2065 Void Magic (Part 1)
During the ambush at the Heavenly Wolf tavern, Orpal had revealed to the public Lith's real nature and his ability to raise the dead.
The entire Griffon Kingdom had witnessed Trion's return and for the gala, he had even used the military rank that had been posthumously bestowed upon him after dying in the line of duty.
Aside from the Royals and the survivors of Varegrave's suicide regiment, no one had ever met one of the Demons and lived to tell the tale. The nobles were thrilled and scared at the idea of meeting a perfect undead.
Most of all, however, they were curious. They couldn't help but wonder what lay beyond their mortal shell and by meeting a soul they hoped to somehow catch a glimpse of what waited ahead of them.
The Demon walked beside his sister in human form, wearing the full uniform of the Kingdom. As a non-commissioned officer with no magical talent, the suit was entirely black and had no robe.
There had been no love between Lith and his brothers ever since they were kids so Trion had never been treated with Invigoration. He barely reached the average height of 1.65 meters (5'5"), full ten centimeters (4') shorter than his younger sister.
His dark hair bore the same military cut he had died with and his features were plain. His eyes, instead, were quite unique. They were entirely white with no pupil, but not because they consisted only of sclera.
They were made of pure Decay energy that kept the Chaos and darkness of his body in check. Every time Trion looked around, a small silvery spark erupted from his eyes and small tongues of energy rose from his eyelids.
The only other distinguishing feature he had were a set of black membranous wings that wrapped him from shoulder to calf.
As for Tista, she looked gorgeous in her red gala dress with loose straps that left exposed her arms and shoulders. Her parure was made of silver and had been forgemastered to project the images of small black lotuses.
Yet what truly draw everyone's attention once they had finished staring at Trion were the silver-veined red feathered wings that draped her down to the knees and gave her an angelic appearance.
The contrast between the siblings made the crowd gasp non-stop as their gazes moved from one to another, bringing them much satisfaction.
'I actually wanted to be as intimidating as Lith, but with my life forces still split, I can barely pull out the wings. Every attempt to open the other eyes or to manifest my fangs made me shapeshift into my Red Demon form and ripped my dress into shreds.
'Yet I came here to witness my brother's ascension, not for a declaration of war. I guess that awe will have to do.' Tista thought as she reached the aisle in front of the Royals where her parents, Lith and Kamila were waiting for them.
Lith had used that time to look around, noticing that the space closest to the King and usually reserved for the members of the Royal family had been assigned to his allies.
On the left side, there were Marchioness Distar, Professor Marth, Professor Vastor, General Vorgh, General Berion, Baron Wyalon from Jambel, and the entire Ernas Household. Everyone had come with their respective spouse, even the Baron.
Mirias looked even paler than usual and clenched her goofy husband's arm to make sure he wouldn't make his mouth run wild. Faluel, Fyrwal, and the Empress stood on the right side, among those who carried Valeron's blood.
Unlike the ceremony when he had been invested Archmage, those belonging to hostile Households had been relegated to the balconies along with the minor nobles.
'Seeing how calm Zinya is and how tense Mirias is, this shouldn't be a trap.' Lith's eyes met Jirni's who seemed to read his mind and gave him a small nod in reassurance.
He didn't know whether to be reassured by the good news or to be creeped out by her intuition.
The Royal valet hit the floor with his golden staff, signaling that the last guest had arrived and the ceremony could start. The double doors of the Banquet Hall slowly closed by themselves, triggering the most powerful defensive arrays of the palace.
Only then did the Verhens kneel in front of the King and Queen. Standing any longer would have been a grave disrespect, implying that the Crown had no authority over them.
"Allow me to welcome you all back home." The King's clothes shapeshifted into the Saefel's armor as he stood up to walk among his subjects.
"What my cousin, the late General Morn, did to you is unforgivable yet I hope that you are satisfied by the punishment he received. You have my word that as long as I draw breath, such acts of violence will not be tolerated." Meron patted Raaz's and Elina's shoulders, in the closest thing to an apology that protocol allowed him to.
"I was deeply saddened by the news of your death, Sergeant Verhen. I am glad to see that your loyalty to the Kingdom is something that not even death could defeat and that you chose to embrace your family name again.
"At the same time, I regret not having the honor to meet you in happier circumstances." The King said while briefly touching Trion's head and experiencing the unnatural cold skin of the Demons.
Meron couldn't care less about Trion. The existence of every Demon was bound to Lith's will and the reason they had chosen to stay behind for was irrelevant since the only form of protest left to them was to let their souls fade away.
The King's words were actually meant to reassure the nobles that the Demons still had free will and to remind Trion of his vow as a soldier. He was the Royal's best shot to assure that during the war Lith would protect the interests of the Kingdom instead of his own.
Trion was still a Verhen and could influence Lith's decisions through their parents.
"Aside from Archmage Verhen, everyone steps aside." Queen Sylpha stood up as well and stepped down the dais, standing abreast of her husband while wielding the Sword of Saefel in her right hand.
Kamila moved beside Zinya who smiled at her sister and held her hand. Quylla and Friya made space for Tista, touching her soft feathers with the excuse of patting her back.
Elina and Raaz reached Jirni and Orion who could only greet them with their eyes to not breach protocol. The Ernas took a step back, leaving the Verhens the front line of the ceremony.
As for Trion, he clicked his tongue and disappeared in Lith's shadow, sending a shiver down the spine of the spectators. There was no telling how many more Demons might hide in there, ready to attack.
There was no trace left of his clothes nor of his ceremonial equipment. The nobles wondered how many fully equipped Demons might lay in the small shade on the carpet and trembled in fear.
"The last time we stood here, I told you that you wouldn't need to kneel in front of me again unless you became a Magus, and now that moment has come." King Meron said.
