The War of the Demon Controllers
Arc 1 Rescues Riel
Birds perched on trees. The cat chasing the mouse paused for a moment. The whole slave was silent. The Lord accompanied by his two loyal bodyguards looked closely. All the attention was focused on a slave who challenged the Hervarar kingdom's trained Warrior.
“Gallam Warrior I beg you with great respect,” said Daedalus. “my brother has just grown up in his teens, just starting his royal days. Please, not him.”
The Gallam soldier stretched his body, his narrowed eyes getting narrower indicating he did not care. “All that's God's decision. I am the pawn that carries out his orders.”
Daedalus turned his attention to Lord Puqress. “Please, Lord.” He's welding. “Riel, my sister, is too young, still too young to have a relationship ‘itu’. I'm willing to do anything if you change your decision, Lord.”
Lord Puqress chuckled and patted her hands. “Hehe, hehe, Lord you like this.” He pointed to Gallam and Daedalus. “The decision is in your hands, who wins the one-on-one empty-handed fight. Man with man, will get what he wants!”
“Good, Lord.” Gallam gave his sword to another warrior. He prepares the horses. “Come, slave, I'll show you why you deserve to be called slave.”
Daedalus prepared himself. If he wins this duel, then he will ask Riel not to be a gift for God. He will win this duel. She must.
Daedalus attacked first, his punch was wide but felt strong. Gallam knew if the blow hit him, then he might fall. But Daedalus' inexperienced wide blow avoided Gallam easily. Gallam lowered his head, then immediately thrust his fist into the stomach. Daedalus knelt in pain.
“Come, slave! Begging and saying that your sister is too young, too young, too early or whatever!” taunted Gallam. “Look at the shameless slave like you who can only beg and plead. That's why you deserve to be called a slave.”
Daedalus felt his stomach holding his breath unable to come out, but he continued to rise and he would win this duel. Gallam gripped Daedalus' bald head and threw it to the ground, throwing Daedalus' hopes of winning the duel.
“You have a sister?” erang Daedalus tried to speak in such a position.
“Punya, my sister is beautiful like a noble daughter and behaves as appropriate how the noble daughter behaves.”
“Then you know the feeling of being a brother, the feeling of protecting your sister from losing her pride.” Daedalus felt his head getting pressed against the floor of the street, he started to feel pain.
“Again your mouth liken my human sister to your slave sister!” Gallam whispered in Daedalus' ear. “You don't even make any difference to animals.”
“I'm human just like you!” The emotions of Daedalus were turbulent. He rebelled and managed to push Gallam away. He stood back up. “I also have rights like you!”
Gallam laughing. “You deaf or dumb? You're a slave. M-u-d-a-k. You don't have the privilege of that right, ah base. You should feel grateful that a soldier like me would talk to a slave like you.”
This time Gallam went ahead. He threw a small punch, Daedalus moved wide avoiding him. The small punch was a trick shot, which then continued with the actual punch and landed right on Daedalus' chin. It shows a difference of experience. Daedalus crashing to the ground.
“You will die! Die!” Gallam trampled on Daedalus relentlessly.
A little boy shouted loudly. “Stop!” The one who shouted was Riel, he had now been by Lord Puqress' side. Father, Mother and brother Tael sniffled at him. “My lord, please forgive my brother, have mercy on him. I'm willing to be ‘your gift’, Lordku.”
Lord Puqress brought her face closer slowly. “Prove, give me a kiss.”
Riel initially hesitates but she looks at Daedalus and she decides to kiss Lord Puqress. Lord Puqress was astonished and held Riel up high.
“Warrior! Let the boy live!” lord Puqress's. He throws Riel into the air. Riel closed her eyes, enduring fear and shame. “Haha, this might be my best birthday gift!”
Lord Puqress and his two loyal bodyguards; rouf and Touf, left the area carrying Riel. Meanwhile Gallam cleared himself and also left the place with the other soldiers and brought the rest of the gifts, leaving the wounded Daedalus on the floor of the road.
“Basic trash!” maki Gallam before leaving.
Tael came to help Daedalus stand up. Daedalus watched the whole slave who was looking at him pityfully. She watched her father and mother embrace the sad hold. He also noticed Lupan and Yvonne who were as determined as he was. He saw them all crying.
“Until when will we be treated like this!” daedalus. He's sick of it, he wants a change. “You are sad, you shed tears, you curse them in your heart, you are so eager for change. But you guys didn't even try to fight!”
“You fight and look at yourself, Daedalus!” Lupan. His son was also a gift to Lord Puqress. “Don't you think you're the only one who feels lost and suffered.”
“Means fight!” reply Daedalus again.
But this time Lupan did not reply, he chose not to waste his time. Lupan turned around and brought the remaining members of his family to continue their work as slaves. Yvonne also rode away weakly followed by all the other slaves including her father and mother. Lastly Tael patted his shoulder before re-entering Istal following his father and mother.
Daedalus was left alone. In the past as a child, when he was still able to run around the city of Libbam. He often stopped by the Drinking Shop and heard stories of heroes from drunkards there.
The hero is a mighty figure who protects his sister, his mother, even his wife from the demonic forces that lurk behind the dark of night. But it was the story of the hero he heard. It was not the story of a slave like him. Recalling the word slave, Daedalus muttered. Will he remain a slave until he dies?
“Rise, nak.” A voice caught his attention. The field had been empty and left Daedalus and a middle-aged man, about the age of his father but looking lethargic and pale. “I can help you.”
“You who?” daedalus was confused.
The man, although he was the father of Daedalus, had grayed his hair and beard. Daedalus was sure the man was throwing a smile from behind his beard. “I am a friend, colleague, and savior who will help you save your sister from the hands of tyranny.”
Daedalus hesitated to see the appearance of the man. But Daedalus' doubts soon paid off when the man pulled out a beautiful red gem and did something amazing.
“This is a Pomegranate Gem that stores demons in it,” said the old man. He clasped the Jewel and closed his eyes for a moment. A second later, a smoldering red fire enveloped him from toe to toe. “and I will help you defeat tyranny with this power, Daedalus.”
It was amazing to Daedalus, the figure in front of him had the same strength as Rouf and Touf. “Can I really?”
The man was silent for a moment before speaking. “Tyranny will be destroyed in the hands of both of us, Daedalus. You and I, together, we will be the heroes that his story will sing for the next thousand years.”
The meeting was a fateful encounter that changed Daedalus' life in the future. The meeting that started the tragic story was filled with death and sacrifice and the beginning of the Demon Controller War that would tell the Legend of a powerful Demon Controller.