The Queen's Vengeance

"You want us to go to war? I thought the Queen of Thorns is neutral?" Lord Orcus was confused.

"Yes, we'll be going to war but not amongst ourselves", I said.

"Then war against whom? Another nation, aside from us?" Lord Silva asked.

"An undiscovered land? Where is it? Who is their leader?" Lord Brutus demanded.

"No, it won't be a war against demons but a war against the humans." The question was evident in their eyes.

"Humans? What are those?"

"None of you ever wondered what lies on the other side of those portals?" I asked.

"The other side? You mean there's something there?" Lord Silva sounded amused.

"Yes, another world - a world of humans. They're not a threat, not even close. They are physically limited and they don't have powers. They'll be easy to defeat", I said confidently.

"If they're not a threat, then why declare war against them?" Lord Brutus asked.

"Because the humans have been killing demons all these years. When the portals opened, demons had wandered through them specifically the monere. They've been slaughtered mercilessly on the other side. They consider killing demons a source of entertainment." My statement caused uproar in the solarium and the demons couldn't hide their rage.

"Unforgivable! And how do you know this?"

"Because I am from the other side. I was once a human." Murmurs erupted from the audience.

"What? Doesn't that mean you're one of them? How can we trust you? How do we know you're not just trying to lure us to our deaths?"

"Like I said, I was once human. Not anymore. As you can see, I've become a demon and have inherited Ivana's power. I am the new Queen of Thorns and protector of the monere."

"But why do you want to destroy your home? Kill your kind?"

"I've witnessed how they killed thousands of my monere. They did it without blinking, with smiles on their faces. They shall be punished for it", I said with conviction. "Besides, the other side is far more beautiful than this world. So many lands to conquer. So many jewels to collect. So much fortune to covet. A life of indulgence waits."

The lords stared at each other for a minute, and I smiled in triumph.

We spent the next months preparing for war. Lord Auroch's village was turned into a demon camp. Soldiers from the four nations trained and lived together. For the first time in a thousand years, there was unity. During those days, I woke up to the sound of male demons with their early morning discussions while they exercised. The food was prepared by female demons with beautiful smiles. The lords and I discussed the strategies for battle. My monere helped with labor work. It was a sight to see - demons of different forms with different abilities working together. It was refreshing, how a single goal brought total coordination. If only humans were that easy to bring together. Back in the human world, there are never-ending wars. In the middle of those preparations, I had figure out how I could utilize my magical energy in order to open portals to take us there. I spent months practicing, focusing and visualizing the human world, particularly the city.

After months, I only managed to open one. I sent a vine through, saw that it was the wrong place and the wrong era, and then cut the vine off. Seems like the preparation would take longer than usual, I sighed. The lords assured me they were in no hurry. They wanted the preparations to be completely perfect. They've also began to socialize. It was a scene I never thought I'd see- a buffalo, a polar bear, a snake and an octopus having deep conversations. Then again, I've also become a fairy tale, an imagination brought to life.

I wonder how they'll react when they see me? I wonder what they'll do, how they'll feel. Will they try to persuade me and talk of peace? Or will they just attack me like all those beasts they've killed? Will they listen to reason? Not that I have any that they'll understand. I just want to avenge my beasts, make them feel how they felt. I want them to feel the pain and the suffering. The anticipation I'm feeling is overwhelming. I'm coming. I hope you're all prepared. To die, that is.