A layer above the Dimensional Procession, the endless wars between the Demons and the human interlopers continued. The first level was a burning hellscape, consisting of five large continents surrounded by seas of lava.
The once great Dahubu Imperium had been laid low by internal division and the rot of stagnancy. The ingrates to the south in the Ahugib continent had seceded, the eternally and irrationally divisive nature of Demonkind influencing their rebellion.
The ruling council sat in their Citadel, looking at a map of the world. Their long horns and red or purple skin contrasted with the one human amongst them, a pale man with long silvery hair-a representative from the Arnrond Alliance, one of their few human allies.
Saskanius, the last of the Baracian demons, held his head in his hands as he listened to a report on the Veskayan front. Their invasion from their portal continued to steal population centers and important airship ports from the dying empire.
He was the ruler of a dying nation. Their human allies, the Continental Union, had abandoned them to side with the republican rebels. Without those base plane resources, their economy was slowly dying. Most resources from the first layer weren’t useful without components from the base layer.
A rash of corruption and nepotism had struck the empire in recent decades. Constant military defeats had led to much-reduced faith in the throne. The Baracians were once only one sub-race of Demonkind, but had seized power with the help of the Lamarcians centuries ago. With the human empire's help, they had conquered the entirety of the first layer. When the Lamarcians had broken up during their civil war, the top-heavy Dahubu Imperium lost outlying continents and slowly weakened.
“Milord, I have a possible solution to the problems plaguing our empire.” An advisor spoke up. He had twisting and curled horns and sickly-looking, purple skin.
Saskanius, with his straight swordlike horns and hale-looking red skin, was the near-perfect contrast to the advisor. “Speak.”
Saskanius was at the end of his rope-the republicans to the north, the rebels to the south, and the humans to the east-his realm was dying. “We must wake the overlord. Dahubu shall live again!” Saskanius immediately jumped from his chair and drew his ceremonial blade. “A revivalist! In my cabinet! Guards!”
A few of the other advisors looked horrified and confused, but a majority, including the human, moved to the back of the room. The doors to the chamber opened, and demons in leather armor sprinted in and surrounded the undecided advisors and the emperor.
“So this is how my line ends!?” The advisor simply dropped his hand sharply, and the cultists sprinted forward. The king rushed to meet them, and the previously undecided advisors drew daggers and short swords from their robes and prepared to fight to the death. Demonic culture did not allow for any kind of mercy, and by merely refusing the sickly demon, they’d sealed their fates.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
————
The advisor led his followers and the group of soldiers down a corridor, deep into the bowels of the Red Citadel. Approaching the deepest chamber of the citadel, he raised his hand and a wave of burning red magic flew forth.
The heavily enchanted door simply melted, its runes and glyphs simply sparking and failing. Steeping over the ruins, the group came into a circular chamber with a pool of lava taking up half of the floor. Two of the soldiers rushed forward carrying the old emperor’s body, and chucked it into the lava.
The body didn’t burn. Rather, it dissolved instantly. Immediately, the lava started bubbling and a shape emerged from it. A gauntleted fist; lava slowly dripping off of it.
An armored arm followed, nearly as long as any member of the party was tall. And then a head crowned in a tall helm of burning spikes. The being eventually stepped onto the solid part of the room and examined the party with its glowing red eyes.
Covered in black armor with highlights of molten metal veins, it was an imposing figure. Accompanying the Demon King was a crushing aura under which most humans and demons alike would fall to the floor.
It spoke in an ancient and rumbling tone. “The last of my captors has died, and their curse has broken. Who achieved this? For freeing me from the blood curse, I shall bestow rewards untold upon them.”
The group kneeled, but the advisor stepped forward and bowed. “It was I, lord Dahubu. We sacrificed the last of the Baracians in the lava of your tomb.”
“Good. What has happened since the Baracians betrayed me? And why is there a human amongst you?” “He is a cultist of yours, milord, as good as any demon I’ve found. The imperium is weak; many of the other landmasses have seceded, and the humans invade from Lindus. The followers of that parasite Ahee invade from the second layer of the Procession as well. Nearly 700 years have passed.” “No matter. We will repulse the humans and reunite demonkind, and then I will rule the entire procession once more.”
The twenty-foot armored titan shrunk, and used advanced illusionary magic to assume the visage of the late emperor. “How numerous are your constituents?” “The Imperial Cult endures, Milord.” The visage of the emperor nodded and smiled cruelly. “Lead the way. You will be rewarded for your service, have no doubt.”
The party arose from their kneeling as the crushing pressure dissipated and headed back up the corridor to the dungeon.
———
A general pruning of the Imperium followed. Houses that had betrayed the Overlord Dahubu during the coup were slaughtered overnight. In their place, revivalist nobles were empowered. Corruption and conservative groups were likewise dealt with. The Imperial Cult was known for its skills in assassination. Across all fronts on the first layer, invading human forces faced huge setbacks when their command infrastructure was decapitated in brazen attacks by assassins.
A new age was upon Kanaduran, the first layer. The once great empire of Kanadur would rise again under the guiding hand of its freed overlord.
