Emersyn's breathing became ragged as hopeful thoughts came into her mind.
Indeed, she was hoping that they were alive. She left them to die in Central Marsh and knowing Reagan won't survive, she felt her heart becoming heavy. Her feet brisked, came to a jog then ran with all her might as she saw a huge red dragon roaring at her as it also flew faster. Then, it surprisingly turned into a baby as it crashed against her bosom.
"Mama!"
Emersyn immediately hugged Reagan tightly, caressing his small head. The baby smiled contentedly as he released a small sigh. Emersyn's heart swelled, though unfamiliar, she welcomed it.
"Thank goodness… you're alive."
"Ung! I mish chu!"
"I… also missed you, Reagan."
Suddenly, she could feed four dragons approaching towards them, but she paid no heed and just pampered Reagan with comforting touches. Then, those dragons turned into humans once they landed before her.
"..."
"What? You're not going to greet me?"
".... you… you're really scary right now. Like, really, really scary. This pressure is real…. Can you tone it down? Aidinth and Qaris are trembling."
"Who?" Emersyn tilted her head as she gazed at the two children behind Ignis. "They changed names?"
"Yeah, it's kind of a ceremony. Once their dragon powers manifest, some kind of voice would whisper to them about their new names. That would be the name they would carry until they die."
"So, what is Reagan's?"
"Yvri."
"A very nice name."
With Emersyn's compliment, Reagan's new name, Yvri, blushed and smiled brightly as he rested his head against her heart. His little hands fisted her clothes then closed his eyes.
"But how did you escape from the destruction of Central Marsh?"
"Uh… it was my mistake, Emersyn," Carnash mumbled.
"What do you mean?"
"It didn't get destroyed, but remained. It didn't get ruined or showed any signs of aging. It seemed like time stopped there with nothing to escape to. In land, that is. We found a gap high in the sky and escaped there. Then, Yvri found the wall of fire which, he said, contained your power. However, we couldn't go in since the dense mana was suffocating and the wall of fire wasn't extinguishing. But… this guy… Yvri found a way then entered as soon as it weakened. We still couldn't enter though, so we waited."
"I see."
"And… besides this, I can feel something over there," Carnash said as he pointed at where she could hear the cries of people.
***
Right after the hellfire receded, they could feel a strong oppressive force boring down their bodies. They collapsed on their knees simultaneously, whether they were strong or weaker, they all felt it.
Alton heaved as he forced himself to stand up using his sheathed sword. His limbs trembled as he gathered his remaining strength, his teeth clenched. His olive green eyes gazed at the distant ground of the demonic realm. There was an icy slope that led down to the scorched and cracked earth. He exhaled a misty breath as the cold overtook the atmosphere. His body temperature dropped and he began to tremble, not just for the oppressive force, but also for the cold. He fetched his thick winter jacket and wore it. He looked around and saw that only a few of them fainted.
"Eulaile," he called.
"Yes, sire."
"This is what we have been waiting for. What our ancestors hid and why they hid from these people."
"Yes, but this force is stronger than we imagined," Eulaile smiled widely, clearly pleased.
Alton also grinned as he breathed in this cold and oppressive force into his lungs. He was scared, but the pleasure was stronger than his fear. Then, his gaze sharpened and raised his sword with a tremble.
"Our Lord has come!"
He screamed from the bottom of his lungs.
"Lord?"
A few of them questioned as they looked at the person near them. However, instead of a confused expression, they smiled elatedly. They trembled as their feet took them towards the demonic land, their smiles never faltered.
"Hey?! Where are you going? You can't go there! Emersyn is still on the run! What if she kills you?!"
Alton stopped leading the flock of people and turned around at the man that shouted at them. He only flashed him a sinister smile then resumed walking towards the huge castle at the distance that was perfectly described by their parents. The tales of their parents about the Empire that dominated all of the demonic lands was what they expected. They only heard that once you crossed the border between the realm of humans and the demons, you would instantly feel the monarch's essence. It would be much stronger from where the monarch would be; the Imperial Castle.
