Chapter 30: The Demon Lord

Nathaniel: 

First, I keep the company of dragons, then of orphan boys who get picked as champions of a mad god. Now though, this takes the cake. A demon, making me pancakes. The blue skin has a shine to it. Yet, the being looks almost the same, as he looked while pretending to be a human. 

"I have to tell you all those prophecies are a load of hogwash," Zachary says, as he still keeps an eye on the pan. "Only fools let them play out. Take it from someone, who let their prophecy play out: the bother is not worth it." 

"What sort of demon are you?" I ask, making another ball of necromantic mana in my hands. 

"Do you honestly think that it will work the second time you tried?" Zachary asks. Well, I really don't. Yet, my necromantic mana is my best weapon. "Now, let me introduce myself properly. The name is Zachary, as I said before. The Demon Lord of the Pride demons. We are not as bad as the songs make us out to be. I can assure you." 

"Were you ever a human?" Erik asks. 

"Yes, but that was too long ago," Zachary says, and then places the now ready pancake on a plate. "Now, I think you all should get the talk from someone who got burned by what is plaguing you." 

"The last demon lord died two centuries ago at the battle of Portius," I say. Zachary snorts. 

"Back then I was a real piece of work. Can you believe that I did think back then, that I had to complete the prophecy that hung over my head? What a silly boy I was," Zachary chuckles, as he pours more pancake batter into the pan. "It is a good thing, that I found my soulmate when I did. She really pulled me from those silly thoughts." 

"You have a soulmate?" Erik asks, and then looks around, as if a woman will pop out from the shadows. 

"Alys is a feline shifter. Currently, she is in Corum on errands," Zachary says. His skin glows, and he looks like a human again. "Sorry for the secrecy, but if I stay too long in this form, people will notice. When I look like a demon lord, I tend to attract shades and demons." 

That doesn't calm me down. If he is the same demon lord, as the one who perished at the Portius fields, then he must want to jump on the opportunity to recruit Givontair and Erik. 

"Nate, really now. Just go to the table, and listen to my story," Zachary urges, as he glances at the pan from time to time. If he wanted to kill me, then I would be dead by now. I make a silent vow, not to let him talk me into anything, and go sit at my former spot. 

"Right, I better start explaining," Zachary says, and we all give him our undivided attention. "It all began when I was born. I am a half-pride demon, as you can guess. So, the demon lord at that time, decided that the fact that I wasn't stillborn meant that I can succeed him. Little does he know; I would rather make runes all day. So, to make me see the dark side in all of its glory, the bastard killed my parents, using human mercenaries. Back then, I didn't care to see who ordered the deaths. Just that my parents were dead. I remember how my father fought to his last breath. Giving time for me to run away." 

I can see that Erik is uncomfortable at this. This story is too close to his own, for comfort. 

"Zachary, do you think the nymphs were the one who ordered mom's death?" The boy asks. Zachary hums. 

You are reading story The Dread Scrolls at novel35.com

"It was too convenient for them to have shown up, just as you were preparing your last gift for your mother. I remember that the imps that came to me, after the deaths of my parents, picked a similar time. You have to know, Erik, that for those who want to destroy the world, a time of mourning is the best time to rope you into a contract," Zachary says. 

Now that I think about it, he does have a point. I wonder, when did Givontair learn about his own prophecy. Was it after the death of a loved one? Givontair reaches out, and places his hand on the table. I place my hand in his. 

"I learned about the prophecy right after my brother, who was looking after me, died from a human attack," the dragon says, and my blood freezes in my veins. 

"And what did you do?" I ask him. A part of me wants to believe in him. Yet, I know for a fact, that he burns bandits without caring too much about them. 

"I became a healer. I figured, that hatred will never lead to anything. I decided to help people, and to report the men who killed my brother to the authorities. Back then, the world was still ruled by dragons. They got life sentences," Givontair's words calm me down. 

"Yet, you don't show mercy these days?" Zachary asks, and Givontair snorts. 

"Mercy is not the answer, either. If I have left these bandits, then they would have robbed another caravan. We must find those who are still alive from that camp," Givontair squeezes my hand, and looks me into the eyes. "And you will help, won't you?" 

"I want to see them living and behind bars," I protest. Givontair's eyes narrow. 

"What is the difference between a giant spider, and a bandit?" He asks me. Zachary chuckles. 

"You are slipping, dragon. You should remember that you are not a mindless beast. Just like how I remembered, when Alys showed me the error of my ways. If you ask me, then you should stage your death. Don't admit to people, that you are Givontair the White. Take a last name, be more human," this, coming from a former demon lord, sounds strange. After all, Zachary did show us his true form. 

"Why did you stop playing dead then?" Givontair snaps at the demon. 

"I didn't. I just know you won't spill the beans. Look, you three have a lot to work through. Yet, I know you can manage to come to terms. But, right now, there is a platter with pancakes and strawberry jam with our names on them. Let it not be said that Zachary the Dark let his guests starve," the demon chuckles at his own joke, and then places the last pancake on the platter. 

I don't understand, what makes him so different from me. I mean, I am a necromancer. If Zachary can live in the middle of nowhere, undisturbed, then, can Givontair and Erik?

 Am I ready for such a commitment? Always looking at them like a hawk. With the knowledge in the back of my brain, that they could fulfill their prophecies at the drop of a hat? 

You can find story with these keywords: The Dread Scrolls, Read The Dread Scrolls, The Dread Scrolls novel, The Dread Scrolls book, The Dread Scrolls story, The Dread Scrolls full, The Dread Scrolls Latest Chapter