The Demon of the Pit

Even after Prella used some of her scrying magic to confirm that the Spirit Stone wall has been completed, she still receives no word from the team she sent down. All the life crystals she had them bring with them have gone dark as well… so she knows they're dead.

The warden looks down with a heavy sigh, and leans against her desk. 'I'll have get their names. We'll make plaques for them to commemorate their bravery and sacrifice.'

Truly, Prella shudders to think about what would've happened had her 10 sacrificial spirit mages failed to finish the Spiritual Seal. That demon kills without remorse or discrimination. He's absolutely NOT allowed to get free.

Sitting down, the woman loses all her energy, and her body goes limp. She looks up and thinks about how unnatural that demon is.

'How did he even survive for so long trapped on Floor B33? He has no food! He can also cause mass destruction from all the way down there…'

She shakes her head. 'No. That thing isn't a problem I'd like to think about… or deal with ever again. Hmm…'

The warden spends a bit thinking about it, and she decides to leave the lower Floors vacant. She knows by now that the demon grows more powerful when he kills. So… the correct solution is to make all the lower floors prohibited territory… just in case he finds a way to break the seal.

'Hmm…,' she puts her hand on her chin and considers, 'I know he can reach up to Floor 20 right now. I'll vacate everything under Floor B15, just to be safe. I want everybody completely out of reach of that demon.'

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A man who appears to be in his 60s is sitting on an ornate golden throne. On his shoulders are velvet and golden robes, and atop his head is a red jeweled crown. On his finger is a golden signet ring with the emblem of a crossed pair of swords in front of a tower – the national symbol for Brancotte.

The reason Brancotte's national symbol looks like something a general would wear is because of the empire's interesting origins.

Thousands of years ago, when the World Gate was discovered, all the surrounding human nations banded together and declared the land around the Gate to be neutral territory. Then, they all pitched in and donated their best men and a percentage of their resources to guard against the invasive tribes on the other side. Together, they built a near impregnable fortress they called the Threshold.

Eventually, the generals of the Threshold gained more and more power – far more than the kings and queens who originally endorsed them. This was due to the resources they were getting from all the nations, plus their growing diplomatic relations with the tribes on the other side of the very gate they were protecting.

Even more than that, because of the constant, overpowering threat from the Otherworlders, the surrounding countries would send their most talented mages to the Threshold. With all the best minds put together in one place, all the best magical technologies were invented there… and kept for the Threshold general's strict use.

Thus, the Threshold rapidly grew far more magically advanced than the nations who gave birth to it.

One of the successive Threshold generals began making treaties and alliances with many of the Otherworldly tribes… and his wealth and power grew.

Once his power and ambitions grew large enough, that Threshold general declared himself a sovereign nation. He took much of the land around the World Gate, then he demanded the surrounding nations continue sending tribute.

…Despite becoming a traditional empire with a royal family and established pedigrees, the Brancotte imperial family chose to keep their original sigil, which is the symbol of the crossed swords and tower (representing the Threshold and their purpose of guarding the Gate).

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And so, the Brancotte Emperor taps his finger on his throne impatiently while he stares at his court. The awkward silence is so profound that everyone can hear his sigil ring clicking on the metal armrest.

"Tell me," the grey-haired emperor demands, "why were over 5,000 important prisoners executed when they were supposed to be held safely in the Pit? Why did 100 more escape?" The emperor tightens his fists and leans forward angrily. "And why… did you tell me that there's no more room in the Pit?"

In front of him is Warden Prella prostrating on the ground. Behind her is her father, and behind him is his father. Being a part of the same noble family, they all share the responsibility for this blunder regarding Haalfrin.

Everyone else in the throne room are staring awkwardly at the heads of the Vanteri Family, for they all know how serious this situation is.

A lot of political hostages from various nations were kept in the pit, as well as important mages with forbidden, but valuable knowledge. Everyone the emperor wanted alive at all costs was kept in the Pit.

Even more, all the surrounding nations would have similar people they'd like to be kept alive, but confined at all costs. They'd pay the empire hefty sums to imprison these people.

… Yet, in one day, the trusted Vanteri Family lost nearly half of all these important people. Centuries of hard work went up in flames.

With so many dead in the Pit, the empire's reputation has suffered a huge blow.

Prella's father and grandfather look at her, and she nods at them solemnly. They've all discussed with each other about what to do in this situation.

So, the Warden of the Pit stands up and pulls out a glowing blue cube. She walks up, kneels down, and presents the cube as a gift to her monarch with upraised hands. "Your majesty. This is the collected recordings of what happened that day. I will make no excuses for myself. I will let you watch and judge."

