*** Disclaimer: This excerpt was taken from the game in order to better understand the fanfic's development. It may be altered due to the timeline in the fanfic.***
Sarah Anderson, Saero and Diana, Demon Realm.
The light around us faded away and soon I found myself lying on Diana as she was passed out cold on the stone floor. The air, however, smelt of fire and blood. I looked up, seeing fire everywhere in sight, What the hell?! Was this the Demon realm?
"EZAEUR!" A loud shout forced me to look over and see a man, running at me with a spear and a rage-filled expression. I screamed and rolled off Diana, scooting away to avoid being skewered. As he continued towards me I screamed.
"NO!" I looked up to see Diana kneeling in front of me and gripping the man's spear, pointing away from me. The man stared wide-eyed at Diana as she glared back.
"My Lady? You live?" The man asked.
"Of course I do! I told you I would return, and thus I have"
The man gave a small sigh of relief lowering his weapon and propping it up to lean against it. As I examined him now that he wasn't gunning for me, he was wounded and exhausted, panting heavily and gripping his spear tightly. "I-I'm... so glad..." As he finally toppled over, Diana gasped and rushed over, kneeling beside him.
"SAERO!"
I rushed over as well, also worried about this collapsed person and wanting to be of some help.
"Saero, what happened?" Diana asked on the edge of trepidation.
"We... We were attacked by the Demon Lord... He took advantage of your absence..." The man answered between short breaths.
The Demon Lord?! Oh no! I immediately thought about Diana's family and how important it was for us to go looking for them but, then, I began to cough violently and realized, we needed to get out of that room, wherever we were. As if reading my mind, Diana nodded. She grabbed my hand and Saero's, chanting under her breath. The room around us began to shift as if it were changing instead of us moving. Soon we were outside the castle, staring at it as flames erupted from each window. What was happening?!
Diana's face was pure shock, staring at the castle in absolute terror. All of the colors, except for the purple marks on her skin, had faded to a pale white in horror.
"W-We drove them back... but the flames are too powerful..."
At that moment something in Diana's eyes changed. Her anger sparked and she stood, quickly walking around us and towards the castle.
"DIANA!" I yelled. Was she crazy?! She was going straight to the fire! Did she hit her head when we landed here?!
"COME! I COMMAND THEE, WHITE WINDS! CRUSH THESE FIRES BENEATH YOUR HANDS!"
I stared as the wind quickly caught up with her command and a purple glow began to surround Diana's body. It was like a storm was rushing towards us, but there was no rain or thunder; just wind. The winds forced back the flames that danced in the windows and smoke started to rise from each one, signaling the fire's death. The windows continued to be filled with wind and air, most likely to kill the flames deep within the walls. I, however, could only stare at Diana. Her body was rigid and her gaze was intently focused on the stone castle. Soon, the winds began to die out and all that was left was smoke rising from the windows into the dark purple and black sky.
"Y-You did it... How...?"
Diana looked to Saero, intensity still embedded in her eyes. "Where are the King and Queen?"
I heard Saero's breath hitch, and I turned to look at him. He had a look of pure pain and guilt. What had happened? Diana walked over and stared down at him, now almost glaring daggers at him as she clenched her fist at her sides. "SPEAK SAERO." She ordered; he was getting into her nerves.
"The imp demons... while we were fighting the flames and army... they snuck through our defenses..." He replied.
My heart, despite not fully understanding the situation, began to tighten. Something was incredibly wrong.
Saero closed his eyes shut the moment a pair of demons, who I assumed to be allies, rushed over and began casting magic over his body, closing his wounds. "They... snuck into their room..."
Diana suddenly turned and bolted towards the castle, causing me to jump up.
"M-M' lady wait--!" Saero called out. He immediately took emends and ran after her.
I blinked confused for a second. I began to sprint after both of them, following close inside the castle and trying to keep up with them. Her panicked breath, his words calling out to Diana, kept me following their direction, despite her and Saero's fast twists and turns through the ashy corridors.
"No no no no no..." Diana kept repeating, praying to herself.
