Rupture: Rise of the Demon King (41 page)

Epilogue: Regicide

Day 1, Year 1 of Yoshino’s Era

Yoshino strode calmly toward the Bone Fortress, eyeballing the humongous animal skull that served as the gateway. He stopped and breathed in the dusty, arid air that engulfed his entire planet.

“Good to be home,” he said, watching a giant shadow float across the ground. Yoshino moved forward, smiling as he walked between the skull’s grinning jaws.

Yoshino was still in his human form and still disheveled from his recent fight with Seeko. Yoshino did not go to Earth upon his victory. Instead, he returned to his home world, the second phase of his Perfect Anarchy already in motion.

He walked into the entrance hall where another demon waited for him. The expectant demon was also in human form, appearance strikingly similar to Yoshino’s. He waved, but Yoshino kept walking, forcing Shima to walk beside him.

“Brother,” Shima said. “Kotei Ruyaso is not in the best of moods, especially with us. We left without him knowing, and he just recently found out about the portals to Kismetia! He knows who is behind it too … I barely had enough magic left over to heal myself!”

Yoshino paused for a moment, placing a palm on his brother’s shoulder. “Shima, stop worrying for a minute.” He pointed to the doors to the throne room. “Ruyaso will soon no longer be a concern for us.”

“What do you mean? Did you find something on Kismetia or something? Something that will make him happy?”

Yoshino reached into a pocket, feeling the five necklaces there, feeling their sparks and their strength. A smile crossed his face. “Heh. I found something alright.” Yoshino squinted at his brother. “What about the Syran? Do they still rebel against him? Do they still fight for us?”

“They grow discontent. But who cares about them; it’s you I’m worried about.”

Yoshino chuckled. “How
human
of you, Shima. Please, do not worry about me. I have it all under control.” He fingered the necklaces within his pocket.

“How can you say that? You look horrible and you’re likely marching to your death!”

“Shima, stop. Trust me for once.”

Shima turned away. “The last time I did that, with the Syran, I lost my horns. The next time, I ended up in another world! Your schemes, your plans, they have to stop!” He slumped forward, deflated. “I can’t do it again. You’re on your own, brother. I just wanted to warn you about Kotei Ruyaso.” And Shima left his brother in peace.

Yoshino watched him leave. “Sorry, but my plans will not stop. No, they have only begun.”

He quickly made his way to the throne room, where Kotei Ruyaso sat, rather uncomfortably in a throne of bone. He was in his native Akeni form, wearing the black six-pronged Titan Crown upon his horned head. His long, black claws scratched the bone throne and his gray skin contrasted with the dirty white of the room.

“Yoshino!” he barked. “Why are you here in that
horrible
form?”

“My lord,” Yoshino said, bowing. “I have something to show you.”

“You will do nothing of the sort! I will have you executed for this treason! For raising an army of rebellious Syran under my nose, for fleeing from the authority of your Kotei, for leading a secret invasion of another world with troops that are not yours!”

“About that … There was a plan behind all that.”

“And was it something stupid and crazy? Are you trying to become the next kotei?”

“So paranoid …” Yoshino smiled. “But you are correct. I will be kotei. My rule will be different. I’m less about order, and more about chaos, anarchy, turmoil. Your dominating rule just isn’t cutting it for me any longer.”

Ruyaso laughed, clacking his long teeth. He leaned forward in his chair. “And what are you going to do about it, puny Yoshino?”

A half smile crossed Yoshino’s face. “I never thought you’d ask.” Yoshino shifted back a step, one palm pointed at the demon king, the other clutched around the necklaces.

Then he fired a beam of brilliant white light into Ruyaso, courtesy of the Mother, who had accidently given Yoshino power over light magic when he stole the secrets of the Voice from her. The demon king bellowed as his skin incinerated off him. The beam subsided, leaving only a charred corpse.

Yoshino released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He moved to the dais, removing the crown from the corpse. Then he kicked the carcass out of the way and sat upon the throne of bone.

