The Demon And The Guard

The plan

Katelyn:

I wake to the soft shaking on my shoulder, looking up to the smiling man leaning over my bed. "Katelyn....wakey wakey" I instantly try to pull the covers over my head, but, he saw this coming and ripped them off the bed. "You have to get up." I look at him again, this time my scowl present. "Why?" I ask harshly. The brunet sighs, shaking his head "Dont you remember? We have a conference with Queen Aphmau." I roll my eyes and stretch, sitting up and feeling my sore muscles complain. "Why so early?" I rub my eyes and look him up and down, noticing he was already wearing his armour. "I dont know. Something inportant though, If Aphmau needs to see us about it." I nod in agreement, knowing it was true. Usually our missions just came from Zane. Our boss, The high priest of the kingdom. Jeffory smiles warmly and punches my arm playfully "Hurry now. If you fall back asleep I'll send Ivy in to wake you." I groan at the thought of ivy and stand up, pushing the boy out the door of my quarters. "Im up, Im up. I'll be there. Get out!"

I sigh as I pull on my shiny armour and look in the mirror. I look tired, and I am. Zane made sure we all had our armour ship shape for aphmaus meeting with us, and so I was up half the night with polish. He also said we were to wear our helmets, but I wont. The queen isnt going to notice if we dont cover our face. I look again and pull my hair out from under my chestplate. Good as Im going to get. I pick up my freshly sharpened sword and felt the farmiliar weight in my hand for a few moments until I slipped the shiny metal blade into my royal blue sheath. The color blue was part of my uniform. The diamond on my chestplate, the accents throughout my full suit of armour.

I move to pick up my helmet and carry it under my arm, looking to my reflection for just a moment more before the knocking sounded on my door "Katelyn, I swear, if you went to sleep again....Augh! Katelyn you need to get up! We're meeting the queen in-" I roll my eyes and open my door with an innocent smile "were meeting the queen in ten minutes and youll drag me there if Im not out of bed. I know. Jeffory, Im a grown woman. I have some sense of responsibility you know." He makes a stupid expression and laughs "Alright miss responsibility. Lets get going then. Dont want to be late."

The walk through the perfect hallways was quiet between us. Im sure its because we're both understanding how serious this mission must be. Anything could happen. I feel a pit of anxiety start to form in my gut, for once, scared of what Ill be asked to do. Jeffory must've noticed this, somehow, maybe by my expression or the stiff way I hold myself when im scared. He puts a hand on my shoulder, stopping me so I face him "Katelyn. Its going to be okay. Why would Queen Aphmau put you into unnessesary danger? You're her friend, arent you?" I take a moment then nod, looking at him with a weak smile "She is. But remember, this mission is also comming from Zane. Unnesesary danger is his thing." He shakes his head and looks at me in the eye. "Nothing will happen. I wont let anything happen to you. Okay?" I want to protest, but dont from his tone. "Alright....okay." he smiles and lets my shoulder go, motioning with his head to keep going. I smile and nod, moving through a few more halls to the grand meeting hall.

The door was already closed, Laurance and Garroth standing outside, gaurding. I wince visibly as they chuckle "Zane isnt going to be happy with you two." I scowl at laurance's comment "shut up you prick waffle." He looked taken aback by this, and overly confused. Garroth laughs at Laurance's expense, and jeffory even snickered softly.

"Go on in..." Laurance opens one of the large dark wood doors. I step inside the slightly unfarmiliar room, the high ceilings and chandalier with polished floors with the long and huge mahogany table in the center of the room. Not everyone was there, surprisingly, Zane and A few members of the jury noticibly missing, judging by the silence. Queen Aphmau was leaning over papers laid out messily on the table, talking to the kindoms good witch, lucinda. I decide to clue into what they were talking about as I move to a seat closer to them. Jeffory had followed me and mustve been as interested as I was as to why we were here, because he was silent and watching the queen and Lucinda as intensly as I was.

"So... You were able to locate him?" Lucinda nods slightly and points to what appears to be a very primitive map. She speaks a little timidly, like she wasnt completely sure what she was talking about. "Well... with some help from other magiks users... I traced the signal from the sent message to what seems to be a castle... Bigger then this castle even... The demons appear to have a monarchy. Since this signal came from this... castle...we will have no telling who exactly it is. All we could gather is the slightest trace of a masculine touch. Hence why we assume Its a man in danger. Its.. going to be difficult to find him. Very, very difficult."

Aphmau looked up beside me, smiling "Good morning Zane." I turn my head to see him sstanding behind jeffory and my chairs, looking regally grouchy. As per usual. "Good morning my queen. News?" She stands upright and sraightens her skirt. "Right....Well, I suppose I'll adress everyone then." She looks around the room to make sure everone was paying attention before continuing "We have recieved a cry for help. We decided to send you, the jury of 9, to retrieve this....person for our kingdom." Ivys annoying voice rings out, even Aphmau looking irritated by the sound of the pink haired woman. "Why cant regular guards take this mission? I mean were pretty imp-" Another figure walks in through the doors made for royals, making
Ivy shut up instantly. "King Aaron...." I didnt realize the name slipped past my lips until it was too late, Aphmaus eyes widening at the sound of the name and turning "Oh... your up. Goodmorning." The man looked like he was angry and confused until he looked down on his wife, his expression softening slightly "yeah... Im up. Goodmorning." She smiles and tries to hide the papers on the table by standing in front of them. "I didnt expect you to be awake until later... I wouldve... sent you up a breakfast or something." He raises an eybrow, his smile failing a bit "Are you doing official business without me again?"
Aphmau laughs "me? No....why would I not consult you about sending in the jury of 9 into the demon realm to rescue what could be a demonic being that could destroy our realm?" He freezes and looks around, frowning "thats not a good idea." Jeffory breaks the silence beside me "wait... we dont know if who were saving is....safe to bring back? Do we even have a plan?" I look to him, clearly stressed, though that being understandable. He doesnt want to die and leave his daughter, Abby, an orphan. He already lost his wife. "Of course we have a plan and lucinda has tracked the messege and there are no obvious threats. This mission is dangerous, but all are. You know this Golden Heart." Her stren tone made him look down in shame, Ivy snickering at his embarassment. Aphmau pipes up again, smiling "Okay. Whos ready to hear the plan?"