Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Treacherous Truth ❯ The Treacherous Truth ( Chapter 1 )

Reanna King

April 12, 2006

Adv. Creative Writing

Short Story

The Treacherous Truth

I'd always thought that the world was a bit twisted. In a world supposedly watched over by benevolent gods, creatures that were evil, feeding on the suffering of the innocent, existed wherever they couldn't be beaten back by mortals. The teachings and legends were simple: evil existed, and good existed to vanquish evil. It was something I rarely concerned myself with. I was a simple man and nothing had ever been called forth to question what I knew to be true.

I'd never lived anywhere but Eddin, nor did I feel any desire to leave the village of my birth for anything longer than a brief visit to the towns nearby to see relatives or to trade goods or buy materials for our work; I worked as a carpenter and my wife as a seamstress, making a living shaping crafts of wood and textiles, often for those who lived more privileged lives. I did not mind. We lived a happy life and my daughter, Fayla, was growing up beautiful and clever.

Traveling from my hometown of Eddin to Sela can take a while. Well sure, the distance isn't much compared to the size of the entire kingdom of Jigsaw. But to give those who live near or in the Silver Mountain Range credit, even though the easy road around the peaks can add up to a week to a journey north, traveling through the mountains seems to take twice as long— at least. Some of them are treacherous and steep, and some are home to living obstacles like wild animals and monsters.

Everyone knows about the most notorious of the mountains in the range that stretches down the kingdom's western territories—and possibly the most notorious place in all of Jigsaw— Rahler Mountain, and the demon city it contains called Kelorin. From my home back in the town the peak was clearly visible over the hills that were spread out between. Where the mountain was too high for trees to grow, its reflective white rock created mirage-like glares, but I often thought I'd seen the far-off specks of demons skulking over the mountainside. The demons may live on the inside of the hollow mountain, but they have the nerve to claim the whole thing as their territory. And wouldn't you know it? Rahler Mountain stands between Eddin and Sela. For the average traveler, going near the mountain could easily lead to a terrible fate. Still, I had brought an extra sack of provisions just in case; stories said that demons can often be bribed away with an offering of practical or material goods, and I decided a little insurance couldn't hurt (that's not what the aching arm carrying the heavy burlap sack told me, though).

But at least theoretically, demons were not my problem. People from Eddin, after all, have the privilege of being exempt from the demon's claim over everything on or inside Rahler Mountain. In fact demons never attack Eddin. And at one time I didn't understand why we, a city so nearby the largest concentration of demons in Jigsaw, were left alone. If anyone wondered why, they didn't ask—or at least, if they did, didn't receive a satisfactory answer. One day, on my way to Sela to visit a friend of mine and sell some clothes and tapestries my wife had made, I found my answer.

I was walking up the mountain that day. The path over the mountain is well-tread, but the slope is usually very steep with no way around. The pack that I was carrying wasn't helping any, either. Even with the spell placed on it to make it less heavy, it was still large and cumbersome and I found myself resting every couple hours, as usual.

I squinted to see up the mountain's face. Besides the occasional plant or tree, the growth of which was usually stunted by the thin air, there wasn't much else besides the rocks that were scattered everywhere. Most of them were angular and reflected the sun's light with bright white glares. Even though my style of dress and signet ring identified me as being from Eddin, I always felt nervous going that way. A few months back while traversing this same path I'd spotted a pair of demons a few hundred yards off the trail, speaking in their harsh demonic language and laughing after gesturing (I thought) toward me. Often I wondered if the crumbling of pebbles under my feet had actually been produced by a stalking demon. But I knew the most treacherous thing about demons is how closely they resemble people. However, I'd only glimpsed the evil creatures a couple times— never actually met one, but I knew they were supposed to have pointed ears and fangs. But then, so did elves. You know you're looking at a demon, they say, when you look into a pair of eyes that send terror seeping through to your bone marrow. But none of them ever approached me if they even saw me with those terrifying eyes, so I could usually reassure myself that I had no cause to be afraid. If anything I felt more intimidated by the possibility of wild beasts which could not be reasoned with.

About halfway up I decided to stop to eat some lunch under a tree that had managed to grow large enough to provide some shade. Nothing fancy of course— cheese, bread and some salted meat. Anything more complicated than that usually didn't travel well, especially on hot days like this particular one. And even then, things don't quite work out, I remember thinking to myself as I observed that the cheese had crumbled on the way up.