"Ezaeur!"
I did my best to keep up, not wanting to lose them and not wanting to let myself get lost in those goddamn forsaken corridors. We turned into a long hallway that had a pair of golden doors at the end. They were unscratched as if the flames had not disturbed the door or perhaps the room behind it.
"Please be alive! PLEASE!" Diana begged.
"Ezaeur! Don't--!"
Diana bolted for the doors and begun to pull them open, grunting at the weight. I stopped running as did Saero, skidding forward from the abrupt stop. Whomever she wanted to be alive, I hoped they were. As the doors finally opened, however, the foul stench of blood erupt from behind them, the scent filling my nostrils."Gahh-!" Blood. It was everywhere! On the floor, the walls, the ceiling. The bed...
"NO!" Diana cried as she fell to her knees.
The entire room was painted in gore, skin, bone, and massive amounts of blood. Without a decent previous notice from my own body, a burning sensation took over me. A warm putrid feeling rose up my throat and, finally, an acid-bitter taste filled my mouth. I felt sick to the stomach. I took my hands and covered my mouth, trying to hold in my urge to puke. But, as I couldn't take the view and my inside-guts any longer, I turned back, bent over the wall behind me, and vomited violently, passing out a bit after from all the effort it took. Eventually, I did rise from my sudden collapse on the spot. So, when I came to my senses, I was laying down on a comfy mattress staring at the ceiling of what it seemed to belong to a canopy bed. I jolted up, startled, not understanding how I had gotten there; minutes ago I was outside an enormous room, contemplating a grotesque view of a merciless massacre. The room where I was in, practically screamed medieval fantasy. Everything was so clean, still had that old-age feel of course, as if no one had ever stepped foot inside until that very moment. B-But how? Wasn't that place burnt down to the ground moments ago?!
"How are you feeling now that all of that is out of your system? I didn't know you had that much of a junk inside that little tiny body of yours~" I turned my head to see Diana at the door, arms crossed and leaning against the door's archway. She had a look of concern and mocking written all over her face as she awaited my answer.
"What about you, Diana?" I asked instead.
Diana stared at me, slightly shocked. Did she not expected me to ask? But, in the end, she understood where my question was coming from.
"I'm... I'm sorry for your loss... If there's anything I can do--"
"Don't be." She simply said. "My significant ones are well and alive."
"B-But... in there... so much blood..." I babbled confusedly.
"The King put up a good fight and managed to kill all the imps. The queen and her unborn child were saved." Diana explained.
"What?!" I yelled in complete surprise. "What have these people in their head? Air?! Who would ever want to harm an unborn child?!"
Diana shook her head and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her."They aren't people, deary. They are demons for Lilith's sake, capable of any cruelty for the one's they're working for or for their own selfish reasons. I thought you knew better." It ended up being more of a scolding than a righting."Be sure to never forget that. Remember never to let your guard down around here."
I gulped down and nodded. Should I be that paranoid?
"I need to send you back." She said inexpressively.
"W-Wha--? N-No! No way!" The shock nearly put me standing. I immediately refused to go back home, I had to stick with the plan I set out to accomplish. "That option is off the table!"
"It's too dangerous here for a demon let alone a human!" She refuted.
Now was not time to think about me or my safety and I knew it in my core. Besides, I came here for a reason, and a reason only. I had no regrets about coming here. So, I wasn't going to go back home with my head between my legs like a lil' chicken, knowing that... 'snake'... had my whole world in her hands."I don't care, Diana."
"Sarah, stop being stubborn, please!" Diana begged.
"No!" Anger boiled deep in my system, as hot as lava. She couldn't be serious about this. I didn't come all this way to turn back now. I ran a hand through my hair, nervously trying to fix two or three locks behind my ear which, tenaciously, kept falling in front of my eyes. Finally, I stopped and looked right back at her."We had a deal. If I helped you get back, you would help me." It was fruitless to argue with me. After all, she made a deal with me and I could see the obligation to obey buried behind her anger.
