New Light (My Inner Demons)

Chapter 4: Discovery

Soft footsteps clacked against the carpet of a grand hallway, the plum night sky outside making the corridor glow a dim cool light with the assistance of arcane crystals hung along with walls. Lady Grandma strode forward, drawn by the sound of harsh thumping not too far ahead.

Nearing the source of the sound, she gripped the ball of her staff to brace herself before stopping at the end of the hallway, turning to look at the cause for the bothersome banging.

"Asch... Asch? Brother!" The rough voice of a male daemos shouted, echoing throughout the chamber. He was quite an impressive sight. Tall, just above average for daemos standards and very well built, a body that surely won him many battles. His face was nothing to scoff at either. He was almost textbook "tall, dark, and handsome" aside from the ivory horns that curved upwards on either side of his skull. A gold band embedded with eye-catching jewels adorned one of his horns, easily marking him as royalty.

"Perhaps he's asleep" proposed the woman that stood adjacent to him. She was a beauty in her own right. Her looks were known throughout the kingdom and even in others. Icy pale skin due to the lack of sunlight on Daemos, platinum blonde hair to do along with it. Her eyes were a vibrant seafoam, almost matching her ornate robes. Odd ebony horns protruded from either side of her head, curved into an intricate shape. They were not like anything seen in their kingdom.

"At such a time as this? He should well know his place" the man shot back, looking at the young woman. "Well then my dear, maybe you should remind him" she replied coolly, a hint of irritation in her voice. "You're right," he nodded.

Banging echoed in the halls once more. "Come out Lesser Heir of the Great Daemos Empire , and royal pain in my-" he shouted at the door, voice raising with each word he had to speak. The woman cut him off, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Asch... Asch, are you there?" her question was calm but still loud enough to be heard by anyone on the other side of the door. "Brother, open up!" the man's voice shouted once more.

"Hmm, perhaps he simply can't hear your knocking" Lady Grandma mused, watching the pair from her spot. "I've been knocking loud enough that the whole castle could hear me" the man huffed, turning to face the older woman. "Hmm. Maybe, just maybe Asch isn't in there" she then suggested, a brow raised.

"Nonsense, he's supposed to be in there getting ready" he dismissed her words, returning to knocking on the door to get the attention of Asch who was supposed to be in his quarters. Another shout could be heard but it wasn't different from any of the rest.

"Lady Grandma, a pleasure to see you on this fine day" the younger woman hummed, walking over to greet her elder with a small bow. "Bite your tongue, I don't need respect from you" the former queen stated. "Oh, that's not fair, Grandmother. You must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning" the blonde sighed, gazing down at the other.

"Did I give you permission to call me grandmother?" Lady Grandma questioned, lavender eyes piercing into the other woman's gaze. The knocking from the man was getting louder by the second and was beginning to bother the young woman. "Oh come now, I've been married to Rahl for many moons. Why won't you accept me as part of your fami- will you stop that incessant banging!" she nearly shouted at her husband.

"He's not coming out!" Rahl said, seething at this point. He took a moment to think before taking a breath. "He must not be inside" he concluded, looking at the women. They should be used to his idiocy by this point but it still shocked them sometimes.

"Meemaw, Asch is said to attend the Crisis Summit in two hours and he's not here. He will be punished for not being here" Rahl huffed. "Where ever could he be" Lady Grandma mused to herself. "I don't suppose you would know? We have been ever so worried" the woman sighed, holding the side of her face. With a light chuckle, Lady Grandma smiled at the pair. "I'm just a cute old lady. I can't possibly keep up with you youths," she stated. "Who ever knows where my grandchildren run off to. Certainly not me."