Rise of Heroes

Chapter 20 - Strange Behavior

“Are you alright?” Tamara asked Jaden for a second time, glancing at him over the maps that were currently unfolded on the big rectangular table in the empty throne room. It was already past dawn, but the sun seemed reluctant to show itself as usual, so they lit some candles, placing them at the edges of the maps to keep them open.

“I’m fine,” Jaden muttered, turning to look at the other people in the hall. Besides him and his sister, two more had joined their early gathering — General Mayern as well as the Captain of the city guards, Berk Connell. All four of them turned their attention to Reagan, Tamara’s lead scout, who had just entered the throne room, awkwardly glancing around.

“We can start now,” Tamara announced as the scout joined them around the table. Reagan nodded and quickly gave them a detailed report on their latest expedition, emphasizing the irrational behavior of the demons and the increasing number of attacks. All the villages and settlements North of Tigossa were already depopulated or destroyed with the same happening further west.

Jaden’s eyes remained on the map, on the markings of the great wall his grandfather had ordered built decades ago, running all the way from Roaldan to the base of Gwanhar Mountain, cutting all access from the north where they believed the demons came from. In the past few years, it felt that even that was nothing but a way to slow down the demons or prevent the ones that couldn’t fly or climb from going beyond it. They had even given up manning the wall at this point since every time they sent someone there they disappeared without a trace.

“How is this possible?” Captain Connell murmured, rubbing his head. “Should we send soldiers to the wall again? Or at least some to check for a breach somewhere on it? This makes four entire villages wiped out! And now there are demon sightings all the way down to Tigossa and beyond. There were rumors going around that some refugees spotted a demon not far away from the capital too, but that was probably just their fear making them see things. I hope. We must do something.”

They looked at Jaden, who realized he had stayed quiet the whole time. He kept staring thoughtfully at the map, barely registering their conversation as his mind tried to piece together all that he had seen and heard for the past few weeks. There was no doubt that something was brewing on the other side of the wall, but his mind could not think of what could have triggered the change. Unless...

“We can send troops in the villages north of here,” General Mayern suggested, with his finger drawing a line halfway through the country. There were a lot of territories to cover and they were struggling with the troops as it was. It wasn’t practical, Jaden realized, but Captain Connell was faster at voicing his disagreement.

“There is no point. Even if they defend the village once, they’ll definitely die the second time. The demons are getting smarter and this is concerning. I wasn’t aware they could actually think for themselves!” Captain Connel shook his head and leaned forward, putting his hands on the table. His tiny dark eyes inspected the map thoroughly, bringing a frown to his face.

“What concerns me more than the sudden signs of intelligence is what sparked it,” General Mayern murmured and mimicked the Captain’s gesture. “I’ve literally seen them run into trees and fall into the most obvious traps. I’ve seen them fighting among each other for their prey, allowing us to escape while they were busy with each other. Now different species even hunt together? What could have happened? Did they eat something or suddenly grow consciousness overnight? This is making my head hurt.”

“He is coming.” Jaden didn’t realize he said it out loud until the awkward silence filled his ears. Sensing their eyes on him, he was forced to meet them. Their expressions varied from confused to concerned.

“He? What are you talking about?” Tamara asked, crossing her arms. She was dressed in her usual leather pants and shirt, her cloak hanging loosely around her shoulders. She also didn’t seem like a person who had gotten enough sleep in the past few days.

Jaden hesitated. He couldn’t exactly tell them he heard it in a dream that didn’t feel entirely like a dream. And he couldn’t confidently say he met a witch in that dream, especially now that it was a sore subject with Tamara. After returning to Tigossa, every time she heard someone mention magic or anything related to it, she would flip and shout at them that witches and sorcerers didn’t exist, sometimes even threatening to punch them if they tried to argue their point. When General Mayern explained the reason, Jaden laughed, but the look on the General’s face made Jaden wonder if he wasn’t too narrow-minded still, even after everything he had seen. Especially after tonight.

“I’ve come to know that something is indeed happening. The demon’s behavior didn’t just change out of a sudden. I believe they are being controlled,” Jaden said, hoping that the people present knew him well enough not to think him crazy.

“C-c-control demons? As in plural? Wait, what am I saying? How can someone control a demon? We can barely survive an encounter with most of them and you’re suggesting someone domesticated them?” Captain Connell laughed, his voice going up an octave. Jaden gave him a grim look, making the man turn to the others for support. “You don’t actually consider this, do you? This is insane! Who would…”

“Someone who can wield magic.” Jaden interrupted him and received even a queerer look in return. There was no going around it, even if he had to listen to Tamara shout for the next ten minutes. “We can’t honestly pretend this is not a possibility. Magic could be real. Magic casters could be real — as real as any demon we have ever killed. Even if we have not seen them with our own eyes. It’s time to accept that the fairytales we know are no longer silly stories for children.”

The silence that followed was even more intense than the previous one. Captain Connell was looking at him as if Jaden was turning into a demon in front of his eyes; General Mayern was rubbing his beard while staring down while Tamara, surprisingly, was very quiet. She didn’t even look angry.

“What do you think?” he asked her carefully.

“I don’t know,” his sister replied, letting her hands fall next to her body. “I’m still struggling with the idea that there may be a person, people that can use magic, let alone control demons. But...”

“You’re both insane!” Captain Connell exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “Prince Jaden, you’re telling me that you think the demons we can’t defeat for decades now have a leader that is organizing them? Do you realize what even a hint of that idea can do to the people? They are already desperate!”