However, they couldn't keep marching through once they stepped on the real border of the land. They were puzzled.
Why? Why couldn't we enter the land that was ours?
Suddenly, that person that claimed to be from Barheil and his entourage, released a binding spell against the people marching towards the cursed land. Their expression twisted grimly as they tightened their spell.
"Are you all traitors of humanity?! How can you just call a demon your lord? Are you also demons?!"
Alton broke through and approached the trembling man. He stopped a few feet from him and leaned his head down.
"I am clearly human."
"Then, why…!"
Alton laughed then severed the mage's head in a clean swipe of his sword.
"You people are the one who are disgusting. My mother sacrificed herself to feed me when all you did was to throw us out in the cold to die. I know what you all did to us!"
"Warrior! Stop this nonsense at once!"
"Nonsense? Nonsense?! Our kin survived from the indiscriminate killings 500 years ago. The Emperor was isolated from this world for an infinite time and the demon world closed off for good. We lived as humans for five hundred years, hiding our identities with no money on us and chose to serve you people. Yet! All you did was to leave us to die! We were hoping for the supplies to come. We were hoping for reinforcements to come, but there was nothing! We chose to suppress our feelings with no hope to come. But… but now! Now that we have our land and monarch, we will rise once again! History would be rewritten for the greatness of our Lord!"
"Kill these heretics!"
Then, Alton's olive eyes turned crazed as he charged towards the mages that were all preparing their spells against them. All the warriors that heard him, regardless of their homes, all unsheathed their swords and cried as they charged. After all, they sympathised with them. Those that were called demons were the ones who saved them against the rampages of the monsters when reinforcements never came.
These demons helped them, when their fellow humans didn't.
They were afraid to voice out their complaints or they would be either locked or killed with hundreds of soldiers and assassins that were trained solely for human assassination. Now that an opportunity to fight back appeared before them and a new place to reside into, they were fearless against the consequences of their actions. If only the monarch of the demon world would accept them and treat them well. Even if they admonished her without knowing that she would revive the demon world.
Spell circles appeared in the air as the mages tirelessly chanted their joint spell. Their faces started to sweat as they were being mentally drained of a threat that lied beyond the boundary of the human realm.
The warriors increased their charge, their bodies heavy against the pressure, and threw a spear towards one of the mages. However, it was deflected by a sword. Their feet stopped charging as they gazed at the person that just protected a mage. They couldn't believe their eyes at the familiar face of Yao Yun.
"Yun?!" Althas exclaimed, his grip against his weapon tightening.
"I could understand, but why do we need bloodshed? Are you going to erase the evidence of your revolt?"
"Yao Yun," Egbert called from the sideline. In fact, all of the Central Marsh people were just standing where the battle wouldn't affect them. He continued, "It's not our business to interfere."
"But…!"
"Even if we hated Emersyn for almost killing you, we can't side with either of them."
When Yao Yun was about to give his opinions, Althas impatiently shoved him to the side.
Amidst their exchange, the mages continued to recite their strongest spell. Feeling the imminent danger, the warriors had no choice but to run away. They couldn't possibly contend against these magic users with their physical strength.
They were swept off in a huge explosion. Most of the slow ones were eradicated and some people were thrown into the air from the huge blast. Althas rolled on the ground once he landed and coughed vigorously from the smoke. The pressure was instantly gone and the mana around them suddenly disappeared.
The mages panicked as they tried to recite spell after spell, but didn't work.
Their cries resounded when Alton grabbed a mage's head and slammed it on the ice. His eyes were still crazed even when the effect of the pressure disappeared. In fact, all the warriors that lost their comrades in arms were crazed. The men of the Central Marsh, however, were only looking at the person that was quietly watching them from afar. The jewel on her forehead and an ominous crown that was floating above her head caught their attention. Her pitch black wings flapped and the feathers slowly fell. They recognized her.
The only descendant of the Emperor they once revered.
Chang Xiuying!