I lifted my large water flask to my lips to quench the thirst from the meat, and when I lowered it, I nearly fell backwards off the rock I had been sitting on when I saw someone standing in front of me, of medium height with an almost willowy frame. Reeling, I supported myself on my heavy backpack and putting the flask down, I took a look at the young man.

A chill shudder ran up my spine when I recognized him as a demon instantly. His long, pointed ears, even more pronounced than an elf's, fanged mouth and gold, cat-like eyes gave it away. By any measure he was handsome, but with a primal, sinister charisma. On Rahler Mountain, he could only be a demon. He looked at me piercingly with a fanged grin spread deliberately across the bronzed skin of his face until I reflexively held up my hand.

The demon raised an eyebrow and spoke in a sensual, almost nasal tone. “What are you going to do, slap me?”

His voice alone sent a small shockwave of panic down my frame. I looked forward and realized I was holding up the wrong hand. Wincing, and with an exceptional lack of confidence, I put up the hand that wore the signet ring. Immediately his smile melted and he stumbled forward in surprise, his thick black hair cascading over his shoulders.

“I came all the way up here to have some fun, and all I see is a man from Eddin…” He put a fist to his hip. “Even an Eddin girl would be nice. Hands off --I know--but there's no harm in looking, right?” he muttered. “Oh well…” He whirled back around to face me, his cloak lazily following his lead, and shifted his eyes to a nearby rock. “Do you mind?”

“… W- what?” I stuttered. It was like a hawk asking a mouse if it could sit next to it.

The demon sat down on the slab of rock. Wincing, he got immediately back up, recited a short incantation and waved at it. Nothing seemed to happen at first, but when he sat back down, his weight caused it to sink inward, like it had become a soft cushion. “Better.”

In the bright sun, his tunic had appeared black. In the shade, I realized that it was a very dark purple, and that it was in the style of those worn by students of the Sela magic academy. While in Sela I'd seen the campus, nestled protectively between the palace and the city walls, built to instruct those interested in vocations related to magic. I'd seen its students in the city whenever I went out, but none of them were demons. But what was even more striking was the amount of buckles and straps on his costume, looking as if they were holding something in, as a muzzle or collar on an untamed beast.

I tried a few times to open my mouth to say something, but the reality of my situation seemed to sap the air from my chest. I'd never spoken to a demon before and didn't have any real desire to now. “I… er…”

The demon leaned back comfortably against empty air. “Oh, out with it. I won't hurt you.”

This was the wicked force that ravaged Jigsaw? “Do… you have a name?”

His face twisted slightly, seeming puzzled. Once his expression calmed, he smiled and uttered, “Kao.”

“I … don't see many demons with Sela uniforms.”

He made a growling noise from deep inside him and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “It's a long story... an unpleasant one as well.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the pattern on the tunic— it was a stylized solar eclipse. All Sela academy tunics have a picture on the front, most of them depicting something in nature. He even wore a Sela academy buckle on his belt. But instead of the usual starry glow shining out of the middle of the black orb to indicate magical power, it was completely dark. There was a long slash through the tunic, just under the buckle. It resembled those tailored into long tunics for those who often rode horses, but this was a hasty, uneven slit in the heavy purple cloth. Feeling I might be prying, I inquired about it anyway.

“That… is also a long story. And an even more unpleasant one,” Kao replied, bowing his head.

He seemed pretty depressed— not openly so, but in the disturbingly familiar way most people hid their emotions. At the very least he seemed troubled by something. I almost laughed at the idea of a demon being sad. The creatures normally had a reputation for being riotous and wild. I'm not sure why I did so, but I turned to him and said, “I'm willing to listen.”

Kao blinked. “I suppose I don't have anything better to do at the moment. Gods, where do I start?” He shot an ironic smile my way. “When I was… seventy-two, I think... I'm one hundred fifteen now; keep in mind I was born an elf…”

Forty years ago? I was scarcely that old. At one hundred fifteen years old, that would still only make the demon a young adult, just over twenty in human years. We don't get much in Eddin besides humans, so it's always been difficult for me to get my head around creatures that age at different rates.

“You ever been to Sela?” Kao asked.

“I'm going— on my way there now. I visit there every few months.”

“Well, I'm originally from Deep. Before I was a demon me and my brother Xerei -hmmph, Xerei—” he scoffed, “were moved to Sela to pursue an education in magic— the funding for which was provided by my grandfather Ga, a renowned Sela Academy alumnus.”

