Banished by Alexandre Rivest (uplifting novels .txt) 📕

'What are you doing Sahari!', I snarled at her and clenched my fists.

Without looking back, she replied:

'I don’t have to explain anything to you. You wouldn't understand anyway. Your demonic belief has blinded your mind from the day you were born. Farewell, Auron.'

She gave the box to the tall men and left the building. I wanted to cast my fire, I could feel it in my heart. The heat, the energy, but I couldn't control it. Nothing happened. 'Demons will always surprise me', the man said, as he set his eyes on me, 'They can betray their own kind without a doubt, no feelings like shame, mercy or pity. Oh! While we are here, I forgot to introduce myself: my name is Sermons, leader of the army of human realm Llios. But it doesn't matter anymore, because you're going to die here in a minute. If you ever manage to survive, let's take a cup of tea together', he jokingly told me and made a depreciating hand movement.

'What makes you think we're going to die here?', a Therom guardian asked and made a face at Sermons. It was a very young guardian and I felt shame in that moment, because I couldn't even remember his name.

'This.'

Sermons raised his right arm and the gemstone on his ring started glowing. I felt my energy drain out of my body. Humans with spears charged us. I couldn’t move as well, just like the other Therom guardians. I felt one, maybe it were four, spears piercing through my stomach and chest. But there was no pain. All my attention was on Sermons leaving the hall with the Enind, while his minions continued killing us. So he does have a relic! Humans actually found an artifact this powerful and learned how to use it?

How...?

'No, it can’t be happening', I was repetitive telling myself, 'I can't let him run away! I can't let the Enind be taken away by those humans. It is my duty to keep it safe. What would happen to the Kalath if I failed? What would happen to me?'

I felt the last heat and warmth leaving my body. I felt cold,  I didn't feel my relic, I didn't feel my soul anymore. It felt like it was stolen. The soul-chain began to hurt, my legs became weak. I felt dizzy due the blood lost. I was about to lose consciousness when I saw some of my companions trying to fight; even though they were powerless. I had to fight as well until the end.

A dark, trembling and echoing voice sounded in my mind, telling me: 'I am in your blood. I am you. Use me. Show them the real power of a demon!'

When I woke up I was leaning on my knees, surrounded by fire; and nothing else. Everything was burned down to ashes. I looked up and saw the sky. There was no fortress anymore. The melting metal flowed down the hill the fortress was once standing on. Everything was gone. As well as the Enind. I failed in my one and only duty.

It was just a question of time when the royal guards arrived and arrested me. The healers tried to heal my wounds, but their relics didn't react too well. My wounds healed by themselves by the time I arrived at the king's fortress.

King Rogar ordered a trial. I knew I was doomed. The only end possible for this trial was the death penalty. However, I wasn’t scared. I was ready. I had the most important job in the empire and I failed. Who knew what would happen to the Kalath? They brought me to the courthouse where a huge crowd was howling insults and threats. Their words weren't affecting me at all. I kept my head up.

Once in the court, they put me on my knees and attached my chains to the ground. Then, King Rogar entered the court. Everybody got up except for me. My soul-chains never felt so heavy on my body. I was breathing slowly, some of my silver hair hung in my face. My demon horns felt wrong on my head, I wanted to tear them out of my skull. I hated myself for my failure. 'Everybody knows why we are here', Rogar began his judgment, 'We have to decide what to do with Auron Firelyn, fifth Captain of the Therom Guardians. '

'Reason for this trial: Failing in his duty to protect Enind - the Soul Sharer. ', said a judge.

'Just kill him already! He deserves to die', said a watcher, 'He doomed us all! The Enind is GONE. We are LOST!'

The crowd started screaming names at me. They only wanted my death. 'Like if another dead body would help you getting the Enind back', I told myself. Whatever, it wouldn't change much if I raised my voice.

'Silence!', the King blared into the court, 'Let’s listen to Captain Auron's point of view. '

'I have no excuse, my king', I raised my voice, 'I failed to achieve my mission. I am deeply sorry.'

'Now tell me, how could a powerful and proud demon like you be beaten by humans?' I lifted my head, my hair fell back, my chain clashed with regret.

'I can’t guarantee it, but I’m pretty sure the human acquired an artifact. '

'Liar!', the watchers nagged. Their voices echoed not only in the hall, but also in my head. It was disturbing.

