The Demon Queen's Decree

The dim torchlights cast shifting shadows on the walls. No one dared to utter a word in Ophelia's presence. Her slitted, crimson-red eyes lazily scanned the captives before her. Her predatory gaze caused shivers to travel down spines. Some even forgot the need to breathe as they clutched their chest trying to ease their breathing.

Ophelia propped her head with her right hand, her cheek resting lazily on her palm. Her mocking smirk gained a dangerous edge. Some captives gulped saliva down their already dry throats.

"Hoh, you are still standing."

A heavy oppressive aura brought most of the captives to their knees. Lars, Xero and Peon were the only ones who were able to remain on their feet. It was futile as they eventually succumbed to the aura.

"Now that's more like it."

Ophelia's smirk widened and most of the captives recognised her as the apex of all predators. They kept their faces lowered to not become her next prey. Beads of sweat travelled down their foreheads.

"Lennon, this batch passes. The last fourteen did not have anyone able to withstand my power. This group is more impressive than its predecessors."

Ophelia spoke, causing the captives to wonder where the recipient of her words was. The braver ones slightly raised their heads. As they darted their eyes across the room, trying to look for Lenon.

A figure emerged from the shadow of her throne. A half-face mask covered his face, revealing his fiery red hair to the world. His turquoise blue eyes glowed in the darkness. Absent on his head were the traditional horns symbolising demonic heritage. Concealment magic expertly hid his horns.

"At least they passed. I didn't want to continue dirtying the throne room with their disgusting blood."

Lennon's word caused a cold shiver to travel down their spines. Some were tempted to look at the ground only for them to see streaks of dried blood. A slight wind made the flames from the torches shine their light on other hidden areas. Heads mounted on spears held by knights who were lurking in the shadows. The heads were still fresh and dripping with blood. 

A dragon clan member's, Captive number 11, Rein, body started to tremble. Foam started forming at the corner of his lips. He eventually collapsed and his fellow captives became concerned some coming to his aid.

"It seems in even the best bunch there are some weeds that need to be uprooted." 

Ophelia shook her head as her smirk faded. Her face settled into a stony impression. 

"Lennon, perform your duties and take out the filth before me. If anyone tries to interfere with your duties, take them out too."

"Gladly." 

Lennon emerged from the shadow. He retrieved a black blade strapped to the sleeves of his black bodysuit. The captives around Rein stood up and took a defensive position. 

'Shit, they'll all get killed." 

Lars noticed the shine of a dagger at the corner of his eye. He retrieved the dagger. Lennon vanished in a cloud of smoke and appeared where Rein was. Lennon ignored the captives trying to protect Rein. He raised his blade fully intending on taking out the vermin before him.

"Reinnn!" 

The captives' screams did nothing to dissuade the blade as it headed to snuff out their comrade's life. 

Clang-

Lars grimaced as he blocked Lennon's blade with the dagger. They became locked in a deadlock with each side trying to overpower the other. Lennon jumped backwards, creating some distance with his opponent. His veins emitted fumes, creating a grey haze around his body.

'He is a phantom. This battle was futile from the start, but like hell I'd let a comrade die before my eyes."

Lennon's arms became limp as he swished from side to side, his back hunched. The hair at the back of Lars' neck stood at full alert upon sensing the danger posed.

He suddenly disappeared, causing Lars' vision to dart around to look for him. He instinctively brought his dagger to block the blade aiming to pierce through his head.

'This bastard is dangerous.' 

Lars grimaced as Lennon increased his strength on his blade, forcing him to take a knee. Lennon tried to cave in Lars' face with his knee. He rolled out of the path of the approaching knee. Lennon's blade shattered his dagger and got embedded in the ground.

Lars kicked the blade away from his attacker only for him to get flung away by a right hook that met his cheek. Lars regained his balance mid-air and took up the boxing stance once he landed. They stood apart from each other, tensions high, no one trying to interfere in the fight.

Blood from one of the chopped heads landed on the ground, causing them to launch at each other.

"Stop." 

Their bodies were forcefully halted mid-punch. Lars saw Ophelia at the corner of his eyes, holding out her left hand, which had a red aura surrounding it.

"Lennon, I retract the previous orders I gave you." He nodded his head despite his suspension mid-air.

"And you, that's a very brave thing to try to defend your comrade. I will spare him, but try that nonsense before me again, I will crush you." 

To further emphasize her words, she increased the pressure of her power on Lars.

'This isn't a woman, it's a monster.' 