I nodded. I'd only received minimal education as a child, and even then only from my educated uncle. “That's nice.”

Kao sighed voluminously. “Heh… sounds too perfect doesn't it? … Well, Xerei did wonderfully— great, really. Actually, so did I but I ended up getting expelled from the Academy and exiled from Sela for practicing forbidden magic.”

“That's a little harsh,” I said, trying to be tactful.

“Well, I used “Borrow Time” to give me an extra day to study for an exam, as well as several easy forbidden spells on those I disliked. Nothing permanently debilitating, mind you. It was all out of childish spite.” He turned to me with a wild grin. “Gave one this nightmare about being devoured alive by giant spiders.”

Not knowing how one responds to such a thing, I refrained from doing so. Talk of demons and evil magic and borrowing time for the most part washed over me, leaving me with a vague idea of what the demon meant to express.

“As years went by, I got off with warnings only because I was such a diligent student— and perhaps because I was Ga Jallen's grandson. But, eventually things got out of hand,” Kao was speaking in a forced casual tone, I noticed. “Xerei continued to rise through the ranks, but I was expelled and exiled from the city.”

“And you still wear the uniform?”

Kao threw back his head and laughed loudly immediately after I asked, as if he had been expecting me to ask about it. “Oh, I still wear it from time to time just to make the academy officials mad! They told me I can never wear it again because I'm a disgrace!” He gave a last chuckle, looking at me with mischievous mirth in his eyes.

I could see where it was going, even with few hints. “So you became a demon to gain power instead?”

Wearing a subtle smile, Kao rubbed his cheek with his index finger. “Well… you might say that… but in the end it was grandfather Ga's idea. Well, it turns out that the demon queen Émigré is a bit of a fan of grandfather Ga's writings, so it went well.” Kao chuckled. “Imagine that… me and Grandfather's fate depending on the overrated smut he writes in his spare time.”

I blinked, but decided not to reply to that last sentence but gave a stiff nod at the unlikeliness of it. I wadded up some of the greasy bits of crumbled cheese to make it easier to eat. “So the demon queen… I presume she let you in?”

“Yes,” the demon intoned in a way that seemed to imply there was much more to the story. I dared not ask about something he didn't seem willing to talk about. “To turn someone into a demon, a ceremony is held where a selected group of demons combine offered fragments of their souls into the body of the new demon. I guess it represents the unity that demons hold with each other by tradition.”

“That's… uh… nice.” Was it nice? Besides the business of combining bits of souls going far over my head, another demon to worry about wasn't nice by any measure to the rest of the world. But then that got me to thinking that there are some people who believe that our world was created to be in some kind of balance between the forces of good and evil. The accepted interpretation of the world's existence was that good was meant to oppose evil, not exist alongside it in equal measures, but there were enough believers in the “balance” nonsense that the churches of our creator Sofia were split between these two ideologies.

“I suppose… After all since then my power has increased greatly— far beyond that of my brother.” Kao stared intensely forward, as if there were something specifically noteworthy about that fact. I followed the demon's gaze that I had thought was at me down the mountainside where a figure wearing a thick brown cloak and hood skirted around the rocks carefully, constantly scanning the area with quick glances back and forth, as if watching a fly dart through the air.

“Hmmm…” One of the demon's pointed ears twitching, he leaned forward with interest, watching the frantic figure wolfishly. The blood seemed to drain from my heart when I realized his intentions. But the demon exhaled an indifferent sigh and leaned back against the magical air cushion he seemed to have created. “Bah… too hot today. Did you know that - no I'm sure you do—everyone around here plans their lives— you know, live by the demonic calendar? Whenever we have a festival of going out and wreaking havoc everyone for miles has planned to go on holiday. Discouraging.”

Nervously, I nibbled delicately on the wad of cheese I had constructed to keep myself from fidgeting as I watched the cloaked figure who had been spared shrink into a speck as it expertly traversed the mountainside. I tried to banish the paranoia from my racing heart; for the moment the demon seemed to mean no harm.

While I continued to pick away at my lunch, the demon and I had some of the most interesting conversation I've ever had. As I guess could be expected, Kao had a twisted, lewd sense of humor and a disturbingly refreshing outlook. And he loved to talk and would talk about anything, from his favorite skulking spots and what good friends he was with the guy who ran the tavern at Kelorin to the things each of us used to describe ourselves— music we liked, our favorite foods and favorite seasons of the year, what frightened us most (for the demon, thunder and lightning). I was mortified to know that the demon too often experienced walking into a room and forgetting why he'd entered in the first place, or not remembering the date. Kao explained the fact that sometimes demons get sick, turning to the forces of good.

