A War for the Soul (The Demon War Series, Book 1)

The Fourth Trial

Inside the room, Valera and Emma found themselves in sat a beautiful throne covered in roses, two phoenixes on either side and perched atop it was a radiant looking Queen Emma. Queen Emma looked down at them and beckoned them to move closer. She smiled, hiding the years of pain and torment she had suffered but Emma knew better. Emma saw the agony just beneath the surface.

"What can I do for you?" The Queen asked.

"I think it's what I can do your you, your majesty," Emma said, getting down on her knees to pay her respects.

"And what can you do for me?" The Queen asked, motioning upward for Emma to get up. Emma stood up and continued.

"Give you your strength back," Emma said.

"Oh," the Queen said, "And how do you intend to do that in your current state? I could just have my guard seize you. Would that not be strength?"

"No, you've forgotten your own strength," Emma said, "You once marched side by side with your brothers and sisters. You once took all their pain as your own, leading them into a better future. Now look at you."

"How dare you!" The Queen roared. "I've done more for them than anybody else but it's never good enough for the ungrateful lot of them. Look at me. Look at what I have endured for them and still they are unsatisfied." The Queen stood to her feet and took her royal gown off, showing stab wounds, bruises, cuts and all manner of other marks from her service to her people.

"I understand, but you hide away here, sheltered from the very people you champion," Emma said, "Please, come with me."

"Fine," the Queen said, "Lead the way." Emma waited for the Queen to come to her and took her hand. The Queen looked confused but allowed Emma to continue. Emma closed her eyes and focused, picturing the Queen as a standard, everyday demon. Opening her eyes, Emma was greeted to the Queen, looking quite ordinary. The Queen looked down, startled by her new appearance.

"Holy shit," Emma said, "That actually worked. Cool!"

"I guess," the Queen said, "I don't know why I have to look like this though."

"You have to blend in," Emma said. The Queen shrugged her shoulders but nevertheless followed Emma out of the castle to socialize with her people. Valera stayed behind to keep an eye on the kingdom. They went into a square where a giant statue stood in the center, a rather good depiction of the Queen. The Queen looked at it and smiled. It showed her, wings spread wide, one knee to the ground, offering a hand to any who may need it.

"I haven't seen this in so long," the Queen said, reminiscing on better days. Emma looked at the statue completely oblivious to the Queen. This representation of the Queen, clearly from better days, made her kind of sad. It was a far cry from the woman who stood next to her now. She wondered how someone could fall so far from who they were.

After snapping out of her trance, Emma led the Queen to a fair a couple of blocks away. It was rather small and mainly consisted of exotic food vendors and small rides like a tilt-a-whirl. The Queen wanted to go into a funhouse though so the Queen ran on ahead, Emma struggling to keep up. The Queen made it into the funhouse before Emma and by the time Emma entered, the Queen was nowhere to be seen. She could hear the Queen giggling and laughing but that was the only indication she was in there.

A maze of mirrors greeted Emma. It had been the first time she had seen a reflection of herself in some time. She was taken aback by the person staring back at her. She had always had very white skin but now it looked gray. It was beautifully contrasted by the blazing red eyes, shoulder length, platinum blonde hair, a black tail, black heels that made her tower over Emma and two horns that rose up and curved backward. She beamed in the mirror, posing for her own enjoyment, soaking in her new look.

Suddenly there was a blood-curdling scream. The Queen! Emma ran through the maze. One, two, three, four, five times she took a wrong turn into a dead end. She was starting to feel hopeless and desperate. She fell to her knees, panting, lost in her own mind. Emma raised her arm up and brought it down, her knuckles making a cracking sound against the ground. She let out a long wail that caused the mirrors all to shatter. One by one her reflections left her, leaving her all alone.

She got up and looked around, surprised at her newfound power. Without any more delay she ran through the broken glass, every new slash spilling more blood from her feet, racing to the Queen's side.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked.

"My reflection. Is... is that really what I look like to people?" The Queen asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Yes," Emma said, "But none of us have to be what we are today tomorrow. We should grow, not shrink."

"Wow," the Queen said, "You really are quite wise. Is there any way to convince you to stay in my kingdom as a royal adviser?"

"I'm afraid not but don't worry," Emma said, "You're actually a lot wiser than you know. Trust me, I should know."

"Okay," the Queen said, "Can we stop by the vendors to chat with the people?"

"Of course," Emma said, "After all you are the Queen."

"No," the Queen said, a smile on her face, "I am a demon." With a renewed pep in her step, the Queen led them out of the funhouse. They stopped by every stall and chatted with the locals. The Queen loved hearing about how their lives were going and what things they were up to. There truly was beauty in the mundane. At least, there was for the Queen.

After they were done and the fair had closed, they headed back to the castle. There was so much more liveliness to the Queen. She greeted the guards and other attendants with a warm smile. The whole atmosphere was changed. The Queen even opened the doors to allow the people to come in and make room for any homeless or struggling demons. It warmed Emma's heart.

Satisfied with the new way things were going, Emma met up with Valera and they searched the castle until they came upon a door in one of the many hallways. They entered it, being greeted by loud gunfire, artillery, and pleas for mercy for the fifth trial...