'What makesyou think human kind could acquire an artifact? For almost 400 years now we've searched for a second one like the Enind...and none was found.', Rogar asked, much calmer than the rest of the involved people. 'During the fight, the link between me and the Enind stopped working suddenly. I didn’t understand why, because it was still under our protection. However, the human leader, called Sermons, used a relic to disable our relics, therefore our magic. Normally, we would have used the Soul Sharer to defend ourselves... but we couldn't. None of us could feel the soul bonding anymore.'

'The human possesses relics? How worrying it is... And you found out why the Enind stopped working? Then, speak', the judge arrogated an answer from me.

I took a deep breath: 'The vice-Captain Sahari betrayed us. She gave information from us to the humans. She was with them from the start! I understood everything when she gave the Enind to the humans in a strange box. The box had the same kind of symbol as the one on the Soul Sharer. It was also producing a feeling of emptiness. It was quite unpleasant.', I told Rogar and lowered my head again. The chain drew my skin. It felt like ripping apart.

'The same symbol, you say? It is quite troublesome. However, we won't get further into the subject until we learn more about this new artifact.', the King mumbled and swept through his long beard.

'It is now time to decide the sentence of Auron Firelyn, for failing in his duty as a Therom guardian!', said a judge. 'As it is written in the demonic law of Kalath, failing a mission concerning the Enind, results the death sentence! Is the King agreeing with this sentence?', the judge spoke loudly.

'I do not agree with it', said King Rogar, while looking directly in my eyes.

'What? Why?', the crowd went, 'He just can't simply live! It will be his fault if more of us die through the hand of humans!', one demon shouted.

'They are right my lord', said the judge, 'He must be punished and he cannot just work or rot in jail. The other demons wouldn’t accept it and it could create uproars.', the judge whispered to the King and had an anxious look on his face.

'Silence!', the king yelled, 'The death sentence shall not be his end, for the only reason that it wasn’t entirely his fault. He fought bravely against an enemy with power beyond our knowledge. However, he cannot live in the Kalath Empire as the law says.  I know the perfect sentence for you. Auron Firelyn, by the power of the Kalath entrusting to me, the king, you shall become a Banished One for eternity!'

Banished? Banished from Kalath. My homeland...all my memories.

People in the court were screeching of happiness and also from discontent, but I couldn't hear them.

All I heard was the king's final sentence: Banished from our land for eternity! I didn't know how to feel like. My life was spared, but it was destroyed in a single sentence.

The king came next to me, bent down to my ear and whispered: 'Bring us back the Enind and you shall name Kalath home once again.'

He then left the courthouse with his guards and his consultants. The citizens left right after, leaving me alone in the room, attached to the ground. He gave me a chance. The king believed in me and decided to give me the possibility to correct my mistake.

A demon came in with a short stick with a bright, flaming end. He pressed it on the side of my neck and shoulder. The pain was intense, but not as much as the moment in front of Sermons when I saw Sahari. How could someone I trusted so much make me feel so miserable? Is that what you get by those human feelings? I should have never learned how to feel. 

The castigator then left, leaving me alone with the symbol of 'the Banished One' on my body: an ornament, round shaped on the top of my shoulder and neck with a dot in it's middle, long tribals wandering down my arm. The wound bled and I heard my blood dripping on the cold floor.

I leaned on my knees in the court without moving for an entire day, with my head lowered, thinking about what happened. When the sun rose, two guards came into the court to get me. They brought me to the western border of Kalath. Once there, they gave me my red robe and a leathery brown backpack and left. I felt so small, miserable, unworthy and emasculated. They took everything from me. Alone… It was quite strange to be the only one around. I was used to live with my friends of the Therom Guardians, which are no more. Even though I didn't had much to talk about with them and kept silent for most of the time; even when they had their fun.

I had to avenge them! I had to retrieve the Enind and bring it back to Kalath. But first, I needed to find Sermons and kill that rotten human for the reason I have become a Banished One. I will have my revenge. My flame won't die out. It will catch all the air and will burst to the heights of the sky. You shall be prepared, weak, human flesh.

Chapter 2

Seara

~15 years ago

It smelled like it would rain soon. I wrinkled up my nose, scratched it and took a deep breath. It sounded more like a sigh and it didn't feel relieving at all. I came here often for some quiet time,