He placed the crown slowly, gently, upon his own head.

The Kikoeru silenced for a moment, recognizing its new king. Then it began again, chaotic and loathsome.

Worlds away, a part-demon hero observed the Kikoeru and paled once he discovered why it had silenced.

Yoshino chuckled. “Kotei Yoshino. I could get used to that.” His laughter rebounded into the Kikoeru, and even the mighty titan demons balked in fear.

His laughter carried on, echoing through the halls of the castle, through the minds of demon-kind, and into the heart of a hero.

“It is good to be home!”

Appendix: Kismetian Calendar System

From Travels Abroad, by Chronomancer Moses

The Kismetian dating system is remarkably similar to Earth’s; the rotation of the planet is the same and so is the length of its year. The Kismetian calendar has twelve months in it, each lasting thirty days, and five days at the end that belong to no month. These final five days are for the celebration of the various Kismetian gods. Every four years, a sixth day is added to the five, dedicated to the time-travelling inventor named Moses.

The seasons are also similar to Earth seasons. Winter takes place between Shin and Agen, spring between Mir and Rynr, summer between Sheri and Mos, and autumn between Seek and Viol.

The Kismetian calendar begins its dating from the birth of the Violetta, a legendary explorer who returned to Endetia with the gift of magic. Rupture takes place in the year 112 AV, where AV stands for “After Violetta.”

Note: The dates on each chapter are the dates at the beginning of each chapter.

About the Author

When Milo isn't playing D&D or the newest Elder Scrolls, he is writing, trying to give back to the world that made him who he is today. The twenty-three year old Texan also keeps his nose in dusty old tomes that people once called “books”, even though many say they can read anything on this new-fangled “internet” nowadays. You can find Milo's internet presence at
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Order of Chaos: Book 2, Divided, Sneak Peek:

1: Sacrifice

1 Mevora 3052 3E: Day 1

Note that this may not be the final form of the chapter appearing in Divided.

Aenia was destined for something more. She knew it as she walked behind her superior yellow-skinned Terin, head bowed in deference. She following her captors willingly, not bound. The golden-skinned Terin surrounding her contrasted her gray, inferior skin. Her white robe hid the majority of her, but her hands and face were still easily visible. The sight of her drew Terin attention from all directions. She was a symbol, one used to keep peace with the gods.

For Aenia was to be executed.

It was the annual sacrificing of a substandard Vesan slave. The gods demanded it. But why only Vesan? Aenia couldn’t help but question the intent of the ritual. So long had they been thoughtlessly used to appease the gods that she forgot why.

They walked through the halls within the trunk of the tree to their destination. The vines of the walls merged into the living ground beneath her. This moving, gargantuan tree, Vorphelios, had become her home, but soon that would change. Soon everything would change.

A figure clad in black met with her earlier. He knew the Vesan were just being abused. He had told her about the lies in their tradition, how she was equal to the Terin. He told her to run. And that’s was exactly what she was going to do.

She had known the young female guard before her all her life, ever since her birth into slavery. This woman, Iessa, was the closest thing Aenia had known to a friend. Iessa was one of the few Terin who actually talked to her, even if it was with a sense of supremacy. Still, since Aenia was separated from all other Vesan slaves, she had to make do with what she had.

She hadn’t always been so questioning. The black clad figure spoke to her, warned her of mindless obedience to her superiors. He had told her that she could be so much more than what she was. And he was right.

Still, it felt wrong to disobey Iessa, to run from her. Even to save her life.

Her stomach fluttered as she continued to think about escaping. She followed the Terin guards closer and closer to her doom, shaking. She had watched countless Vesan women march to their doom in years before… why were they not shaking? Were they not scared? Did they not know they could have been something better?

Where were they taking her? Of course she couldn’t ask them. The ceremony would not occur until the moons were straight overhead, until the brighter moon Teritia eclipsed the dark moon Vesitia. Already she could see the bright moon begin to cross into Vesitia. Her time was running out.

