The Wolf Queen (Book 2 of The Devil and the Huntsman)

Chapter 24

But one thing was certain; that night will be a challenging one for Lagertha as she becomes prepared to face the king of Midland.

He may have witnessed the brutal deaths of his servants by the Wolf Queen, but he still believed he could take her on. Lagertha looked up to him after he held out his hand to conjure up a spell to use against her.

"There's nowhere to run, Wolf Queen. Your people will bow down to us. Your friend will never even realize how quickly this battle will end," Basim said.

"Even without Brant, I will finish you. Why leave it to your army to take me down? What other reason do you have to see me dead?" Lagertha asked.

"Your powers are more than an ordinary human's strength. King Mephiles gave me authority to hunt down all of those who oppose him. The shadows of that kingdom will darken the earth," he said.
"Make no mistake, you are a pawn. You serve a king who brings death and destruction wherever he goes. I know someone out there is controlling you. You will tell me his name, even if I have to break every bone in your body."

"Yes, I like this test! Show me what you can do, Wolf Queen! Prove to me you are what they say you are!"

Then, Basim holds out his blade and points it at Lagertha's face to see if he can get a clean cut. Lagertha's longsword was much shorter than his greatsword, but she did not fear anyone who lived to bring death. Brant could see a few demons coming for him, and he knew the time came for him to fight back to survive. From a short distance, he could see the Wolf Queen and the sorcerer demon being ready to fight each other. Lagertha's lust for the death of her enemies prevented her from seeking freedom from darkness.

And so, a duel between Lagertha against Basim began as more demons started appearing out of nowhere. Some were witnessing the duel while others were chasing after Brant to devour his flesh and feast on his beating heart. Brant fought back against them and deflect every blow the night creatures will bring. He was someone who would never back down from any foe who went against him. He chased after them and held his sword to defend himself as the night had already begun.

Meanwhile, Lagertha and Basim clashed against each other, and none of their blades looked like they were going to shatter. Their swords were immensely powerful; they would crack any common sword in a split second. The Wolf Queen kept her distance as the sorcerer demon lashed out at her with every bit of strength in himself. Even if Mephiles allowed his generals to go on raids in every full moon, Godbrand sent one of his most trusted servants to deal with Lagertha. The only problem was that Lagertha did not even know who the Viking demon was, nor did she know how he would fight her in the end.

But one thing was certain; that night will be a challenging one for Lagertha as she becomes prepared to face the king of Midland. There were far too many night creatures to kill and far too many sacrifices to be made, but none of that stopped Lagertha from pushing further into the darkness. As she clashed with Basim, her time and strength increased with how much damage she might bring to Brant's life. She could not turn around to see if Brant is still fighting the demons and defending himself. Basim started delivering hefty blows that made Lagertha stumble a bit because of how massive his greatsword is.

Lagertha did not hesitate to parry every attack that the sorcerer demon give her, yet she struggled to keep her distance. Her genuine power would not come until she brings up enough rage in herself to make the demon taste his own blood. Her longsword already protected her for an entire year after Mephiles took control of Midland. That kingdom was now a stronghold for every night creature who swore loyalty to the one who reigned in other worlds before. Lagertha and Basim continued defending themselves from what is coming, and they both had only one thing in common.

Suddenly, Lagertha became strong enough to kick Basim away from her and make his strength shrink. Her inner wolf made her rage take a hold of her body, and her skill with the sword increased for a short while. After killing a few demons, Brant could see that Lagertha was winning the duel against the powerful creature. He finally understood that the Wolf Queen was more powerful and skillful than any of the knights and warriors he has heard about. But actually seeing her in combat was an entirely different story; he saw her stroll to the demon and pointed her sword at the demon's face.

"You have nothing left but your death, demon. You lost the duel, so now you will tell me who is controlling you! Your lust for power and your army is no match for neither me nor Brant!" Lagertha said.

"I have nothing to give you, Wolf Queen. You think defeating me in a sword-fight will make you the victor of all things?" Basim asked.

"It will give me the honor to make you squeal like a pig. You're a demon and all demons are abominations. You will tell me your master's name and you will make him know that I'm coming for him!" She shouted. Her blade was already at his throat, and her eyes became filled with fiery anger against her opponent.

"My master... is Godbrand. The demon general who is part of the war counsel of Midland. He serves King Mephiles along with others who see the future the king will bring," Basim said.

"You're a fast learner. You will fall to your knees before your master and tell him you failed. You will tell him I will hunt him down and skewer him like the rat he is!" Lagertha said.

"You know nothing, Wolf Queen! Mephiles is the conqueror of many worlds. He is the champion who has remained undefeated for many centuries," he said.

"What is this nonsense? He is a man. A man who made a deal with his own enemies. He fought your kind in the past and overthrew the demon king who killed King Lancelot!"

"Lancelot's bloodline is finished. His fathers and his sons exist no longer in this world. That man was aided by the Demon Wolf on his quest to rule the earth. You will all bow like sheep and exist to serve the one who will save your people. You cannot change fate, Wolf Queen. Your suffering has only begun!"

And so, he leapt into the air and disappeared in the shadows, and Lagertha was all alone with the demons. She looks down at herself and becomes shocked by the horrific truth about her father. Her father was never there to protect her, but he will not be with her to see the end of her journey. Lagertha turns back around to make sure Brant is alive and well; a son of a king would live to see tomorrow. She continued hearing the voices of demons shrieking in the air to do what their own master could not.

The demons moved closer to Lagertha and Brant as they regrouped with each other, and they both held onto their swords. Although Lagertha won the duel against the sorcerer demon, the night would not cease and desist. The night creatures continued moving towards the Wolf Queen to claim their prize and to sever her head from her shoulders. Brant could see that Lagertha was trembling inside, but the voices in her mind could not stop speaking. He stood beside her to let his blade strike his enemies down, yet even he did not know when this nightmare would end.

"Are there more demon leaders like that one? Are they really the ones you warned me about?" Brant asked.

"There will be more. There will be those who are even stronger than that sorcerer. And when we find them, the kill is mine," Lagertha answered.

"The demons you hunt are more powerful than the ones who once came to the villages I went to. It's as if whoever wants you captured wants you badly. If something ever goes from bad to worst, a greater demon will come from the ashes," he said.

"Brant, the truth I embrace is that mercy is wasted on those who defile my people. Even if a night creature is more powerful than the average beast, I will finish them before the night ends. The night is still here, and we will fight them until our arms get tired."

And so, Lagertha walked towards the demons who were getting ready to soak their blades in wolf-blood. Neither Lagertha nor Brant were afraid to fight the creatures of the night if it is the only way to survive.