Days with the demon queen
Chapter 30: The courageous

Chapter 30: The courageous

The arena was filled with different kinds of people waiting to undergo testing. A strict looking woman entered the room. She gave off an intimidating aura as she walked through the crowd all the way to the front. She rocked a short bob styled hair, green eyes and a toned body.

"Listen up you all! We’re here for serious business!" She said.

"This year’s batch looks— disappointing if I’d say the least" she said.

Ronnie and the others stood at the front, listening eagerly.

"She doesn’t look so tough" Lily said.

"Chief Chloe, sometimes we wonder if she’s human. You might be a demon but she’d give you a hard time" Cynthia said, walking up to them.

Ronnie and Josh wore a surprised expression.

"Cynthia. Didn’t think we’d run into you here" Ronnie said.

"Carpenter. You certainly are looking better than the last time I saw you" Cynthia said with a smile.

"Well, that might have something to do with me fighting for my life the last time you saw me" Ronnie responded.

"I was called to be one of the supervisors for this year’s test. We’ve been a bit short handed lately, I just happened to be around" Cynthia explained.

"The test will be a simple survival test. Your objective? Try to avoid being killed by the low class demons for the next 24 hours. You can kill them, run away from them, hide. Your only objective is to survive!" Their conversation got interrupted by Chloe’s voice which seemed to be getting louder by the second.

"In addition to this, by the end of this exercise you’ll be chosen by a specific magic orb. Whichever picks you would be a reflection of your magic attribute. If you survive that is!" She yelled.

Ronnie looked back through the crowd. Some people looked nervous, some looked uncomfortable, others looked confident, overly confident.

The room rumbled violently as the walls slid up to reveal a large maze giving off ominous energy.

"Before you go running off, you should know! There is one rule, the only rule. You’re not allowed to kill a fellow candidate, no matter what. If you do, I’ll pound you into the ground myself. Got it?!" Chloe yelled.

"Yes ma’am!" The candidates chorused.

The test had started some supervisors went into the maze to assist candidates that intend to drop out of the test. The rest of the supervisors stood at the entrance to screen the candidates before they went in.

Various candidates went into the maze. After being screened, they were given the option to select a weapon if they’d like any.

When it got to Ronnie’s turn, he looked at Josh with concerned eyes, meanwhile Josh’s eyes looked determined.

"Stay close to me at all times." Ronnie said to Josh.

"I should be telling you both that" Lily said in response.

"I— i can take care of myself. At the end of the day, I just have to avoid the demons right? How hard can it be?" Josh asked.

Lily looked at him, displaying a small smile.

"You’re brave, Joshua. I applaud that, but it’s not a crime to ask for assistance sometimes" Lily said.

Both Ronnie and Josh were scanned, they picked swords as they want in. Lily followed behind after being scanned. She didn’t take any weapons with her.

The inside of the maze was much more ominous than the outside. The stench of demons and dark aura clouded the place like an unpleasant mist.

"Stay close. Lower demons can be mischievous and erratic." Lily said as she walked confidently through the maze. They followed behind her.

The cry of a child echoed loudly throughout the maze, Ronnie and Josh became alert. Their eyes roamed off in the darkness, trying to identify where the sound was coming from.

"Pay it no mind. It’s a demon. I’m familiar with this trick" Lily said.

"I know. I felt like it already" Ronnie said.

As they continued to walk deeper into the maze, Lily suddenly halted.

"Ronnie, stop" She whispered.

Ronnie halted.

"What? A demon?" Ronnie asked.

"All this time we’ve felt like we were still three. It’s the illusion of the mist. Where’s Joshua?" Lily asked.

Ronnie turned around, his eyes roaming in horror, he couldn’t find anything other than the cloudy mist covering the road behind them.

"Josh!" Ronnie called out.

Almost immediately Lily pushed him to the wall, placing her hand firmly over his mouth.

"Have you gone mad?" Lily asked.

Ronnie’s eyes were widened, he struggled frantically but Lily held him in place.

"We’ll find him. You have to be quiet. You’ll attract every demon in this maze to yourself if you yell that loudly" Lily said, her ruby coloured eyes peering into Ronnie’s, then her eyes became warmer. She gave him a reassuring look.

"We have to find him, I roped him into this whole thing, this whole strange world" Ronnie said, he let out a sigh.

"If Joshua is important to you, I’ll make him a priority. He’ll be safe. That boy is tougher than you give him credit for" Lily said.

Josh treaded carefully as he walked. His hands trembled and his lips quaked. As he walked through the section of the maze he found himself, he took in deep breaths.

Before long, he ran into another candidate in the section he was in.

Josh walked up to him.

"Um— excuse me, Sir. I happened to have gotten separated from my friends." Josh said.

The man was startled at first, backing himself to the wall. He examined Josh with his eyes despite the fog.

"You’re a kid" he said in a surprised tone.

"How did you manage to find yourself in a place like this? I thought this organization consisted of men and women who have been forsaken by life" he added.

"We all have reasons for being here I guess" Josh laughed nervously. He let out a relieved sigh.

"Sir, do you mind if I walk with you for a bit? Just until I find my friends, then I’ll get out of your hair. Be— besides, I think we stand a better chance against the demons like this" Josh said.

The man stood silent for a moment. Then he smiled.

"I’d like that. I’m not looking to die here. An alliance would be perfect" the man said.

The two continued on their journey till they got to a dead end. Josh walked in front with the man behind him.

"Sir. A dead end, I think we should turn back" Josh said.

When he turned around, the man wasn’t behind him.

"Sir?" He called out.

He heard the child-like cry again, only that this time it was closer to him.

As a response to the fear, Josh grabbed his sword tightly and waved it in the direction the sound came from. His sword struck something soft.

"You’ve got to mind where you’re swinging that thing, kid" he said.

Josh drew back his sword in shock. Out of the darkness and mist the man stepped through. A part of his face was sliced off, his eyeball hanging outside it’s socket.

Josh stepped further back, feeling nauseous at the sight he saw.

"You’re — you’re not human, are you?" Josh asked.

"I can be anything you want me to be" the man said, he cackled loudly. The sword slipped out of Josh’s hand as he panicked. He moved back till his back eventually touched the wall.

The demon showed it’s true form. A purple skinned figure with small horns on his head, a sharp pair of teeth that looked like they could easily bite through metal.

Josh tried to scream but his voice wouldn’t leave his throat. The demon held him and tossed him to the ground. He was having his fun with Josh.

"I love it when they’re afraid. That fear, that feeling of despair, we feed off it. So tell me, are you afraid enough? I don’t think, your eyes still have a look of defiance in them" the demon said. It continued to laugh.

Josh mustered the courage to get on his feet and run. Evading the demon and taking another section of the maze.

"I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I was way in over my head" Josh said repeatedly.

"I always look forward to these tests. After starving for months, they just throw meals to me!" The voice of the demon seemed to be following Josh as he ran.

He tripped over his feet, falling flat on his face and breaking his nose. He cried out in agony.

"Yes. You’re begining to give the look I want. That look of realization in your eyes, the feeling of knowing that you’ll die here" the demon said. He had shown himself to Josh.

Josh shook. His hands roamed the ground. As the demon charged at him, his hand reached for a rusted dagger. He grabbed it and drove it into the demon’s neck till it fell to his body, bloodied and lifeless.