Song of Shadow and Light (BxB)

Chapter 16

When Thaddeus regained consciousness, he found himself surrounded by darkness. He lay on a cold, wet ground; something that he didn't expect from the fire realm. He was in a dungeon, not surrounded by burning lava like he thought that he would be. It was also awfully quiet. He couldn't sense a soul near him, not a human or a demon. He was completely alone in this cold, dank prison cell. 

A dim torchlight from the other side of the cell was the only light in this place. Thaddeus stood up, sore from lying on the hard floor. He approached the bars and gripped them, testing their durability. Ever since gaining his powers, Thaddeus was stronger than ever before. He wasn't a weak mortal so with some effort, he was able to bend the bars wide enough for him to squeeze through. He was thankful for this gift that he had acquired, but he knew Kaelan would be upset if he ever found out the origins of Thaddeus' powers.

Thinking about Kaelan, he knew he needed to find and rescue the cleric. If Thaddeus was sent to a dungeon upon entering the portal, then Kaelan must have been transported to the lord of this realm. Knowing that Kaelan was fighting by himself, Thaddeus hurried out of the dungeon. His sword was still on him, but no lesser demons were standing in his way. It was too quiet for his liking. The demons must not have seen him as a threat if they were willing to leave Thaddeus alone. Well, they would soon find out that he was not one to be trifled with. If they threatened Kaelan's life, Thaddeus would come to his rescue.

From what Thaddeus learned from Azai and his studies, Kaelan would need him now more than ever. The first couple of realms they entered would pose a challenge, no matter how powerful Kaelan believed he was. The warrior could not deny Kaelan's power, but he was not as strong as he should be. Kaelan would need him during these early trials.

Thaddeus was reluctant to run into the fire lord, but there was nothing he could do to avoid him. If that demon wanted to, then he could easily expose Thaddeus for what he was and have Kaelan question everything that he knew. The warrior couldn't have the cleric doubting him already. Regardless of what Thaddeus was and his dark powers, he would always be on Kaelan's side. He swore a vow to protect him. Even before he became his warrior, Thaddeus wanted to keep Kaelan safe. From the demons, and himself.

He ran through the maze of halls, looking for his cleric. He could faintly feel Kaelan's divine power, so he followed the sensation. The divine presence became moderately stronger the closer he came to his destination. Even if Kaelan wasn't using his magic, Thaddeus was able to sense the energy coming from him. He was always able to, ever since they were children. Normal mortals wouldn't have been able to pick up on this energy. He wasn't happy with what he had become, but at least it was proving useful. His senses were stronger than ever before.

Eventually, Thaddeus pushed through the throne room doors of the castle. The fire lord, Xaphan, sat upon his throne. Thaddeus could see that a battle took place from the scorch and sword marks carved into the ground, but it was over now. Xaphan barely had a mark on him, and he looked annoyed when he saw Thaddeus entering the room.

Thaddeus was furious the moment he saw what state Kaelan was left in. The cleric didn't appear injured, but he was uncomfortable as he was forced to sit on the fire lord's lap. The demon was massive compared to Kaelan, so Kaelan fit on just one of the demon's legs with room to spare. What angered Thaddeus more was the collar and chain around Kaelan's neck. Xaphan had ahold of the chain with one hand, while the other was resting on Kaelan's waist.

"So you're the warrior? How humorous. I heard that one of the major lords died twenty-six years ago, but I wasn't expecting this. A mere mortal shouldn't have gained her powers. You don't deserve it," Xaphan said.

His words made Kaelan glance at Thaddeus, confused by what he said. The cleric had already learned so much today and he couldn't process all of this information. First, he learned that he may have been a reincarnation, and now Thaddeus may have gained his powers from a demon lord. But that didn't make any sense. Mortals couldn't just gain the powers of a demon.