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

Chapter 9

In that final moment, Lagertha uses her longsword and pierces the demon king in his right eye. Any other method of attack would have been useless and it may have given Malcolm a chance to strike her down. Then, she pulls out the blade by sliding it off of his eye socket and making his blood drench her sword. Instead of crying out in pain, Malcolm became even angrier and more contemptuous; his ego is what kept him alive until Lagertha got a hold of him. She then uses her longsword and slices the demon king across his chest to make him lose more blood.

"You lack the strength and courage of all who hunt the night. What you may never understand is the mere fact that all hunters and travelers have determined minds and kindred souls. Your ambition overclouded your body and made you fearsome against my entire legion," Malcolm said.

"I will not hesitate to help them from the dark. Your victims all cry out in pain for mercy. You wouldn't even allow them food and drink until they are unable to keep themselves at bay," Lagertha said.

"You... will never find mercy from me. Your fate... your journey... they are all sealed and you will never find redemption. Fighting your only king, your only savior, will be your downfall," he said.

"So I'm told. You'll go to your lord and warn him of my presence. Tell your servants in Hell that they are not as safe as I walk the earth. As far as I know, I'm half-human and Mephiles is half-human. Which means I'll fight him until my strength gives in. And the people of this world will sleep well with you silenced."

"You can take my castle, Wolf Queen. But you will never have the strength to hold back these castles from the true king. My god will avenge me."

"I'm coming for your gods, next!"

Without hesitation, Lagertha uses her longsword and stabs King Malcolm in the throat and slices him in half. The Wolf Queen stands there and watches the blood and gore of the demon king stain the floor. She has already gotten used to seeing demon blood stain the trees, floors, and the grass as she walked the earth. She was not afraid to kill another demon king and watch him beg for his miserable life before drawing their last breath. Lagertha checks her surroundings to make sure no other night creature stands in her way and has a taste of her flesh.

But as she did that, she could hear the shadows themselves revolve around the throne room and the rest of the castle. A few seconds later, all she could see was darkness itself and the stench of death filling the massive room. Lagertha continued holding her longsword and became ready to fight whatever stands in her path. Lagertha walked straight and watched the shadows take the form of an unexpected figure more fearsome than the demons. She could hear the shadows themselves speaking to her and warning her to come no closer.

"Come out and face me!" Lagertha shouted. Then, the figure itself evolved from the darkness and began to stand before her, and he wore black clothing and dark armor.

He wore a large cloak on his back, and a large hood hiding his hair and his face from everything. Lagertha saw that he carried a massive scythe and had the power to command all kinds of sorcery. She knew the kind of unholy creature he was, and she held her longsword to defend herself from him. Indeed, the creature was none other than the grim reaper himself; he walked towards Lagertha and was prepared to do something to her.

"Who are you? What... are you?" Lagertha asked shakingly. For a few seconds, the grim reaper had nothing to say, but he knew he could not be a waste of her time.

"I am Death, the king of the shadows. Whatever you do, wherever you go, I'll be watching you. You will never be safe from my presence," he said.

"You... Why are you here? Isn't it obvious that you serve the king? My father sent you here to kill me, is that it?" She asked.

"If he wanted you dead, I wouldn't even be here. I would just be wherever the shadows take me. The darkness will cover the land. You are powerless to stand against it," Death answered.

"If you serve my father, tell him that I'm coming for him. I will make him repent for all the things he has done. I'm not afraid of you. I've never been afraid of the night!"

"You were, Lagertha. Do you think drinking the blood of wolves makes you intimidating? That you are already fearless of all the servants of Satan? You may have attained the powers that rival Mephiles's power, but I am and will always be the harbinger of souls. You are no match for me!"

Death's words sparked a fire in Lagertha's body, and she was unprepared for a fight against a ghastly figure like him. All manner of darkness shrouded the evil spirit and Lagertha could not find the reaper's weakness. Many spirits who come from the depths of Hell are filled with the souls of all the victims they have consumed. Lagertha points her longsword at Death and had so much fiery contempt against him and it also had to deal with the fact that he took orders from Mephiles. She believed that defeating the grim reaper would give her more power and make her path lead closer to her father.

"They all said pretty much the same thing. They all predicted I would die at their hands, but look at them now. I have come to put an end to this," Lagertha said.

"Still befriending mortals? You're still trying to find a connection between you and those weaklings? They have never been your people to save. They will all be your downfall," Death said.

"You will not lay your hands on them. Their souls are not yours to take, and you will not back down from my blade. Nobody in this world is deserving of such a terrible fate," she said.

"Humans who disobey the word of the true king do not deserve the air they breathe. Times have changed and serving the higher-level beings is no longer enough to keep this world from dying. I will not set you to a darker path, but I demand you cease your attack."

"I will not."

"Indeed, you shall regret those words. Having power is one thing, but knowing how to use it is another. The road you walk is just as dark and painful as your father's journey to the righteous path. I will always be watching you and my scythe grows hungrier with each step you take when you reach the kingdom of Mephiles. We will meet again, Wolf Queen!"

At that moment, the grim reaper released an entire puff of smoke and it made him disappear from Lagertha's sight. Death took orders from both Lenore and Mephiles, which means they will be handing him over to the Wolf Queen as a warning. Lagertha saw that she had nothing else planned out as she remained in the castle of Vargas. She puts her longsword back into her scabbard and begins heading out for the exit as the night slowly fades away. But the night was not completely over and she would be expecting more demons to come her way.

Lagertha walks out of the castle knowing that she will never be alone from the night hordes and the masters of darkness. But death does not hold those with purpose, and the grim reaper would have to wait a little while longer for somebody like Lagertha. Then, she walked out of the castle and saw the candles beginning to be blown out by the cold wind breezing through. Lagertha had the idea that with every soul that her blade carries, the more powerful and mighty it becomes. She walked and looked to her left and right to fight back any kind of force that stands in front of her.

Standing in front of danger meant either an instant victory for the wanderer or instant death for all of those who trespass against them. Then, Lagertha steps on the long road and starts walking on the path until she comes across a village. The village might be willing to offer her a warm place to sit and rest before another demon invasion occurs. Lagertha walks on the dark road and could not get the image of Death out of her head. The grim reaper's appearance would always enter her mind and soul every time she thinks of horrifying things.

"Death. He takes orders from my father. Why? Did he think summoning him from Hell would change things for the better?" Lagertha asked. She knew from the moment Mephiles claimed his throne that a dark shadow will always cover the kingdom of Midland.