The Demon Wolf (Book 1 of The Devil and the Huntsman)

Chapter 90

The room was covered with a door that would only open if it catches the eye of anyone who wears metal armor. During these times, metal is much stronger and more potent than steel; the door automatically opens as Lagertha stands in front of it. From a far distance, she could see a sword in a large stone, and she became speechless for a short while. This was her first time looking at something in person who she saw only in fairy tales and myths. Then, she started walking inside the room, and she checked her surroundings and made sure that nothing was stopping her.

The sword standing on top of the pillar looked precisely like the sword that Lagertha drew in her sketchbook a few days ago. She had nothing else to do in life, and she would never find peace nor happiness in such a dark world. Lagertha walked straight inside the room and followed the trail in front of her; she could see anything and hear every footstep she ever took. She could tell that she might stand in front of some mysterious force that might stop her. Thankfully, that never happened to her because she had only one thing in mind, yet she did not care to control and see what would stand in her path.

Lagertha walked straight into the large basement until she reached the end of the room; she could now see statues and sculptures staring back at her. She stood before the sword in the stone and became amazed while gazing upon it. The blade itself looked great for killing and hunting down demons, but it also had a decoration on the lowest part of the sword. It is a double-edged longsword that can be thrown and called back to by its master, and it could penetrate the strongest of any demonic armor. The longsword has a purple line going from the bottom to the top of the blade, making the sword light on fire.

Lagertha slowly places her hand on the blade's handle and holds nothing back as she realizes this is her true calling. The handle felt cold and very heavy as the sword was stuck on the large stone; no other human would find it possible to pull it out. No person would even try to lift the sword because of how heavy it is, but this was no hard decision for Lagertha. Without hesitation, she drags the sword out by using both hands, yet it was no simple task to take a sword out of a pillar. As she pulls out the longsword, a few sculptures start crumbling down and covering the basement's entrance.

She pulled out the blade and did not surrender because, without it, she could not survive the sleepless nights. The longsword heeded the grip and the call of its new master as the morning sun rises. Finally, the rest of the blade came out of the massive stone, and it immediately lit on fire. The flames were purple, and Lagertha stared at the fire as it gazed back at her. Then, she closed her eyes and squinted as the purple flames were getting hotter and brighter than the sun.

She covered her eyes, and she felt this immense power surround her mind and protect whatever was left of her human side. Lagertha felt this uncontrollable mass of rage and fury enter her soul; she felt the power of the elder wolf revolve around her soul. Then, she finally opens her eyes, and her eye color is the same as the color of the flames in front of her. Her new life stood before her, and although she still appeared to be a human, her essence was now that of a huntress seeking her opponents. She finds her way out of the castle, and she discovers her new purpose in life as her father remains alive and full of fiery anger.

Meanwhile, Julius stood before the grave of his wife and thought of the many things they could have done together. He had way too many things to tell her, and he still thought about his daughter as she was no longer part of his family. Julius regretted his decision to let Lagertha roam freely on the earth, but he did not know she had the blood of the wolf. If he ever crossed paths with his daughter, he might either fight her to the death or see if he can redeem her. But Julius had only one thing in his mind: hold Midland back and dethrone King Harald.

"Farewell, Lucy. I will meet you again in death. I hope you can forgive me... and my daughter for all we've done," he said. Julius believed that in death, Lucy could hear every plea he gave to her and would gladly forgive him when she met him in paradise.

He then looked up at the morning sun and had something new to be planned out, but he needed to do one thing first.

"I build this army in your name. I will drag Harald's lifeless body into the castle's foundations in your name. And with my new kingdom, I will show no mercy to all who oppose me... and you," Julius said. He was already lost in his ultimate desire in life, but he wished to do it all to make sure his wife's death was not in vain.

What he needed to do first was to be sure that Erica and Brant were still alive after the demonic invasion.

"Erica... Brant. I'll find you wherever you are. Let me take this time to grieve my wife," Julius said.

"No, Julius. You must not waste any more time," Mephiles said. Julius looked down at himself and heard what seemed to be treason from the Demon Wolf's mouth.

The last thing Julius ever wanted to hear was somebody dissing his name and his wife's name before the ultimate battle begins.

"What do you mean, no? That woman was the ONLY reason on earth for me to tolerate human life!" Julius shouted.

"You don't know your place, do you? A treacherous man overrules Midland. Meanwhile, humanity suffers," Mephiles said.

"Then let them suffer. I no longer have sympathy for those who have taken far too much from me. Anyone who stands in my way, I break their necks."

"This isn't you, is it? A little while ago, you cared about human lives, and now you no longer wish to save them? What has brought about this change?"

"I do not wish to destroy the lives of my people. Only Harald. Only he shall taste my blade."

"The king is Midland. The king of a kingdom is the only survival for the region to prosper. Without you or him, Midland is lost."

Julius understood only half of what Mephiles is trying to tell him, but he could never sit down for a while trying to come up with something to end it all. The only way to have all of this madness is to be blunt; he will have to abandon his humanity to defeat King Harald.

"Mephiles, he brought all of this to himself," Julius said.

Then Mephiles said to him, "Because of fear, Julius. Fear that you are coming to defeat him in combat. Unlike him, you're already on the brink of losing all that is left of your human side. Everyone in Midland will deny you and forsake everything that led you to where you are now. The new king must sit on the throne so that Midland will prevail. It is the natural order, isn't it?"

Mephiles remained on Julius's side to protect him and activate his power to aid him in every battle and every onslaught. He could tell that his master could not do all of this alone, especially not without backup. Julius had no choice but to go back to Helvegen and King Stonethorn to bring their armies to him. With their troops under his command, Julius might take Midland from the new king. The earth itself would not accept King Harald's leadership because he only cared about Midland itself and nobody else in the world.

"If all of Midland will deny me my vengeance, then all of Midland will die. I have lived in the shadow of darkness for long enough. The time has come for the world to know me for who I truly am!" Julius said. The path he walked will always be paved in the blood of all his enemies and everyone who dishonors his rulership when he takes the throne.

But Julius did not accept Mephiles's offer in taking the armies of Helvegen and Stonethorn right now. First, he needed to find the village where Erica and Brant found themselves; he did not know how long it will take for him to see those two because of how much time is left.