I was a House of War, waiting to be reborn.
In the middle of nowhere leans a bar that never closes. There weren't many worse places to spend eternity, but having Memeton as a drinking companion helped pass the Cycle.
Memet, an Arch Priest of the Infernal Dominion, was the one connection I had to my late bellipotent father, Hal-Raekorn the Elder, Warlord and Stalwart to the Master of Infernal Reality. We demon-kind really are a poetic bunch when it comes to our names and titles. It helps pass the time between bloodbaths.
The Outer Domain is the cosmic counterpart to the Infernal. It runs on cycles too—seasonal, annual, epochal. It is a realm of pseudo-mortal beings. Its elements of power: earth, air, fire, and water, are the building blocks for everything in that reality, but the spirits, the schemes, and scars of the beings there define the landscape and the boundaries of each realm. Their gods are much more hands-off than mine.
The Infernal Cycle runs off a different thread of time with a cadence set by the High Prince himself. It is on his word alone that the rules of our domain exist, and it is in his name that our Houses grow in stature or fall into ruin. Our elements are war, death, pestilence, and strife. Fury, discord, and torment are our tools. Our rivals are many.
Memet offered me a bitter brew: "You should enjoy all the strength that your twin in the Outer Domain brings you. In time, you'll have a chance to reclaim your place among the Court with even greater power. As a Warlord of the Infernal Cycle, you are the House of Hal-Raekorn, but you are also Firefanged, so use it."
Firefanged. There was a Pyrrhic victory in the splitting of a soul. If only Hal-Raekorn the Elder had thought twice about his schemes...
I replied, "Infernal titles aside, while I have Exile to remind me of my station, there is nothing in the Outer Domain to sustain my other half. This situation does me scant good if Baron Maltheus or one of his Pestilent minions goes hunting through the Veil."
Memet was talkative when deep in his cups. "A House of Death carries the sharpest of claws. The assassin's name is Fei-Krull. It means 'fifth claw.' She was from one of Lis-Xiana's older broods. There's only one sibling left in that litter now, and Lis-Xiana will likely have to put the survivor down before it goes insane."
"Good to know." I wasn't in the mood to talk.
He continued with a chuckle, "Or maybe the demon-Queen will just point the whelp at you so that you can do the job for her."
Finally, I sighed. "What is the brood survivor's name?"
"Rei-Seeck. It means 'last sorrow' in the language of Death."
"Apt," I observed. Poetic even.
"Be glad your House still claims its victories, Younger. The killing of Fei-Krull has made you stronger and bolstered your threshold for pain. It should help you heal more quickly beyond the Veil. It should also make Queen Lis-Xiana reconsider her decision to help Lord Maltheus take you down. She has lost standing in this encounter, including her iron-clad reputation. Some may now see her as weak."
I pulled out my war-blade and jammed it into the bar top between us, making Memet jump.
"To Exile!" I roared, raising my cup.
"Exile!"echoed back from the otherwise empty room.
YOU ARE READING
FIREFANGED
Fantasy*I'm using Wattpad as a platform to do a complete make-over of my first novel, Firefanged, first published in 2020. I didn't know demon-slayers were a thing back then. I was more of an inner demon person, but I liked getting them out on the page. T...
