Several minutes passed waiting for the visitors, and then something could be heard outside.
It wasn’t exactly the normal sound of horses, but something heavier, since every impact against the ground could be heard even from inside the house.
Draven approached a window.
"What is that?"
Kali smiled.
"They’re here."
Draven stepped outside with his parents, and several people from the village had also begun looking in the same direction.
It wasn’t hard to understand why.
A carriage was advancing along the road, but simply calling it a carriage fell short, since it was enormous.
The structure was built from dark materials and metallic details that Draven couldn’t identify from that distance.
The windows were covered by thick curtains, and on the doors there was a symbol that Draven vaguely recognized.
However, what drew the most attention were the creatures pulling it.
Draven’s eyes widened.
They looked like horses, but only looked like them, since they were completely black and much larger than any normal horse.
Their legs ended in dark hooves from which a small amount of smoke rose, while their eyes held a reddish gleam.
Atop each creature’s head were two small horn-like protrusions.
Draven remained motionless.
’This can’t be real.’
He knew those creatures.
They were Nhal steeds, beasts native to Fernus.
Creatures used mainly by high-ranking demon nobles and members of the royal family.
’Don’t tell me...’
The carriage stopped in front of the house, and Draven slowly looked at Kali, but his mother seemed completely calm.
’Mom.’
He looked at the carriage.
’What kind of friends do you have!?’
A man accompanying the vehicle stepped down first, then opened the door, and a woman descended.
Draven stopped breathing for a few seconds.
The woman had white hair, very long, and two dark horns protruded from her head.
Her attire was elegant, mainly in black and red tones.
He didn’t need any interface or to hear her name, since he had seen that design too many times.
Draven felt an immediate tension in his body.
’It can’t be.’
The woman looked toward the house, and Kali raised a hand.
"You’re late!"
Draven slowly turned toward his mother.
’You’re late?’
The white-haired woman smiled.
"The road to this place is still horrible."
"I told you they could fix it."
"We’re in Aster, so I can’t come build roads in human territory."
Kali approached, and the two women hugged.
Draven remained completely still.
’Seriously?’
He remembered that woman; it was impossible not to, since she had appeared in several routes.
She was a central figure in Fernus politics.
One of the strongest demons of her generation and, depending on the player’s decisions, could become an ally or an enemy.
The Demon Queen of Fernus.
’Vaeshka Varzometh.’
Draven looked at Kevar, who seemed used to it.
’Dad, why are you so calm?’
Then someone else began to step down from the carriage.
It was a girl, and Draven directed his gaze toward her.
Light hair, hypnotically reddish eyes, demonic features, clearly expensive clothing, and she seemed approximately his age.
Draven took less than a second to recognize her.
’Zenash.’
Zenash Varzometh, the future Demon Queen and one of the important characters of Fernus.
Draven knew her story quite well, since he had fought against her, worked alongside her, and even completed several missions related to her rise to the throne.
’What is she doing here?’
Then another girl with blue/purple hair stepped down, and this time Draven felt an even greater problem.
She had a serious expression, immediately stayed close to Zenash, and her eyes began scanning the place carefully.
Draven recognized her.
’Yruza Talgruzeth.’
Zenash’s personal guardian.
Draven felt a small chill, since he knew Yruza far too well.
Not personally, but her adult version, and he remembered perfectly the number of attempts he had needed to defeat her in one of the Fernus routes.
"Twenty-seven."
Draven murmured, and Kevar heard him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
It had been twenty-seven attempts, so adult Yruza was a complete nightmare in combat.
Fast, durable, and specialized in killing the player before they could complete certain skills.
Draven observed her.
Now she was a child, but that didn’t help much.
’Zenash.’
Then he looked at the other.
’Yruza.’
After that, at the white-haired woman.
’And the Demon Queen Vaeshka.’
Finally, he looked at Kali.
His mother was still speaking with the sovereign of Fernus as if they were two neighbors who hadn’t seen each other in a while.
"Draven."
Kali called him, but Draven didn’t answer, so she called him again.
"Draven."
"Yes?"
"Come."
Draven swallowed, walked toward them, and the Demon Queen directed her eyes at him.
Draven knew that look from the game, since he had seen the character order executions with the same calm, and now she was observing him directly.
"So this is Draven."
Kali smiled proudly.
"Yes, this is my dear son."
The Demon Queen leaned slightly to observe him better, and Draven tried to behave like a normal child, but it was difficult.
"He’s grown quite a bit."
"It’s been years since the last time you saw him."
"That’s true."
Draven looked at Kali.
’The last time?’
That meant that woman already knew him, probably since he was much smaller.
Draven felt that important information was missing, and a lot of it.
The Demon Queen raised a hand and pointed to the two girls.
"I think it’s also time to introduce them."
Zenash took a step forward while the other girl remained slightly behind her.
"My daughter, Zenash."
Draven pretended surprise.
"Hello."
Zenash observed him carefully.
"Hello."
The Demon Queen then pointed to the other.
"And she is Yruza."
Yruza made a small nod of her head.
"A pleasure."
Draven looked at her.
’Yes, you killed me twenty-seven times.’
He smiled with all the normality he could manage.
"The pleasure is mine."
Kali clasped her hands.
"Perfect."
Draven looked at her, since there was something in her tone he didn’t like.
"Now that you know each other, you can spend some time together."
Draven blinked.
"What?"
Zenash also looked at her mother, and the Demon Queen nodded.
"That seems fine to me."
Yruza showed no reaction.
Draven looked at the three demons, then at his father, who gave him a small smile, which wasn’t helpful.
’Ten minutes ago my biggest problem was having little mana.’
He looked at Zenash, the future Demon Queen.
He looked at Yruza, a future fighter capable of giving any player nightmares.
Then he looked at the current Demon Queen, Vaeshka.
’Now I have three important characters from Fernus in front of my house.’
Draven breathed slowly.
He had thought he would have time, a lot of time, and that he could train calmly before starting to get involved with the important characters of the story.
Clearly he had been wrong, and there was a much more important question.
’Why the hell is the Queen of Fernus friends with my mother and I didn’t know?’