But when Aenia willed her feet to turn, to go in any other direction, they ignored her. She could do nothing to stop herself from moving forward. The fluttering in her stomach strengthened, and soon she felt like she was going to throw up.

Her guards stopped before a doorway made of vines and roots. She didn’t notice them and bumped into Iessa. Iessa returned a cold stare and pointed to the door.

Aenia stood frozen. She wanted to scream that the ceremony wasn’t for another few hours, but instead she looked to her sweating hands. Then she walked into the room, head held high, but teeth clattering.

A male Terin lay before her on an elevated dais. He was young and short, but Aenia would call him attractive, if she found Terin males attractive at all. His blonde hair was parted, keeping it from his piercing blue eyes. He beckoned and the guards left him and her alone.

The Terin rose and walked to her. He looked first at Aenia’s slim face. Her violet eyes stared uncomfortably at him and her normally puckered lips thinned. Her face was framed by her black hair, which ended at her neck and curled away. The Terin circled her, examining her as if she were an animal on display. He came back around after a moment and looked her straight in the eye. “You are scared?” he said in a soft baritone.

Aenia shook her head.

“You are very… pleasant to look at,” he said, his gaze dropping. Aenia’s eyes narrowed, but she showed no other emotion to her superior. He cleared his throat. “I am Ner-Dyzely of Mergathirio Nysusi. What is your name, Vesan?” Aenia tried to find her voice, but couldn’t. “I asked you a question, slave.”

“…Aenia,” she said after a moment.

“Aenia? That doesn’t fit a slave.” He took a step closer and Aenia stepped back in retaliation. “You have some problem with obedience, slave?”

No, just with you, she thought to herself.

Dyzely took another step. This time Aenia did not step back. “Are you afraid to die?”

Aenia gulped and nodded.

Dyzely stepped back. “You were born to die here. You knew this day would come, always. Why are you afraid?”

“I do not wish to answer that question, master.”

“Fair enough. I suppose if it was me, I would be afraid too.” Dyzely moved back to the dais and reached for a bottle. He took a swig, moved back to Aenia, and offered her some.

“It is not custom, master, to take from the same bottle as you.”

“Please, call me Dyzely. You are different from the others, Aenia. I almost feel bad for you.” He downed more of his drink, eyeing the bottle like it was her. “Go.”

Despite the fact that Dyzely was a creep, Aenia did not want to leave. She felt like if she stood there, perhaps time would lapse around her, the deadline would pass, and she would be safe.

But then Iessa reentered the room. Without a word they left Dyzely’s chambers. They moved into the giant tree, up the spiral staircase that wound its way throughout.

The tree’s trunk thinned as they climbed and eventually the staircase opened up into a large platform. The canopy of the gargantuan tree was cut above so she could clearly see the moons above. Teritia was already halfway across Vesitia. Where had all the time gone?

In the center of the circular clearing was a short wooden platform with stairs up one side of it. Upon the platform were four sacrificial fires, already burning. The guards moved her up the platform and forced her on her knees. Iessa stood before her and spoke, cold and soft. “Rise your head, Vesan.”

Aenia obeyed. The trembling began once more as she stared into Iessa’s blue eyes. Iessa pulled out a small cord and bound Aenia’s hands behind her. Then she moved in front of Aenia, facing away from her.

Soon the lords of the various trees began to file in, with the exception of one: Dyzely. The ceremony could not start without all of the lords in their respective thrones around the platform. Where was he?

The moons overhead were almost eclipsed. The waiting was killing Aenia. She almost wished for Dyzely to show up so that the agonizing
waiting
could stop.

One of the guards shifted to Aenia’s right. She glanced at the guard and double took once she recognized him: Dyzely. How did he even switch with one of the guards?

Guardsman
Dyzely winked at Aenia and moved behind her. He began to speak in a thinly disguised version of his normal voice. “Ner-Terin of Theris! Today, we beg the sacrifice of this young girl!”

