it. The sound of fighting rings throughout the room. The beast-man shakes his head and asks a large man who was easily throwing others around what he was doing.
The tall man turns around and sees the Saint Bernard beast man. He laughs and tells him he is bored. The Saint Bernard beast-man calls him Emperor Sensha. Emperor Sensha was a huge man. He has a light brown skin tone with hair down to his shoulders. His hair is black and wavey.
Emperor Sensha was bulky with muscles. He has scars all over his body, which he likes to display. His face was menacing. He also had three horns on his forehead. Emperor Sensha tells the beast men he is fighting to take a break. They were guards he was practicing with.
"Kujoo, fight me. I have nothing to do, and it's killing me. Come on, what do you say?"
Kujoo was the name of the Saint Bernard beast man. Emperor Sensha sits on the floor and asks for details. He told him that they had other important matters to discuss. Emperor Sensha didn't want to work. Kujoo then tells him that the humans have lost the battle.
Emperor Sensha asks about their other problem. Kujoo tells him what his spies told him about the battle. He then tells him that they need to move their forces. Kujoo let out a sigh and said they could not find him.
"He still has followers and allies. We canceled our meeting with the Umbridge diplomat because we got word of an attack. Luckily my K-9s could spot them, but it was too late."
Emperor Sensha looks at a statue. The statue was of an elephant beast man. He believes that the former emperor might be working with the demons to gain his seat again. Emperor Sensha tells Kujoo that they can only help the humans once they stop the former emperor and his allies.
Kujoo said he would look into it. He tells emperor Sensha that the people are beginning to be divided. Emperor Sensha tells Kujoo to have the nobles keep the people happy. He also warns that getting into the conflict will drive them away.
Kujoo agreed and got up. He was leaving, and before he left the room, he told Emperor Sensha to go easy on the soldiers. They were too many injuries from his practice. Emperor Sensha laughs. He gets up and walks to his throne, and sits.
"Former Emperor Julius, you have done nothing be made your people miserable. Once I find you, this empire with prosper like it once did before."
It has been several days since the battle. King John and his troops were almost home. They could see the castle from the road. The capital then came to view. The troops were tired from walking. King John has Cortez have the troops head to the barracks. He, along with some guards, was heading to the castle. Cortez and Haddison send their troops and follow King John. They reached the city walls, but something was off.
The roads were almost empty, and it was practically deserted once in. Some people saw them and bowed to King John. They looked depressed, and some were crying. King John felt disappointed in his loss. He could see that his people were also saddened by it.
King John and them reach the castle gates. As they got closer to the castle gates, there was a crowd. The king's guards told them to move. The people turned to him and moved. They stayed quiet and offered prayers. More people were crying. Flowers were piled next to the walls.
The doors opened, and King John saw some soldiers line up. He recognized them and continued to the castle. King John arrives at the front, and the doors open. A man with blonde hair and blue eyes walks out. He wore a shiny silver suit of armor.
King John felt happy to see him. He gets off his horse and hugs the man. The man smiles for a second before becoming depressed. King John noticed and felt something was wrong. He asks him how he did with the beast emperor.
The man tells him that he cannot meet the emperor. King John calls him Arthur and tells him that they will try some other time. Arthur was another of his generals. Haddison and Cortez also arrived and saw him. They get off their horse and greet him.
Cortez asks about the people outside. Haddison said she felt defeated and wanted another go at them. King John told Arthur that they had lost and that it would hurt them. King John was putting himself down. He was ashamed and thought he had lost the trust of the people.
Arthur told him that the people would always have his back. He told him not to belittle himself. King John told Arthur he was tired and wanted to talk to Annabeth. King John excuses himself. Arthur tells him to wait.
Cortez and Haddison were uneasy by the way Arthur began to act. King John tells him that they will discuss the matter some other time. Arthur tells him that the people were not there because they lost the battle. King John asks him what he meant by that. Arthur knees before him. Cortez and Haddison needed clarification.
"Sorry, my King, Queen Annabeth has passed."
On a far-off road, Fillan was walking behind General Musashi. General Musashi was explaining to Fillan what he was going to do during his time training. Fillan was paying attention to what he was saying. Fillan then looks out into the distance. They were heading to one of the mountains.
"I will find the answers to what I seek, and I will no longer be a burden."
The wind blew, and it was beginning to get cold. The demon armies were ready. All the fort troops mobilized and started their attack. The fort Fillan trained has become Fort Anguis.