Dark crown

Fighting Demons

Aries threw the papers down on his desk with a frustrated sigh. Everyone in his kingdom was unhappy whether it be over the war or the dwindling food supply no one was satisfied and to add to it demons were terrorizing his villagers. Aries simply wanted someone else to solve his problems for once he wanted someone else to carry this weight which was beginning to crush him, but when he looked around no one was to be seen. 

Mae had looked at him in empathy like she felt bad for him and he hated it, it was the reason why he had power in the first place because he had no help and he didn't need any. Aries threw on his coat and headed for the stables there was business to be had. The stables were dark and cold the horses breathed steady in their sleep all except for one, Ila. Ila had been Aries hoarse for as long as he could remember and she was his mother's before that. She was saddled up from the day's earlier ride and had enough energy to go on for three days. Aries shushed her and she huffed in response. "Stubborn," Aries whispered.

"Off to the bar?" A voice asked from the darkness.

"It's none of your business Cass," Aries replied. Cass's face came into the moonlight making his missing eye even eerier. "Just an honest question," Cass put up his hands in defense "You've been known to make questionable decisions in the past." Aries glared at him and Cass glared right back. "My decisions have all been for a reason."

"In the master plan I know." Aries rolled his eyes and mounted Ila. Cass was the only person who wasn't afraid of him which made him insufferable but Aries had to admit he enjoyed some of his presence. "Don't go off killing yourself like all of your other decisions."

"Because then you'll have a rich lord as a king."

"No because then I won't have any family left." Aries grinned, but didn't smile he gave Cass a curt nod and rode out of the stables and into the black wood.

The black wood was freezing, but the eerie silence was replaced by the faint sound of drums and the darkness replaced by small shining beacons of bonfires. It was cahirs the dark holiday where demons danced, sang, and ate the souls of unlucky humans. Aries rode Ila towards the bonfires the drums and shouts getting louder. 

When the demons were in full view Aries tied Ila to a tree and slowly crept closer to the party. Demons in the bodies of humans danced and sang dressed in expensive silks. On a throne made of bones that could only be human sat Xerxes one of the four rulers of the underworld and one force to be reckoned with. Xerxes was the only demon who hadn't changed form instead he had a face with two never ending holes for eyes and a mouth with long sharp teeth which smiled at all of his followers dancing.

 His entire body was cloaked in black robes making him look like a walking shadow. Aries straightened his  own jacket and walked into the party. Everyone froze the drums stopped playing, the people stopped dancing, and the chanting stopped. They all stared at Aries open mouthed, but Aries ignored them he was here for one person and one person only, Xerxes. "We need to talk," Aries said.

"What a nice surprise," Xerxes said with a smile "Our own favorite king has come for a visit. What is it that you need to talk about?"

"Your tent now," Aries said then walked off to the large black velvet structure cloaked in the darkness. His demanding attitude may have gotten him killed, but if one showed even the smallest bit of weakness with Xerxes he would tear them apart. Aries pulled back the tent flap revealing a small office well lit with a mammoth desk in the back and a fur carpet beneath his feet. "I don't like it when people interrupt me," Xerxes said joining Aries.

"And I don't like it when demons kill my villagers," Aries said. Xerxes sat behind his desk with a smile on his face. "My people were hungry, boy."