“The best friend I ever had got sick in this way,” Kao explained. “There's not exactly a cure for good or evil, for that matter, so there wasn't much I could do but support his decisions. But one night I watched him murdered by a demon hunter who couldn't understand that— there was no long goodbye, no pained looks of never seeing each other again— just gone, disintegrated by a magic arrow. Quick, painless and cold.”

I bowed my head. I didn't want to look at Kao; at the moment feeling compassion for a demon seemed all too much. It stewed inside me like some kind of emotional indigestion. Again the naïve thought of the world meaning to exist in a balance between good and evil revived itself in my mind like an unpleasant memory. I'd always thought anyone who feels evil is a necessary part of existence must have never dealt with loss or tragedy themselves. If Sofia created demons, what was her plan for them, if evil was something that was meant to be eliminated?

“Sometimes…” Kao was bowing his head too, and the tips of his long hair dragged on the dusty ground. For a moment I wondered if he would ever finish the sentence he started. With a poorly concealed whimper he continued, “… thinking back I lose control of myself.”

I tried to grasp at exactly what he meant by that, but ultimately the meaning seemed to evade me. “Will… you be okay?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Kao replied. “It was many years ago.”

“So what do you… uh… do?” Almost immediately I winced, partly because it seemed a stupid question and partly because I probably didn't want to know.

“What do I do?” Kao's voice rose in pitch, sounding immensely amused. “I suppose you want to hear stories of the violent and depraved things that demons do?”

That wasn't exactly my intention; I had actually been reaching for anything relevant to say and ended up going with whatever came to mind. Unsure how to reply, I continued eating.

“Murder, rape, pillage, in general the spread of chaos and suffering. Despite hating them with every part of their essence, people have an insatiable morbid fascination with demons and what we do… especially humans,” Kao mused. “This is a rather twisted world of hypocrisy—you know— what people do—” The demon's voice wavered.

“You can do anything to a demon. No laws protect us from any kind of destruction or sick exploitation—and— I spent three months in some place and was tortured and used for the amusement of people— who… well, you can do anything to us, especially if you can say it's in the name of reform to show a creature the evil of what it does by nature,” he spat. Kao was livid—I wasn't sure if it was some demonic effect but the air seemed to become even more heated. This, I thought cynically, was the ultimate in awkward conversations you wanted to run away from.

Kao turned to me, with a reluctant shine in his monstrous eyes that said looking me in the eye at that moment was immensely difficult. “Those are the `innocent people' referred to when people talk about the victims of demons.”

While what Kao spoke of seemed to make a bit of sense to me— I dared not voice my opinion, looking at the pained grimace on the creature's face, as if speaking of the incident called back the pain into his body. If demons cause chaos and suffering as a way of life, they could be considered criminals by nature, and the practice of punishing criminals seemed natural.

Kao emitted a low growl I would have expected from a creature many times his size, and I tensed— did he know what I was thinking? “To satisfy your curiosity, I'll tell you a story,” he spoke with resolve.

I wasn't entirely sure how ready I was to hear the kind of story I was expecting. However, from the suddenly serious expression on the demon's face, it was apparent that he really wanted to tell it. He seemed already lost in it. At this point it seemed as futile as criticizing a dragon for its eating habits—and possibly as dangerous.

Without me saying anything, he began, “About three years ago I had advanced from the lowest rank of demons, the murderers, into the second lowest rank-those demons who commit much less severe acts of violence. This is done to harden us demons to suffering and weed out those too weak to follow Queen Émigré. As demons advance their assigned duties rely less on mindless violence and more on creative mischief and mayhem. We achieve the same goal through much subtler means.”

“That's interesting,” I said with a great amount of honesty but a tiny quantity of understanding of what exactly he meant.

Kao chuckled. “Makes us sound kind of militaristic doesn't it?”

“Yes—” I acknowledged, but Kao quickly continued.

“Really, we're laid back and chaotic, and we like it that way. Anyway, I was told to go to the village of Nai and find a young woman named White and bring her back to Kelorin, something about protection.” He continued, saying that he regretted not asking about the nature of the mission. Either way, when he arrived at his destination and found the red-haired human girl asleep in her bed, he proceeded to awaken her and explain his purpose. When White resisted, he became impatient.

