Ancestor

Wren, even though he had lived in the north since he was born, couldn't stand the cold. His uniform was tighter than the others and he held a crystal in his hands to warm them. They trudged slowly towards the pit, having received a warning sign.

Days like these were too common to be alarming. The warning bells went off and they were required to be there. Fabian was there with them as well, showing how relatively safe it was. However, it didn't mean they had their guards down.

"A-Achoo!"

"Do you need another crystal?" Fabian asked, looking at the captain. Wren sniffled and shook his head. The crystal in his hands was already expensive to just be held as a warmer. They belonged to Fabian, who strangely had no problem giving them to Wren.

"Captain, I see something!"

"Assume…A-Achoo!…position. Damn."

"So, you still don't need the crystal?"

"They're impractical. I can't fight with them. Fighting will warm me right up though."

"There are better ways to be warmed up."

"You're right. I'd really fancy a bottle of wine right now. A spirit would be fine really. Do you think the Duchess would give me a bottle of her old spirits if I brought back a demon king head?"

"Hmm, not likely."

"We have a lord now. Perhaps she would be kind?"

"I don't think…I smell one. It's strong."

"Stay behind me. Here's the crystal," Wren warned, tossing the Crystal back to Fabian. He got into a stance, withdrawing his sword.

He had a small build but his sword was anything but small. It was a Demon Slayer sword, one piece of the original 16 weapons forged when the demons first arrived. All weapons had very strong and wayward mana, easily destroying anyone who dared to touch them carelessly. Only a select few could wield them and they all came from the Lothbridge family. There was only one sword that could be wielded by someone who wasn't of the family, the last sword in the Demon Slayer collection, the Sun Shield.

This sword's current wielder was Wren. His sword style was similar to Aretha's but there was something off about it. Like the name of the sword, the sword could harness the power of the sun and create a shield. A shield could also be used as a weapon of attack.

Using the huge halo that formed around the sword, Wren cleared the mist and snow that obscured their sight, easily exposing the path down to the pit they were heading to.

"I don't see anything."

"Be vigilant. I can feel it coming closer. Do you think it's using a camouflage?"

"Could be. I…"

"AAAGGGHHHH!"

One of them was dragged out of the formation by an invisible force and pulled across the rough ground, thrashing left and right. Wren dashed after the sound of his scream, his sword burning red hot. He took off from the ground, slashing seemingly at air. He made a clean cut, cleaving the ground into two. Around the ankle of the soldier, there was a thin, worm like appendage, squiggling around like it was alive.

"It's coming from under the ground! Be careful!" Wren yelled back, picking the soldier up. Hoisting him on his shoulder, he began running back to them. Several worm like appendages rose up behind him, all dashing towards him. Despite his stature and the weight on his shoulder, he was capable of carrying it all without slowing down.

He made it back, throwing the unconscious soldier to Fabian. He formed a shield around them and prepared for an attack.

"What…is that?"

"Oh, that? It's a mana stone. Come on in, Husband. There is nothing wrong with you seeing my treasury. It's basically empty anyway," she added the last part with pain visible in her eyes.

"Aren't those very expensive?"

"They'll be gone by next week. We consume a lot of mana stones around here. Unfortunately, they're mined in the pits so we need there to be a certain level of safety before the mining happens. I personally supervise those trips and I'm usually gone for days. It'll be another month or two before I go."

"It really is that dangerous?"

"For me? Not really. I won't do you the discourtesy of leaving you alone on our first month of marriage for some stones."

"But they aren't just…never mind."

Aretha smirked and walked behind. She began pushing him deeper into the treasury. Since the treasury belonged to the Quire Family, it was more than just a room. It's walls were filled with walking history and it sometimes told a story others weren't privy to, an indicator that history is often told from one point of view.

"Wait."

She stopped pushing and waited. The two stopped in front of a huge portrait, covered by a red tarp. The room, illuminated with thousands of special candles in specific angles, made it obvious that the portrait was being covered.

"Every other portrait is uncovered except this one. Do you think someone left it like that?"

"Perhaps it isn't so good to be so curious. I have something more important to show you."

She pushed him right past the portrait and further down the hallway until they were right in front of a metal door. Metal doors were so rare, this was the first time he was seeing one. She took her hands of the handle of his wheelchair and touched the metal door.

Right before his eyes, the door began to slid open by itself but just behind it were several metal bars. And behind them was a…man.

Once the door was completely open, it was like the man behind them was slowly coming to life. His body moved one appendage at a time until he was staring right back at them.

"…Ancestor."

Ancestor? Caspian couldn't understand. How could such a young looking man be an ancestor? Was that his name? Who even was he?

"A-Aretha. You…really returned."

"Yes, I did."

Her voice was soft and gentle yet she didn't move from his side. He felt her hand clench the handle of his wheelchair. The questions continued to swirl in his head.

"Who…is that?"

"This is Count Aderam, my husband."

"A-Aderam. I…remember her. Her…d-descendant looks j-just…like her."

"Do you remember now? What happened that day? Can you tell me what happened?"

"I…I d-don't know."

"If that is the case, then I will return another time. The time is drawing near, Ancestor."

"Y-Yes, I k-know."

Aretha moved as if to close the door. Her hand was held back by Caspian, almost like it was on instinct.

"Wait! I need to know something."

"No, no you don't. The Ancestor needs to rest. We shouldn't disturb him."

Seeing the look in Aretha's eyes, any curiosity he had towards the 'man' diminished. There was genuine fear in her eyes. He was about to drop it but then, the man spoke.

"Y-Your Ancestor…the crown j-jewel of Raphet. S-She was t-to be k-king. She…" he rose, dragging his legs closer to the metal bars. As he dragged himself, the sounds of various chains echoed in the 'prison' he was locked behind. As he got closer, Aretha's hands tightened on Caspian's handle.

"She lost. We lost. We…want it back."

"Ancestor, do not bring him into this."

"Destiny doesn't lie, Aretha. You know, don't you? This was meant to happen."

"I'm sorry!" She put her hand on the metal door and it slid shut. The room was silent and till the door closed, the man kept staring right into Caspian's eyes. Once it was finally closed, Aretha heaved a sigh of relief.

"Who…was that?"

"Do you know the origin story of this kingdom?"

"I do."

"My Ancestor helped the king defeat the demons and trap them into Crimson Divide. His family line was doomed to continue defending the kingdom from the demons there. Except, that's not how the story goes."

"It doesn't?"

"My Ancestor is clearly still alive and he isn't human. He was never one. He's actually…"

"A demon. But you're never scared of a demon. Is he a…"

"Demon Emperor. One of the most powerful creatures to ever exist. So dangerous, they could destroy gods. Everyone knows about Nyx but not her son, Solan. There is a lot people don't know about history."

"Why…are you telling me this?"

"You wanted to know if there was something wrong with you. It's nothing about you and more about your bloodline. If I tell you , there's no going back. Are you ready to take the risk?"

Fabian rarely had times where he felt powerless. He was someone who knew what he was doing, holding the finances and other important documents of the Duchess. However, now, more than ever, he felt the most powerless.

He was surrounded by several unconscious bodies. Wren was in his hands, barely breathing. He used the last of his strength to finish off the demon. Fabian, who was here to collect a sample of the demon, didn't know what to do.

Somehow, somewhere, something was changing.