“I can see that,” Jaden said as he watched him. Captain Connell’s face stiffened, his eye twitching, but he said nothing. “But closing our eyes to the facts won’t make our people any safer.”

“How do you explain it, then?” Tamara snapped at him and the older man pursed his lips. “He is not saying that all of that is true. He is saying we should be open to the possibility it might be.”

“This might explain their sudden change in behavior,” General Mayern sighed tiredly. “For so long, their only goal was to murder and tear apart every living soul in sight. Now they work in groups and attack settlements. Something is definitely up.”

“Not you too!” Captain Connell murmured. “I agree that something has changed, but you’re going too far! A sorcerer who can control the demons? What is next, building an army and marching it on us?”

‘That’s not impossible,’ Jaden thought but decided to keep at least that crazy idea to himself. There was no need to cause panic and unrest among people who were already terrified of dying at the hands of the demons.

His thoughts returned to the woman in his dreams. He had been having those quite often in the past few weeks. It started with the strange one back in the inn in Naysa, where the red-haired girl first appeared, and the one whose face he still couldn’t remember woke him up. Then he had even more confusing ones, although there were rarely people he knew in them. And every time he felt some invisible presence watching him.

The blonde woman from earlier was the first one to show her face and speak to him. But unlike the others, she felt dangerous, dark, and cold — a sensation he felt only when demons were present. But she was definitely not a demon.

“I think we need more information if we want to be sure,” General Mayern spoke, making everybody look at him. “But we’re not here to discuss theories. We have to decide what we are going to do for the people out there. It’s only a matter of time before more attacks occur.”

Tamara and Jaden exchanged a quick glance before he sighed, pointing at the map.

“Evacuate every village north of Daya. Urge them to seek the safety of the cities, even if you have to scare them,” he said firmly, although he knew not everyone would listen and even those who do, would find the cities full and struggling. “Send fast riders to all the major cities. Tell them to prepare for more refugees. Every city should have at least six months’ worth of rations in case things escalate. Hopefully, we’ll have a better solution before we run out of that.”

General Mayern nodded, followed by the frowning captain. Both of them quickly headed out, their muffled voices slowly trailing off. Reagan was about to follow them when Tamara raised a hand to stop him. The man straightened up, trying to hide his exhaustion, and patiently waited for her to speak.

“I am about to ask you something, Reagan, and you’re free to refuse my request if you consider it too dangerous.” He nodded. “I need you to go back out there and try to find out what makes the demons act this way. If there is this so-called sorcerer or whatever,” she glanced at Jaden for a moment, then returned her attention to the scout. “It is a very risky and dangerous task, but we have to know if we are to have any chance of saving the people of this city and everyone else who may seek shelter here. Rest, get back your strength, and give me your answer. But I need it as soon as possible. I know you have a family, so if you don’t think you can do it, I’ll have to find another.”

He was thinking for a few moments before nodding.

“I’ll do it.”

Tamara nodded.

“Thank you, Reagan. Now go and rest. Whenever you’re ready, come and find me.” He saluted her and quickly left them with a tired but determined pace.

“So you think I’m right?” Jaden asked her while she was pulling a chair.

“Spirits, no!” she blurted, frowning. Jaden raised his eyebrows in surprise as he watched his sister run her hands through her messy black hair.

“Then why did you agree with me?” he snapped, trying not to raise his voice. “Why are you sending one of your best men out if you don’t think I was right?” He exclaimed angrily, throwing his hands in the air. Tamara watched him calmly, her face as hard as stone.

“Because, brother, we need to present a united front. If we both agreed on it, as crazy as it might sound, they would have to comply,” she replied in a cold tone, but then her voice turned softer, tenderer. “And I don’t dismiss your theory, but you have no proof, and I refuse to believe magic exists without proof. How did you even come up with that?” He opened his mouth to reply when she cut him off, raising her hand. “Actually, I better not know! What I wanted to say is… The situation is bad as it is. There is no need to spread more fear by talking about magic and sorcerers. Especially ones that are not on our side. You saw the Captain. He is a seasoned soldier and a good one, but he, like many others here, is not as used to fighting demons as we are. Even he is scared and rightfully so.” She bit her lower lip, then continued. “You’re the rightful heir to the throne and your people would follow you to their deaths, but you mustn’t appear weak in any way. They need to see you only as a strong, confident leader who knows what he is doing. I know you have doubts, I do too. But you can’t show them. You can trust me with everything and I’ll always take your side, but you cannot afford to let them lose their faith in you.”

“Funny.” Jaden laughed bitterly. “Glendon said almost the same thing a few days ago.”

Tamara snorted and the tension that had filled the room vanished.

“Finally, something we can agree on.”

“He also said that now may not be the perfect time for a wedding,” Jaden added matter-of-factly and noticed the look her sister gave him.

“Did Glendon hit his head? I don’t remember him being so wise before.” She hemmed, pushing the chair back. “You know what I think of the matter. Those girls, they’ll be in constant danger here. If any of them gets hurt, let alone die, we’ll have to worry not only about the demons but about Anamir’s armies, too.”

“I’m aware,” Jaden sighed.

Tamara got up from her seat, stepped toward him, and squeezed his shoulder.

“You need to get your head together, Jaden. The stakes are too high. Roder and our people come first. Nothing else matters.”