“I told her she'd be coming with me whether she chose to or not, and it would be in her best interest not to resist.” Kao turned to face me with a grim smirk— he had been facing forward. “That's demonic diplomacy for you.

“Of course that didn't sit well with her. No amount of arguing could persuade her; it only made her more upset. And when I took hold of her wrist… … she stabbed me with a dagger.” Kao looked away from me, touching his hand to his face. “I suppose I couldn't blame her but…” Kao took a deep breath, still not facing me. “To put it simply, I let my emotions get the better of me and I lost control.”

I felt an empty coldness in my heart. “You… killed her?”

“No… I— lost control— raped her, in her own bed. I don't understand! Why should I care, after all that I've done? There's no reason!” Kao gripped his head, his nails pressing into his scalp. He let loose a nervous laugh, and he seemed to calm down a bit.

But I stood up. If unpleasant emotions were stirring in me before, my heart now felt dashed upon the hot, sun-bleached rocks of the mountain. I shouldn't have expected much less of a tale from a demon, but I still couldn't help gaping—I couldn't look him in the face; just the thought of doing so repulsed me. “You…”

“There is a reason,” Kao corrected himself, preceding a long sigh. He seemed content to ignore my reactions, but I knew well enough that I struck out against him he could very easily dash me against the rocks.

I was helpless to do anything but listen. Somewhere in the demon's stammering, I learned that when Kao witnessed the death of his friend, he became cursed. The demonic state of rage that showed itself in times when a demon is in extreme danger became too easily invoked, and he felt that doing evil in that unrestrained state dirtied the name of his deceased friend who, Kao claimed, wished only to fill the world with goodness.

“Somehow, it all goes back to him…” Kao breathed.

I had especially never heard of a demon being remorseful for its deeds, even if only for the sake of a friend. I gulped and spat out my terrible inquiry, almost against my will. “But you enjoy that… kind… doing that, right?”

“Of course I do,” he said sincerely, scratching his head.

Living lives of debauchery and depravity, was it possible for demons to have friends that weren't also demons?

“I don't know what happened to that human girl…” Kao continued, his voice evening out from the stricken tone of just seconds ago. “But I was told not to worry about her any more. …I get the feeling that eventually all of this will come back to haunt me more than it already has.”

My feelings of discomfort and awkwardness becoming overwhelming, I was ready to take my leave. “I had… better go. I'm sorry to hear about all that. I wish I could say I could relate, but I'm afraid I can't.” No… what I felt was pity. The demon was repulsive and intolerable, but its pathetic existence seemed somehow beyond his control. Unabashedly, I hated him and the fact that he existed.

Kao stood up beside me, looking refreshed in comparison to his strained expression from earlier. “Don't worry about me— that.” He corrected himself. “You listened to my story, so I'm indebted to you,” he said simply. “In return for your patience, let me let you in on a secret, if you're not convinced of the how twisted people can be.” Kao held out his hand.

“Secret?” I asked, shaking the demon's hand, containing a shudder.

Kao turned up a corner of his mouth in a subtle grin, his eyes radiating the smug arrogance of one with obscure knowledge. “You're not meant to know this, but the reason demons never attack citizens of Eddin is much more sinister than you may have imagined. You've probably heard of material offerings being given to demons in exchange for safe passage through our territory… A deal was made between the Demon Queen and the mayor of Eddin. In exchange for the village's safety, officials of Eddin offer the occasional traveler passing through Eddin as tribute, for us to do with as we wish.”

Shock running through my body, I pulled my hand away.

Kao's grin broadened, his fangs showing. “I know what you're about to say. But it's not a lie. And it's a perfect arrangement: protection of a nearby village traded for the despair and suffering of the occasional traveler.”

It was true; demons thrive on emotions like sadness, anger, fear— any negative emotions, plenty of which were stirring relentlessly in me now like a dark storm. Was this why Kao told me everything he had— to stir up the negative emotions in me that his kind thrived on? Had it all been an act? Overwhelmed with anger and confusion, I looked into his deep gold eyes as if to find an answer. Suddenly, I got my answer: this was what Kao had been talking about when he said that advanced demons achieve their goals through means subtler than obvious acts of violence.

“You swear it's the truth?” I managed to utter.

“Why would I lie,” Kao asked. Even in his burning, demonic eyes I could see simple, unadorned sincerity. He wore an amiable expression usually reserved for welcoming guests into one's home. “…to my prey?”