KEEL THE DEMONSLAYER

10 - Demonslayer

Two centuries of never-ending battles, no peace of mind and a difficult fight in the frozen north...

Below, was the vast landscape covered by snow and ice. From that high point, everything seemed very quiet.

"I don't like it here" Aztazûr grumbled.

"I know. Want to come down and get some rest?"

"No, I want to get there as soon as possible! Still a long way to go?"

"No Az, the camp is there, after those mountains".

"But that's a lot!"

"We'll arrive before dusk".

"I miss Scarlett" revealed the dragon.

"Really? You're getting soft, Az, spending time in Nelfaria makes you spoiled".

"You are so cold, Keel. You should take better care your children".

"I cannot have that luxury, you know. There is much in war that depends on me".

"When we come back?"

"Not any time soon" I replied feeling a chill.

"You are afraid to confront her. I can tell..."

He was right. Many years had passed. Two more centuries of war. Meanwhile, Scarlett and I had six children. The first came after the first defeat of the demon queen. In those years, I still occasionally returned to Nelfaria and Scarlett embraced the reproductive function, to which I collaborated with my visits. I had affection for her, but not love.

It was after the birth of my sixth that Birth Law was revoked. What started as special cases, now become the rule: the purity of our race and its attributes were no longer being transmitted to offspring. My sixth was one of these degenerates. Hundreds of degenerated were born among the elves. They were the same as the twins I had with Jilija. The moral degeneration of our race now manifested in the birth of cursed children. Gradually, all the elves lost the ability to generate perfect individuals properly linked to earth's energies and to the Goddess Ectarlissè. The curse grew stronger each year, consuming all of our race from our former glory. The connection with the earth element was broken and the younger generations were increasingly air connected.

Something similar happened with the Holmös and Vetmös, the two upper castes among humans that resembled the elves. It was as if the life source of the noble races was fading away. Although Hostenoist's weapons were leading to good effects in battle, the fighting spirit of human and elf was down.

I still had feelings for Shasticara and we now fought apart in different campaigns across the world. Scarlett established in the great city of Falíssiria and was advancing as a priestess in the temple of Ilksuut.

I've always been too involved in the war to follow the development of my children, thus I didn't create bonds. My oldest son, Nargil, was serving the army in those frozen lands and the possibility of meeting him brought me some anxiety.

Now we were flying over the north of the third continent. Those lands were once home to the Vetmös Empire, and these days were plagued by demonic hordes on the eastern side was our largest scourge, the gateway to the hellish planes. Helmut and his armies were seeking Duke Zimbros' command base located somewhere at the forever frozen north.

There were rumors about Lord Grevos resurrection one century after his defeat. He was the first lord among the ones that served Duke Zimbros.

Az grew very much in those two centuries and he was now almost as large as an adult dragon. We were easily spotted and the camp's alarm went off. We landed far from the camp and a group of scouts came to our meeting. To avoid problems with the dwarves, as they were very suspicious of the dragons, I ordered Az to go hunting down south in a coniferous forest we passed by. I followed on foot wrapped in a thick blanket made of black wolf pelts. I told who I was, but the scouts doubted me. I showed my sword and summoned a thick fame jet. Then told them to take me to General Helmut. It worked fine.