The emperor takes the cube, nods at the woman at his feet, then tosses it in the air. Instead of clattering on the ground, it floats midair, then it flashes brilliantly.

Images start pouring out of the cube, and illusionary visions made of light fill the air above the court.

Scenes flash by where the nobles see thousands of weapons tear apart high-ranking mages like paper. They even see the "invincible" golems chewed up and spit out like untasty vegetables.

Even more terrifying is the sight of spectral black hands coming out of the walls and floor and ripping out the Wills of any who are touched by the claws of death.

Of course, few people in the crowd actually know what a spirit looks like. So, most quake in their shoes, thinking the black hands were capturing the spirits themselves, which is a fate more grim than death.

Last of all, they see the last images of the 10 heroic spirit mages who gave their lives finishing the seal on the "ancient demon."

Of course, all these images were taken from the surveillance enchantments the spirit mages were wearing.

Prella and her family also cropped out all the unnecessary bits out of the recording-cube. For the greatest impact, she wanted the court to see all the most violent parts.

"W-where did this demon come from?" one of the dukes up front asks.

Everyone turns to Prella… but she looks up at the emperor first for permission to speak. He nods, and she stands up. "Lords and Ladies… This fiasco actually started many years back. A few centuries ago, we received a prisoner from the small Alasta Kingdom near our western border. Their king came to us, begging us to take a powerful mage off his hands…"

"As it turns out," Prella continues, "Just before we got this mysterious prisoner, the man had slaughtered the entire Alastan royal palace… while he was unconscious. His spirit reached out and did it all off instinct."

The emperor appears concerned hearing this, and he asks the Warden, "Was it a powerful Rehkin Ancestor who did this? Who else could possibly use such strong spiritual arts?"

"No, your majesty…" The warden then steps back and beckons for a man in white robes to step up, who was resting in the back. "This is the archpriest in the Alastan Temple of the divines.

The archpriest steps up and explains all about how this demon called Haalfrin had caught the interest of multiple gods.

Prella then calls in another witness, who was a grandchild of a servant in the old Archmage Kalastros's tower. The woman only happens to still be alive because she became a mage at some point.

The woman then bears witness that this man called Haalfrin has powers written in his Names.

Upon hearing this, everyone in court gasps in shock. Even the emperor can't keep his cool hearing this.

…For everyone knows that only god-candidates have powers written in their Names. Everyone knows that god-candidates have absurdly unreasonable abilities.

Warden Prella then looks down and puts up a determined look. "But don't worry, lords and ladies! We, the Vanteri Family, are working hard to keep the demon under lock and key. Our brave men gave their lives to ensure the creature doesn't get out."

She then looks up at the emperor and apologizes, "I'm sorry, your majesty. That demon on floor B33 can use his powers to reach thousands of feet away from himself. I had to order the lower floors evacuated. I'm sorry that so many powerful and dangerous prisoners escaped in the chaos, but I had to make the hard decision."

She stands up straight and gives an old Threshold solute, "I'm sorry, but I still stick with my decision. It was better to risk losing some of our high-end prisoners than to risk letting that demon escape."

She then bows her head. "If you disagree with my choice, then my neck is exposed. you may take my head whenever you please."

Instead of getting angry, the old emperor stands up and claps, "Well done, Warden Prella! Your Vanteri Family has served us well! You all did what few of us could have done! I say, you all deserve a reward! Please! Tells me your wish, and I will give it!"

Prella lowers her head and replies, "I'm sorry, my lord. I was only fulfilling my duty. My only reward is that I wish to continue serving well with my family in the Pit, where we can continue doing our duty."

"Very well!" the emperor smiles and sits down again. He turns to the rest of the court and dismisses them.

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Once all the nobles are gone, Prella is left kneeling in front of the emperor. "Thank you, your majesty," Prella says in a humble tone, "for going along with my Family's desire."

The emperor doesn't have the same pleased expression he was showing the nobles just a few minutes ago; he's back to being irritated.

"I only care about the empire's reputation, girl," the emperor huffs. "Just punishing you wouldn't have stopped the gossip and finger-pointing. We both knew that the only way for this to blow over is to exaggerate the threat down below."

'But it's not an exaggeration...' Prella thinks. She doesn't dare to say this, though.

Indeed… the emperor knew everything the Vanteri Family was going to say beforehand because they collaborated with him to put on this show.

Even after the nobles go home, the emperor is going to be working hard to spread mythical stories of an ancient demon locked away in the Pit. The more people are terrified of this demon, then the less people are going to talk about the empire's weakness.