Sweat fell from Merlin’s face. His gaze was locked on the 5 knights in front of him. Were they enemies or friends? He wondered. He glanced back at Alexander and the others. Could he protect them against such foes?
One knight in particular made him wary. A man with brown hair and dark brown eyes. His magical presence dwarfed everyone else’s.
The brown-haired man dismounted. The look he gave Merlin was cautious. His hand rested on his sword, ready to draw at any moment.
"We are looking for a woman," the man said. "She has white hair and grey eyes."
"And what business do you have with her?" Merlin asked.
One of the knights behind him sneered. "How dare you question Commander Dagon? I will strike you where you stand, fool," he snapped. But the man he called Commander Dagon simply raised a hand, and the knight fell silent.
"Shut up, Leonard. Let me do the talking," Dagon said. Then he turned back to Merlin. "So, stranger. Have you seen the woman?"
"I will not tell you her whereabouts until yo—" Merlin stopped. He saw Lady Laila peeking through the door, smiling.
"Brother!" Laila shouted. She slipped through the doorway and ran to Dagon.
"Laila?" Dagon said, and a smile broke across his face. Merlin finally exhaled. "What happened here?"
"I’ll explain later. Merlin said we should get moving," Laila said.
"Merlin? As in the great wizard? Where is he?" Dagon asked, eyes bright with excitement. Merlin just stood there, watching the siblings.
"He’s over there," Laila said, pointing to Merlin. Dagon frowned, clearly not expecting the great wizard to look so young.
"Are you sure that’s him? I thought he’d have a big grey beard," Dagon said, disappointment plain on his face. Merlin sighed. This wasn’t the first time someone had pictured him looking old.
"I’m definitely the ’great’ wizard," Merlin said. "It’s nice to meet you." He offered his hand, and Dagon shook it.
"It’s definitely nice to meet you, great wizard. I’ve heard so many stories about you," Dagon said, his eyes shining. "So, is it true that you fought one of the ’Fallen’ and won?" He sounded more like a fanboy than Alexander did.
"Yes, Commander Dagon. But now isn’t the time for questions. We need to move before the enemies come," Merlin said. "Come on, Dante," he called to Dante, who was still peeking through the door.
The air shifted the moment Dagon saw Dante. His cheerful expression vanished. He gripped his sword tighter, and before Merlin could react, Dagon was already gone. He moved like a man who had just seen a monster.
Dagon went straight for Dante’s throat. He was inches from killing him before Alexander blocked the strike. Fear burned in Dagon’s eyes.
"Move, or I’ll cut you too!" he yelled at Alexander.
"No. Why do you wish to harm this child?" Alexander asked.
"That’s no child. That’s a demon!" Dagon shoved Alexander aside and swung again.
"OBLITUS ES!" Merlin chanted. Reality bent. In the blink of an eye, Merlin had Dagon by the throat, feet dangling in the air, ready to kill him.
The other knights dismounted. They knew they stood no chance against the great wizard, but they couldn’t just watch their leader die. Shaking, but they still stood their ground.
"Merlin, please spare my brother," Laila pleaded. Her voice was soft, but Merlin’s anger ran deep.
"Why should I? He was ready to kill a child," Merlin said. He had watched too many of his people die just for having different blood.
"Let me just explain it to him. My brother isn’t a bad person," she said. Merlin loosened his grip, and Dagon gasped for air.
"Dagon, look at me," Laila said. "And I don’t mean my face. Look at my soul."
Dagon searched his sister’s soul. Shock and confusion crossed his face. He didn’t want to believe it.
"Laila. You have no magical energy in you," Dagon said. "That’s not possible. Only demons have that kind of presence."
"Just like that child, I’m no longer human. Merlin saved our lives, but it was at the cost of our humanity," she said, taking her brother’s hand. Dagon looked at her with concern. "But don’t worry. I’m still the same sister you grew up with. Nothing has changed."
He looked at her gentle smile. The same smile he’d known all his life. There was no doubt. That was his sister.
"Just don’t tell anyone. Not even Father. I doubt he’d take it well," she said. Metal rattled as Laila helped Dagon to his feet.
Dagon glared at Dante. He was inches away from killing an innocent child. "I’m sorry," he bowed his head at Merlin and the others, and apologized to Dante.
"I hope I can make up for what I did," Dagon said.
"It’s alright. Let’s just get moving," Merlin said. "There’s a woman tied up inside the house. Can you bring her with us?"
"James, please bring the carriage," Laila told her guard. "Merlin, Alexander, and Dante, ride with me."
"Thank you, Lady Laila," Alexander said. He still meant to change this world. To free his people from the demons and be a better king than his father.
***
The journey to the kingdom of Deneos was peaceful. No signs of demons or holy knights.
"So what would the holy knights want with Dante?" Alexander asked Merlin. But Merlin was too busy looking at Laila.
"Oh. The holy knights serve the 10 great kings, and the 10 kings answer to the gods. Whenever a mortal with immense power appears, they have to report it," Merlin said. "The gods see us Nergals as a threat. They fear our power, so they hate us."
"So they’ll always target us?" Alexander asked.
"No. If you learn to control your power and suppress it, you’ll be no different from any other human," Merlin said. "As long as you don’t stand out, they’ll ignore you."
"But why haven’t they come for you?" Laila asked.
Merlin gave a small chuckle. "They tried, a long time ago. It didn’t end well for them."