Iscariot

I'm gonna get in trouble, I'm gonna start a fight

The desert air was dry and dusty under the hot sun. Sam pulled his hood down for the shade as much as to hide his face from the demons around him. They were hundreds of miles away from Emwin, but the smell of the ocean harbor was the same, the irony bitter as he wove his way along the crowded street. Suddenly, the roar of a crowd echoed from a large stone structure ahead, the day's fights already starting in the city's arena.

"She's in there? You're sure?" He looked back at his brother, Damien following close behind, and saw him nod.

Daezen. Dae. Sam's stomach gave a strange twist at the thought of the innkeeper's daughter.

They'd been searching for the girl for over a month, following every lead they could find throughout the Kingdom of Lilith. Most wound up being dead ends and the last led them to learn that Dae's younger sister Elaera had not survived her slavery. Still, Sam refused to give up. Somehow, through it all, he knew Dae was still alive. She was trapped in slavery, somewhere, waiting for him to rescue her. It was almost surreal to finally find that somewhere was here, in Luxes.

Accessible only by sea, Luxes was an ancient mining city on the farthest end of the kingdom, separated from the rest of Lilith by the desert. It was buried in the old ways of the demons, touted for it among the nobles. A place for holidays, entertainment, and indulgence. A place where slavery thrived and money got you everything you ever wanted, far from the reach of the Demon Lord.

But not far enough. Sam held back the low growl in his throat. The nobles believed themselves immune to the coming laws, due to the huge amount of revenue they brought in. They ignored the reality he was slowly building, continuing their trades, flaunting it, as the capital argued over his push for change.

But not for much longer. Oros reminded him. The laws will pass.

Still, right now, the Kingdom of Lilith was in a delicate balance. Erik's entire government was shaken to its core when he died. All of the advisors but Tristan were murdered by Shadow and the financier was in no shape to continue after being life-drained. It was a tragedy but at the same time, it also purged the kingdom of some of the top leaders who fought for the practices of slavery and legalized brutality. More came out as ambition drew them to the empty positions, but for the most part, it had enabled Sam to place new demons into the leadership roles. It gave him the opportunity to start the necessary rebuilding, to work to change the culture as well as the people.

But it was slow going and there would be resistance, as Luxes clearly showed.

Sam looked across the street towards the dark shadows of a narrow alley. One moment it was empty, demons hurrying past as a chill went down their back, the next, another cloaked figure appeared. Matthew met Sam's gaze, pitch-black orbs blinking to bright blue eyes as he crossed out of the shadow realm. His questioning look was answered as Sam jerked his head towards the arena and he solemnly nodded, blending back into the shadows once more to follow them and keep watch.

Sam moved on. There was a constant stream of demons coming and going through the arena's stone archways. The sounds of battle were loud, even outside the thick walls and it wasn't just the commoners. Noble demons entered, seeking the darker entertainments with looming guards surrounding them. Naked collared slaves followed, tugged by their chains like forgotten pets.

The gladiators themselves, much like mankind's, were also bound in chains or pulled along behind their masters in wheeled cages. The veteran warriors caught the attention of those they passed, yelling and spitting curses at each other. Showing off their scars, they flexed their muscles in an attempt to earn their owner prestige and higher wagers. It was all with the hope that if they survived, their masters would be generous that night and reward them.