Cadin's eyes opened to the wooden ceiling of the room. Looking to the side, the sun's light beamed through, beginning the new day.
His army rested on a stand next to his bed, still filled with the dried blood of his past fights.
"I should wash somewhere or in the river." He sat upright in his bed, stretching his arms high before jumping out of his bed.
Walking to the balcony he could see the people starting to work. Far more than before, mostly refugees who stayed as workers rather than join the soldier's ranks or prisoners who were moved. Only one thought lingered in Cadin's mind despite seeing the progress in his camps, what attacked him.
More wooden huts stood, the canvas camps that were once present were now turned to larger wooden buildings, used as housing, production of tools, or storage for different resources.
Beyond the river he could see the sun starting to rise above the forest on the other side, giving a beautiful shine to the flowing water.
Cadin took it all in for another minute, turning around after and heading to the table down below.
Downstairs, the area was warm and quiet, the sounds of conversations outside heavily muffled, He walked to the paper strewn table, filled with quotas, reports, drawn up plans, and maps.
He spent a few minutes reading each one, seeing the reports for his camps and thinking what to do, now back home and away from the frontline.
As his mind became buried in thoughts, the lingering question still remained.
"Oddly, for every other battle, my wounds healed. But this time, it took longer. It's supposed to be nearly immediate." He placed the paper on the table.
"That is because the threat may not be a human." A familiar voice slightly startled Cadin, behind him the Demon stood, hsi figure far more clear.
"I simply returned to see my candidate. And it seems he has met another candidate." His voice turned to one of fascination.
"Tell me, what were you hit with?"
"An arrow." Cadin turned his body fully to the demon, stepping forward a bit away from the table.
"Interesting…" The demon placed it's smoking hand to it's chin.
"Well, normally wounds from human mortals heal quickly, though candidate weapons take far longer. That and candidates can kill other candidates. So you are very lucky." It sighed in relief.
"Is there anything in particular you want to speak about?"
"Well, I simply took over the forest camps fully, their minds are now mine after weeks of constant corruption. So thank you." Cadin's eyes widened in shock at the sudden answer.
"Do not worry however. They are still under heavy corruption. If you head there right now you will see many of them making weapons or training, praying to the sky. Towards me." The demon laughed. "Thank you again Cadin, and before I forget." After a second, it snapped its fingers. Immediately Cadin's clothing became consumed in a black cloud, lingering for a few seconds before revealing what lay underneath.
Chainmail replaced more cumbersome studded leather armor, with a cloak donned above it, one colored in white, similar to his hair. His legs were covered in sheets of folded metal, light and maneuverable and lastly his arms were sealed in a heavy cloth with metal gauntlets. His hands were now covered with black gloves with a small metal layer on each knuckle.
Cadin looked to the new armor, checking every piece of it, fascinated.
"Consider this a gift of sort I bestow upon you. That and now you are facing something else, one not so mortal, the armor should help partly in protecting your body from the candidate's weapons, that and your cloak is a camouflage, it may work by your simple command or thought with whatever environment you're in, the white is the normal color. Something more." The demon reached both of its hand in front of Cadin. A small cloud loomed over it for a few seconds, as it began to vanish, it revealed a bow. One longer and more engraved with small symbols.
"You have suffered your first true wounds, one not from mortals but from something else. Return the favor by firing an arrow at its heart." Cadin grabbed the bow, he began pulling on the string, testing it before placing it on his back, quickly realizing that his other bow had disappeared.
"Enjoy your new armor and weapon, any arrow can become truly deadly when in the bowstring, for now though, it is a time to rest, after all the carnage and conquest that had been done. Unless you wish to return for another battle that is." The demon walked past Cadin and stood near the table. With a snap of its fingers, the papers began to fly around the table, quickly stacking on top of one another in the middle of the table. Two small cups spawned from dark smoke, sitting on the table already filled with a liquid inside.
"Join me. Have a drink, it's merely simple tea."
Cadin approached the table again, grabbing the cup with his hand, he neared it to his mouth, the steam rose up to his nose, letting him smell the scent of the tea inside, but there was no smell. The liquid in the cup was reddish brown, piping hot with the heat radiating from steam and the cup itself.
The demon grabbed his own cup, quickly raising it to his mouth and finishing its contents.
Cadin followed, just as the liquid fell into his mouth, a sweet flavor hit his tongue almost immediately.
"You have grown your influence in this place. Allowing me to finally have my own set of followers, all devoted to me. Our sides of the deal are starting to become fulfilled. You truly were the best one out of the bunch for me to pick." It placed the teacup back on the table, turning its body to Cadin.
"Candidates can only be killed by other candidates. No mortal has a chance to kill one. Take greater precaution with this candidate, and where you met it. And continue growing your army to gain more land."
"Many of my soldiers were killed, that ambush left many dead."
"That is not a problem." The teacup on the table vanished, "As a demon of conquest, an army is paramount. As my Candidate, influence, corruption to worship and become loyal to isn't the only thing you may have. With my influence cemented in this island, my corruption and influence may throw throughout the forest. For your army, your soldiers shall train quicker, and still bear the same prowess and skill of a months-long trained soldier."
Cadin finished drinking from the cup while watching the demon explain.
"Now, return to your tasks and begin conquering once more. And kill that candidate before he kills you." The demon chuckled as its body began vanishing in a black cloud.
'Quicker training, I would need more soldiers. Wonder if the civilians can become soldiers as well, unless there are more refugees to use.' The cup in Cadin's hand started to vanish, leaving his hands empty and leaving him in an empty room. He grabbed one of the papers, reading it, starting a new plan for his army.