A demon leader

The ten-year-old Jorghan looked like a child among those clan teens. But that didn't make him stop, and he was rather faster than the others.

He stopped at the end of the cliff, overlooking the vast and deep endless void. No one knows if there was any ground down there. The empty space was filled with clouds, making it invisible to them.

The river stream was falling down into the air, most likely spraying into mist before reaching down.

The other teens have also come and stopped. They could see the Driftrock island from here. But the gap between the Driftrock and the cliff was long, and they couldn't jump.

They were waiting for Basil and Swana.

Jorghan didn't wait, though; he looked at the Driftrock island.

One of them noticed Jorghan and how he was looking at it, and his eyes narrowed as he wondered, "Are you thinking of jumping onto the island?"

Jorghan merely smiled at him.

"Wait, Jorghan! You can't be reckless. Wait till they bring out the skybark vessel. If you get injured again, we will get an earful, the elder," he warned him. She always tells them to take care of him, but he never listens.

And Basil hates him.

"Don't worry about me," Jorghan moved back a little.

With a few steps forward, "Because nothing can hurt me!" Then he leaped off the cliff, and they all watched him jump into the air, sprinting towards the Driftrock with their mouths. agape.

They were astonished, watching him leaping towards the small island.

It almost looked like he was flying; his small frame moved like a tiny meteorite.

Basil and Swana arrived with a skybark vessel; it was an airship but made from the forest itself. Leather-like leaves, filled with a dragonbreath, a superheated air that makes them float, and the machine to steer and glide through the air.

Basil, seeing the look on their faces, said, "Did he jump?"

One of them replied, "We tried to stop him, but he didn't listen."

Swana's eyes turned wide; she breathed in surprise, "What!"

They see a tiny dot land on the below edge of the Drifrock, crashing and making the dust blow off.

Their vision made them able to see Jorghan was now climbing up like a monkey to the top of the island.

Basil cursed, "Impatient brat," he turned to them and said, "What are you waiting for? Do you want to be outdone by a toddler?"

Swana stared at the figure making its way up on the Driftrock. She smiled as she guided the vessel.

The vessel moved towards the Driftrock; she steered towards the valley on the island, taking a mountain peak as cover. Jorghan had come towards them and walked to them.

They were now on a small mountain edge where they looked at the middle of the valley where they could see a town. It was built along the mountain edges and in the middle too.

They could see all kinds of races there. Jorghan saw a giant troll sitting at the edge of the city, eating from a bowl; he saw human parts in the bowl.

His face turned sour, disgusted by it. The city was like a hub, a party place for these vile beings.

The domain was a home to the most savage and maliceful beings, and they were exiled to these lands.

The mainlands people consider this a prison, but these spiteful pricks have turned this place into a haven for them. They kill each other and eat them too. Most of the ones present here were cannibals. But no one does that quite openly. Only behind the closed doors.

Maybe that troll was unaware of such a fact and acted as if the island was his home.

But not the Nor'vack clan; they were different from these criminals. Their presence in these hostile lands was tied to a far greater conspiracy.

The clan had chosen isolation, retreating to an island where none dared to trespass. Powerful magic shrouded their domain, forming an unyielding barrier that kept both enemies and outsiders at bay.

The reason they were here right now was because of the loot, which was present on the island.

The Driftrock was a unique island; it moved throughout the purgatory domain, and it was maintained by a group, more like a gang. They collect things from all over purgatory and sell them on this island.

Everybody would come here to trade, buy, and sell. And it was filled with lots of entertainment too. This domain had a coin of its own used for trading.

So the teens of this clan came here now to see what kind of place this Driftrock was and experience the most lavish place in this domain.

While they were watching, someone came walking towards the troll, a big giant who sat before a mountain, on a meadow.

He seemed to be saying something, and suddenly the troll threw the bowl he was eating from on the ground and yelled at him.

"What did you say?" his voice boomed throughout the valley.

Even they could hear it from there. They were a couple of miles away from the city.

That man, he was changeling. He stood at six feet tall, with a strong build, and appeared like a human, but he wasn't. He walked calmly towards the troll and caught hold of the foot of the troll with both his hands.

The troll was shouting at him, and he wasn't listening.

Jorghan and others who were watching. Jorghan said, "Is he gonna throw him out?

And he did. That changeling dragged the troll as if he were nothing but a stick and then threw him towards the end of the valley.

That troll screamed as he was thrown off the island without even knowing.

That changeling man dusted off his hands as he watched the gone troll. Then he turned towards the place where the teens have been watching him. They ducked before the rock to avoid him.

But Jorghan stared at the man, as if it was nothing.

Swana pulled him down. "Don't stand there, idiot."

Back at the valley, that man walked back into the city.

Swana gestured for everyone to gather around before speaking in a hushed but firm voice.

"Listen, we need to leave quickly. After looking around—and if we don't want the elder to find out—you should disguise yourselves. I'm certain they'll come here eventually." She cast a wary glance at the others. "Remember what we came for. Look around, but leave quietly as soon as possible."

They had always heard stories of Driftrock and had grown curious, especially since the island had drifted closer to their home. That curiosity had led them here, risking the elder's wrath. But while the others sought adventure, Jorghan had come for an entirely different purpose.

They walked down the path leading to the city, straight into the mouth of the valley.

The city was surrounded by the natural walls, the mountains. There was no guard or gates at the entrance.

The airships docked at the bay, near the port-like place to the west of the city. People came in flocks.

There were people dressed in black attire, bearing the symbol of the Redviper. The infamous of the most notorious and elite of the Purgatory Domain.

No one would dare to cause a ruckus on this island because of them. They wouldn't dare.

All of them wore a cloaks, masking their identity.

Swana gave a robe to Jorghan, and she said, "Stay close to me, all right?"

Jorghan nodded.

They entered the city, buildings so tall and streets so long. Jorghan could see the different types of races here; he even saw kobolds; they were rare creatures to see. And there were goblins; they looked different from what he knew. They were bulk in size, muscled up, seemed to be carrying something.

Meanwhile, the teens wandered through the bustling streets, their wide eyes reflecting the glow of lanterns and shimmering lights. Jorghan watched them; to an extent, he could understand them. Being locked up on an island, to live all your life on it, would be a disaster and pretty boring.

They wanted to go out and see, but the domain was not a place for one to roam around freely. And coming here had given them a chance to enjoy. They even stole the coins before coming here.

Everything around them was a spectacle—vibrant market stalls lined the streets, overflowing with exotic trinkets, gleaming jewellery, and rare ornaments. Taverns brimmed with laughter, the scent of ale and roasted meats filling the air, while merchants called out, peddling their wares with boisterous enthusiasm.

Amid the overwhelming sights and sounds, Jorghan quietly slipped away. His steps were deliberate, his movements silent as he wove through the crowd, unseen by his distracted companions. His true purpose lay elsewhere. He slipped away from Swana, who was lost looking around.

His gaze locked onto the looming silhouette of the Red Castle, perched at the very edge of the valley. Without hesitation, he moved toward it. This wasn't a journey of curiosity or thrill-seeking like the others—it was a mission. Jorghan had come here for one reason: to meet the leader of the island, the feared captain of the RedVipers—a being of formidable power known as Blackhorn.

And Blackhorn wasn't just any ruler.

He was a demon.