Lars groaned in pain, feeling as if some bones were ready to break. She dissipated her aura, releasing Lars and Lennon. Lennon backflipped and regained his balance mid-air. Meanwhile, Lars fell to his knees and clutched his chest as he heaved laboured breaths. 

"Now that the sideshow is over. It's time to inform you why I summoned you. before me"

She held out her left hand and a letter appeared from the reddish glow emitted by her palm. 

"Lennon, come here and read this before we continue to tell them why I summoned them."

"Yes, your majesty." He disappeared into a haze of smoke and appeared next to the throne. He took a knee and held out his hand to receive the letter. 

He took out a tiny dagger from the pouch attached to his hip. In one swift motion, he broke the seal and unfurled the letter.

"Summarize it to them. I'm sure most of these plebians don't have brains."

'Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep calm!' Lars clenched his fist as his body subtly trembled.

'He has a short fuse. I am surprised he hasn't blown up at that insult. Maybe the insult did not faze him.' 

Xero thought as his gaze travelled to Lars and saw his clenched fist.

'Never mind, I hope he doesn't do something that he will regret.' Xero shook his head as he returned his gaze to the throne.

'Even Peon, who is more of a hothead, is ignoring them.' 

True to his words, Peon was staring off into a space. The insults could never bother him as they were nothing new.

"Our Queen needs to go and visit the Duke of the House of Ladros. You guys are to act as her transport."

'3,2,1' Xero counted down as his gaze immediately went to Lars.

"Haaaa… I think I must be getting deaf. Can you repeat that but slower?" 

"I don't need to repeat anything for a plebian like you." 

Lennon rolled up the letter and tucked it into the pouch on his hip.

"Ok then. Why the hell will we provide transport for someone who can use magic to teleport herself there?"

Murmurs echoed through the throne room. The other captives saw sense in Lars' words.

"Silence!" 

The pressure in the room became heavy and bore down on everyone's shoulders. They felt as if they were being crushed by a large boulder. Silence ensued in the room, and they all gazed towards the throne. Ophelia's eyes contracted into tiny slits as she massaged her temple with her right hand. She slowly got up supporting herself with the armrests of her throne as she got up.

She took slow strides as she marched towards Lars. Her power started leaking out of her body, making it harder for some of the captives to breathe. She stopped before him, her crimson slitted eyes meeting forest green eyes.

"Hoh, you dare talk back and you are on your knees."

"You must be going blind. How am I on my knees?" 

He slowly noticed that Ophelia was starting to tower over him. He also noticed that the ground grew nearer.

'What is happening? Am I kneeling before her of all people?' 

Lars forced himself to stand up. His creaking bones warned him to stand down in the face of the predator before him. She grabbed his shoulder and exerted pressure on it, causing him to kneel before he stood.

"You are lucky. The only reason I am keeping you alive is because this batch has promising individuals." 

Ophelia let go of his shoulder with a harsh shove, making him fall to the ground. Lars closed his eyes as he winced in pain at meeting the cold ground. Slender fingers grasped his cheeks, forcing him to look at his assailant.

"You are too weak to even dream of challenging me."

Ophelia let go of his face as she returned to her throne. She nodded for Lennon to continue relaying assignments.

"Captive number one to captive number six, you will be carrying the palanquin. I do not need to say what will happen if you dare to drop it." A chill travelled down the mentioned captives' spines at the unspoken threat.

"The rest of you will serve as guards for the journey."

Peon did not excuse himself as he voiced his concerns.

"How do you expect us to protect little Miss Queen when we are unarmed?"

"That is no way to speak about our ruler." Ophelia raised her hand, pausing Lennon in his tracks.

"Ignore them. I don't expect them to contain any type of knowledge based on the elf's actions."

"To answer your questions, you will get your equipment tomorrow. Guards, please remove this vermin from my sight."

Gauntlet-clad hands shoved the captives out of the throne room. As Lars was being shoved out, he glared at Ophelia, who was indifferent to his gaze. The doors closed, and Ophelia remained with Lennon in the throne room.

"Your majesty, may I please take my leave?"

 "You are dismissed. Report to me in the morning." 

Once Ophelia saw that Lennon had left. She sank into her throne as she rubbed her forehead, trying to soothe a headache.

"That elf is a pain to deal with, but he is interesting enough to sate my boredom." 

She furrowed her eyebrows as a certain thought came into her mind.

'How did we get an elf prisoner when we had minimal interactions with them?'