Forging A Demon Empire

Chapter 3

Dark magic was not something to trifle with. For the faint of heart not being careful enough, and it could end up taking the user’s soul. Caremlia blade slashed upon the wind. What had made me not kill her that day? Was it her promise to keep it a secret?

 “Master Reno, you’re not even watching me.”

Now I remember it was that smile. I facepalm as I tried to feign interest. She was useful for now, but weaker than me. Still, that l**t for power was respectable, and the growth was there in both magic and sword. She would be a good pawn in the making. I chuckled to myself.

“What are you laughing again like that?” Caremlia swung her wooden sword as the tip took a dark flame.

“Don’t let it touch the trees!” I shouted. I sat beside a tree reading a book I had snatched from the elder’s home.

I didn’t know what I was expecting when Caremlia had told me it had magic in it and that the elder had used some in his youth. It just seemed to be a regular book. However reading from the book I learnt new spells. This was not an ability I had before a trait that seemed to be unique to this body after experimenting with Caremlia doing the same. I realized it was only me.

“I won’t catch the trees on fire again. If you watched, it wouldn’t happen,” Caremlia protested.

She always seemed so eager to please me with her techniques it was drawing near to the time when the adventurers should be here either today or tomorrow.

I was still unsure if I was ready for a real battle but that was because I lacked knowledge to compare myself against  anything outside of the village.

I sighed.

How many spells did I have at my capabilities: Control Mind, Aligist, Dark arrow, Fire Ball, Summoning I for now these abilities had served me well. I used control mind to gather information about the current surroundings of the area. Aligist had helped me understand the human language. Further, I could only summon a mere dog as a companion. Caremila had a dark, regular arrow and enhanced blade with dark flame. For now, working with the hero was the best course of action until I understood this world fully.

Caremila was panting as she made her last strike. She was out of stamina.

“That’s enough for today,” I said to her as I got to my feet.

“But I can still keep going.”

“It’s dangerous! To push your stamina and mana to the brink unless you don’t mind dying.”

“How would you know?”

“Have I led you wrong yet?”

The flames on her wooden sword died. “How would we defeat the Trolls?”

“Fire or acid.”

I hid the Elders’ book in a dimensional pocket. It was good that I could access it but only two items could be stored that way. “Remember---.”

“Don’t talk about it to anyone,” Caremila finished turning her back to me. “You still don’t trust me after all this time Reno?”

“It’s not that I don’t I would rather be safe than sorry.”

“It’s getting dark,” Caremila said.

“Yeah, let’s head back,” I replied.

Caremila and I dashed back to the village as darkness was approaching. There was a commotion in the center by the well. Many villagers had gathered together as we got closer and saw a clearer picture of what was happening.

Men stood cladded in armor, leather, and foreign garments. The adventurers had come, and they were lots of them. I counted eight, two archers, a cleric, a knight, a barbarian, two warriors, and a mage. The last made me smile, perhaps he would have tomes or some spells upon him.

The mage shouted, “Lock your doors and by morning the trolls will be no more!”

Caremila whispered in my ear. “You heard that, let’s see what they do. You think we might learn more from that mage?”

I turned to Caremila.“I will sneak out later and meet up with you.”

“But how will we find them?” she asked.

I smirked. “Many ways, We will either hear the screams of either the trolls or them and the magic flickering in the air.”

*

I waited in bed for the cheap wine mom and dad had to knock them out.  Mom was cunning after all she didn’t want Dad to place himself in danger to help the adventurers and tricked him by offering him, his favorite wine. Seth’s shadow passed me on the way to the door. I got up to follow him.

“Where are you going?” he whispered looking back to Mom’s and Dad’s room.

I whispered back, “To see what happens to the adventurers and colle…, I mean, assist them.”

Seth nodded his eyes looking back as he gently opened the door. “Let’s go then it might be dangerous but this is the only way for me to regain my… for me to be a hero.”

We snuck out of the village. My eyes lingered for a while on Caremila’s house. She would probably be more trouble than she is worth and it was only by luck we had managed to get out.

The further we walked into the forest the more I realized it didn’t seem like Seth knew where he was going. We both lacked detection skills and the wind whistling was the only noise that  was heard.

“Are you sure, you know where we are?” I asked.

“I am not entirely sure. I figured I might have seen a light.”

A man’s scream broke the silence of the night and we both rushed in that direction.

“Wait,” I said to Seth reaching out my hand but it was too late he had already rushed out.

In the shadows, the scene unfolded before my eyes as an adventurer was ripped apart like nothing more than paper. It was followed by a loud bestial howl that echoed in the dark. It stepped forward. On its head was a crown and green ooze spilled from its mouth. What was this?