The elves were at war with the demons.
Pain.
Suffering.
Death.
That's what the war brought, not the promises of great wealth and bounty the leaders made to the people before declaring it.
And just when the people got sick of the war the elves, the same people who'd declared the war in the first place, claimed the demonlord was the cause of all the suffering in the world. With the help of the other races, they cursed him. A curse so powerful that if he ever tried to interfere with the world, the very fabric of reality would tear and kill him. However, they were far too naïve in the assumption that tearing the fabric of reality wouldn't also screw over the world.
"You see, that's why we need you to-" A demon led the way.
Demon maid.
Four small horns on her head, a flowy dress: one armored tail poked out from her back. It flicked left to right with each step. Lenora often followed while tilting her own head left to right. Some of the soldiers who saw the two occasionally reported feeling hot around their cheeks.
"Go kill the elven leaders?" Lenora said.
The maid didn't respond.
"But would it really do anything?" Lenora wondered. "I mean are these leaders really capable of casting a spell that would bind the demon lord?" She already knew the answer. But probing never hurt. The last time she didn't get to talk to this maid or most of the staff.
The maid looked back, almost perplexed for a second. She recovered almost immediately.
And no, she didn't say anything, rather, she just led the girl ahead. Through the hallway.
Long, lonely hallway.
Some demon guards were patrolling here and there, but it was mostly empty. There wasn't anything on the walls. Art, calligraphy, or even paintings.
Empty.
The floor, unassuming; the ceiling, even blander. Just the usual flowing darkness.
Lenora knew the place.
She knew the floor layout.
She knew the hidden doors.
And she knew quite a lot more.
But at the same time, she didn't know enough. There was always something new to discover.
"Before heading to my room, there's a place I want to visit," she said.
"Yes?" The maid looked back, kind of dubious.
Wasn't this girl just summoned?
Then, where would she want to visit?
The roof?
The outside?
Humans?
"The dungeons," Lenora said.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. The dungeons."
***
Drip.
Some sort of liquid dripped from the ceiling.
Onto the ground.
The hard rock ground.
Darkness loomed- as did the pungent odor of rotting flesh and blood. Carcass upon carcass, just splattered near the very end of the hallway, teeming with maggots and such. To demons, this was pleasant and even nourishing. To anything else…
The dungeons.
The place where war criminals resided.
And the place where- he was.
The elf who'd lost everything.
Abandoned by his country, abandoned by the very people he trusted, the very entity he devoted his whole life to. He should have been dead. But he wasn't. Yet.
He was going to die here….
But he perhaps wanted to see her one last time. And ask,
Why.
"Hello there," said the human. A human and a maid. The guards stared her way, but stayed in the distance, unconcerned.
"Hu- wha- wh-"
"No need to be so frantic. I'm here to help," she started.
He was a mess. A bloodied mess. Torn clothes. Held together by the chains that bound him. His hair, so dirty. Skin, thoroughly lacerated.
Barely alive.
"Help?"
Even the maid gave her a rather puzzled glance.
But she, Lenora just smiled. "Yes, to help." She cleared her throat. "You guys don't feed your captives or treat them?" She stared sideways.
"He's a war criminal. Of course, won't-" The guard attempted.
"At least do the bare minimum."
"You don't have the authority to demand such," the maid said, almost glaring. "You are but a-"
"Listen to her," the voice came; someone descended the stairs.
The head butler had arrived.
"Lord Alberto…" The maid bowed with a questioning glance.
But the butler didn't bother answering. Instead- "You were right," he said, staring at the human.
And the human smirked. "Well-" She turned her head back to the elf. "I'll be blunt. Become my pet. And I'll let you have all that you desire, I'll even let you meet her; and I can guarantee, I won't betray you. I mean, why would anyone betray their pet?"
The elf,
On his deathbed,
Stared at the human.
Was this really a human?
Or a demon?
Or,
Something else… something worse.
"Well? I don't have all day you know." She smirked.
His lips curled- "I guess- I wouldn't mind-" Eyes finally shutting- "Becoming your pet…"
Thud.