The Blackwyrm Chronicles #1: A Misadventure like no other...

Chapter 36

"You know, I remember hearing stories about the previous commandant of the Knights Templar." I drawled, drawing my sword and twirling it round and round like a classy cane (Cause I'm a classy motherfucker.): "It was said that he went to another realm, Mareth, to deal with the demon problem. Who knew it'd be you, Damian." (My voice steadily grew more sarcastic as I continued to speak.)

"You know too much." He growled, "And you talk far too much, huntsman."

I barked out a harsh laugh: "I can thank my boy Stanford for the info he gave me. He told me you were his hero-his father figure. He thought you were the guy leading this invasion, but he wanted to be wrong-he wanted to believe you didn't become the monster that's now standing before me."

To explain what I just said, Stanford took me aside the day before my team left for Volhime to tell me about the previous commandant.

"What does he have to do with Volhime?" I had asked my boss when he was done speaking.

"Fred and I haven't heard from him in a long, long time. He went to Mareth to deal with the demons there, but he never came back to us. My guess is that he either died or became a demon. I-I want to believe he died, but I know Damian wouldn't go down quietly. I still remember when we fought together in the Dread Decades..."

He had drifted off, then he told me to call the demonlord Damian to test out his theory.

Sadly, he was correct in his presumption.

"Stanford..." The demonlord began, voice heavy with emotion.

"Yeah." I shot back sarcastically, "You left a whole lot of people behind when you went off on your little journey in Mareth. Your friends...your wife, your children."

"You know nothing!" Damian roared in fury, "They were weak! All of them! The knights Templar were almost wiped out during the Dread Decades! I felt hopeless, powerless, and weak." he spat the last word out as if it were a curse that might kill him, "So I went to Mareth, and pledged my allegiance to the lord of the realm, Thaleous."

I grinned. Gotcha bitch! "And what does this Thaleous fellow want?"

A malevolent smile twisted Damian's facial features. "He wants complete control of this plane. He despises humans-as I do, and he wishes to start the eradication of the human race with the death of one man-a man in this city."

I gave him a look of mock-curiosity, "Oh, please do continue-I'm all ears. Who is this man Thaleous wishes to kill?"

"A warlock who calls himself Soren Lockwood." Damian supplied.

That name caught my attention, but I kept my face neutral, "Oh...I don't think I've heard of such a fellow before. Hmph, no matter. You were stupid enough to follow me in here."

"What?" The demon lord demanded. As if on cue, the back line of the demon hoard erupted in flame.

Without warning, several multicolored explosions erupted amongst the ranks of the hoard before me. I didn't have time to wonder what the hell just happened, so I merely flashed Damian my best shit eating grin. My pack of wolves vanished from their places at my side. I then heard screams of terror followed by howling at the back of the hoard.

"No..." Damian began in horror, realizing his mistake, "No, no, no!"

"You fell for my trap, bitch!" I chortled joyously, "And you told me everything I needed to know. Consider that your last service to your country as a member of the Knights Templar."

I looked at my team, peering out the doorway of the shop they were hiding in.

"The fuck are you lot waiting for?" I demanded, "Come on and join the fun!"