Diana approached me and sat slowly on the opposite side of the bed. A form of weak anger covered her pupils. She then closed her eyes and sighed. "The Demon Lord will most likely return. And, we will be ready for him." She stated. "In the meanwhile, I will live up to our agreement."
I lowered my head and contemplated my hands resting on my legs; it was when I realized that I've been shaking that whole time. I closed my hands into firm fists trying to gain some control over my body."Thank you..." I murmured thankfully that she was going to keep her word. A few tears rushed down my face, I quickly wiped them away, or at least, I tried. That whole situation was hurting me, deep down on the freshly-open wound. I didn't know how much longer it would pass without me having a crying jag. All those negative emotions settling inside my chest made me feel short of breath and tight in my heart.
Diana turned back. She gently took one of my hands and lift my chin so that I would look at her. The anger that was plaguing her melted into compassion and empathy as her gaze engraved in me. "Everything is going to be set to their right course. I promise." Diana tried her best to comfort me but, unfortunately, I was a mess, beyond repair.
I didn't know if we could get through this. If I could get through. Diana seemed really confident, certain that it would. However, I wasn't one hundred percent sure. There was so much that could go wrong at the very end. I was afraid.
"My lady?" Diana and I turned our heads to see Saero by the open door. Amazing, to say the least; I hadn't even heard the door opening or knocking. Behind him, two escorting-soldiers and three girls who, at first glance, seemed to be servants.
"What's the soldiers for, Saero?" She asked puzzled.
"Just for precaution measures." He promptly answered with a blank expression.
"Hmpf... I see... then, state what you want this instant." Diana demanded.
"Who is this human?" Saero went straight to the point. For a brief moment, I could see a look of disdain in his eyes as he looked at me. However, it only lasted a second as he looked to Diana, waiting for her to reply to him.
"Saero, this is Sarah. My guest. She's here because..." Diana looked at me, trying to find in my eyes the words to properly explain the reason why I was there and not just put out in the cold why she and I sealed a deal in the first place. But there was no other better explanation. It was as simple as that. "We made a deal." Diana clarified without any complex elaboration.
"A deal? Did you not already forsake such formalities ages ago, Ezaeur?" Saero asked with a hint of teasing in his voice.
Diana got up and, haughtily, walked towards the door. At last, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean. You forget yourself, Saero."
Auch-- Do you want an ice bag for that burn, Saero? I thought to myself. Wait. What was I thinking anyway? Why was I being protective over Diana? Maybe, the reason was, 'cause she was being the same towards me.
"The only thing of importance for you to know is that she made an offer that I could not possibly refuse."
"But, what about your fiance? What of the other sons?"
"We're in time of war, Saero. The Demon Lord attacked our domains without fair cause. So, that falls to earth." Diana said sharply.
Saero stepped up to Diana."Then, what is the purpose of this girl in all of this?! Can you lighten things up for me?" I think it was not his intention to be so defiant but, instead, he just wanted not to be left in the dark. "This is not typical of you, Ezaeur! You don't go around and make deals with all the humans who approach you. So what's so special about this one?! Did she trick you somehow into this deal? Is she threatening you and demanding these 'trips' to the demon realm or 'wishes' because she knows your true nature? What is it?! Just tell me! I can take care of it for you!"
Diana's eyes widened in surprise at Saero's straightforward attitude.
I felt somewhat insulted by his words. Who does he think he is to be speaking like that to Diana? To speak about me like that? He was a guard first of all so, why was he being bold enough to step to her?
"Saero!" Diana shouted his name in a reproving tone.
Saero, being called out by Diana, fortunately, made him came to his senses. He knelt in front of her at once and bent his head out of respect and in an act of asking for forgiveness. "I'm sorry for my indecency, m'lady," Saero said in an almost muted tone; his apology seemed sincere tho. "It was never my intention to disrespect you, Ezaeur, in any way."
"It isn't to me you should be apologizing, Saero." She emphasized. "I understand your concern but, you need to have more faith in me."
Saero lifted his face up and tried to counterattack. "B-But I have--!"