The Terin lords shifted uncomfortably. The ceremony could not begin with a lord missing. One of the lords pointed to the guard and yelled just that.

Dyzely gestured skyward. “We have no more time to wait for this missing lord. We must carry on or risk angering the gods!”

The lords did not like that idea, but the idea of breaking tradition wounded them just as much. They began to debate on what to do.

During the commotion Dyzely kneeled down behind Aenia and cut her bounds. “Don’t move,” he whispered in her ear. “Not yet.” He rose back up.

Aenia did as ordered. She even stopped trembling. If only she could stop her racing heart.

“Nowhere in the history of the Terin have we ever missed a sacrifice,” one of the lords was saying.

“Nowhere in the history of the Terin has a lord been absent, either,” another said.

The arguing became louder as the moons drew ever closer to each other. Dyzely positioned himself next to one of the fires and nodded to Iessa and the other guards. They made sure no one was watching, then put their plan into motion. Simultaneously, the guards surrounding Aenia knocked the fires off the platform to where the lords were stationed.

The fires scattered the lords as they came crashing around them. Dyzely grabbed Aenia and raised her up.

“Go! You need to escape!” Dyzely whispered harshly. “Go to the Krystallina Pyrina! There will be someone waiting for you.”

“Thank you, master,” Aenia said.

“You can thank me if we ever see each other again,” Dyzely said, gulping. He shoved her and she almost fell down the steps. She took one step at Dyzely and Iessa, who were looking around in the commotion. Another silent cue and the guards scrambled. Aenia turned on her heel and took off.

She burst into the tree and fled down the spiraling staircase. As she burst out of the door a guard noticed her and pursued her. Soon an entire group of Terin guards were chasing close behind her.

The tree rocked as it took a slow step forward. Aenia almost fell, but quickly righted herself and moved on. The Krystallina Pyrina, the Crystal Nucleus, was the soul of the tree. It was located near the roots of the tree, almost a thousand feet down from the top.

She kept running down though the tree, using every ounce of her being to outrun the Terin behind her. The walls seemed to squeeze her and trap her as she ran. Every hallway and branch she passed threatened to bring more guards. She kept hearing the footfalls of her pursuers… or was it simply her own footsteps?

She came across a hall with an intricately carved arch, a sign of that only the most privileged Terin could enter. It also told her that the core was in that direction. She turned and took off down the new hall. She looked back to find the Terin stopped at the arch, as they couldn’t break the rules.

She briefly let out a smile of relief. She knew they would eventually follow her, waiting only for permission. Her newfound security didn’t slow her down, still searching for guards, still scanning for the Krystallina Pyrina.

Eventually she found it: a large open doorway blocked by roots. The roots, or maybe the tree, sensed her approaching and unwound themselves, allowing her entrance. She ran through the passageway and the roots reformed behind her. Aenia found herself in a large round room with pews facing a platform at the back. A large glass sphere was located on the platform and glowed like amber with a light behind it. It was the core, the nucleus, the beautiful heartbeat of life in Mergathirio Vorphelios.

Aenia moved up to the softly pulsing orb, easily as tall as her. She looked around for whomever Dyzely told her to meet. Her contact wasn’t here; Dyzely had surely led her into a trap. She hung her head, waiting for capture and death.

She returned her gaze to the yellowish glass before her. She knew she wasn’t supposed to touch it. Only Priestesses had the privilege, the right, to talk to the tree. Only Terin had the right to be here. Only Terin could live lives, could be more than this. A tear fell as she looked to the door that would soon be rushing with Terin. She had already broken the rules. She was supposed to be dead. She was supposed to be a
nobody
, another in an infinite list of death.

But someone had told her that she would be so much more than that.

She placed her thoughts behind her and reached out for the orb. Her finger touched the crystalline sphere. A sudden flash blinded her and then all sensation was lost.