"DON'T," She interrupted him to make a point. "Enough, Saero. You have to know your place."
In shame and out of pure embarrassment of his own behavior, Saero lowered his head again and cursed at himself.
Diana bit her lower lip and sighed. She walked up to him and slowly landed a hand over his shoulder. "You're so troublesome Saero."
Saero rose from the floor at her words. His posture was rigid and tense. "I'll try to improve myself."
Her hand slid down Saero's arm; their hands touched slightly but just for a brief second. "Don't," she whispered.
Staring at Diana and Saero, I could see that they had a very close and deep connection. Was Saero a friend or... was he something more? I could recognize the emotions within Saero's eyes as he looked at her thin, elegant fingers touching his manly, rough-soldier ones. He looked to be in love with her or at least had some form of ultimate care for his lady. Saero gently took one of Diana's hands and placed his lips upon it. I could almost see energy flow from his body to hers from the kiss alone. The color in Diana's skin returned and she let out a sigh with her body relaxing at last. I almost forgot. That spell she used to stop the fire from spreading must have consumed a lot of the energy, which I had previously given her.
Diana smiled at Saero and softly pulled her hand away from him, making him look up at her, not in surprise but, with a smile of its own. "Thank you, Saero."
"It is my duty to serve you, my lady." He said and stepped back, looking at his mistress and me. "Do we plan to retaliate, my lady?"
"We will. I expect the Demon Lord to come for a second attack, not realizing that I have returned. But first, I need to talk with the royal counselors. There are some things regarding the deal I just made that need to be taken care of, before anything else."
"B-But my lady, you just have returned--!"
"That I have, but there's a lot to do and so little time. I have to move fast. When he learns that I'm back at the plane and that, the only one who can stop him is here, reaches his ears, it will spur him to attack sooner or later." Diana looked at Saero with a cold expression, making Saero stand up straight like the guard he was meant to be.
"What do you mean with 'the only one who can stop him is here', my lady--?"
"You will understand all after our scheduled meeting."
I felt tired of just sitting there and being powerless so, I stood up from the bed and tried to be truly helpful for once in my life. "What can I do, Diana?"
Diana looked at me, a small glimmer of fear in her eyes, but her resolve rekindled and she let a serious visage cover her expression. "You stay here, very still like a good girl while I deal with this."
"B-But Diana--!"
"No but's, deary! Do you not want to retrieve your boyfriend from the claws of the enemy alive, you included?" That woman, when she wanted to make a point, she could be indeed harsh.
I didn't think her statement requested an answer but, I nodded still.
"Then... Stay. Still. Capiche?" She gestured the motion.
I nodded again, not daring to say a word.
"Good. Glad we came to an agreement. Saero."
"Yes, my lady?"
"Tell everyone to mend their wounds and prepare for a second invasion tomorrow. I suspect the Demon Lord will be ruthless enough to attack in the morning. Let everyone know as well that their princess has returned."
P-Princess?!
Saero nodded and walked towards the door to do his job but then, turned back. "My lady, The king and queen have requested to meet the person who brought her daughter back home safe and sound."
D-Daughter?! Of the king and queen?! I
Diana slightly nodded her head at him."Then, I guess those servant girls are here to prepare her for a royal meeting. Come in." Diana instructed them to enter the room and start their assigned task, to which they complied very quickly. "Saero, leave us."
"Yes, my lady." And, with that, Saero left the room and closed the door behind him.
Me on the other hand, I couldn't stop yelling in my mind. She was royalty?
Diana let out a sigh and moved in to rest her back against the bed, sticking only to observation.
The servant girls encircled me so fast that I didn't know what hit me; the three girls were all over me like falcons. They took my body measurements and my foot size, observed my eye-color, checked out my skin-tone and spread some rice powder on my face with a pink brush and a bit of a light blush over my cheeks, messed around with my hair various times trying to figure out what was the best up-do work that would fit with my face characteristics... Well, summing up, it took a lot of time to get ready. It was quite tiresome for me all of that upheaval.