Ducan's p.o.v

I stood surrounded by a lot of humans who had come out of their houses to look at me like I was some rare priced jewel.

The so-called chief stood next to the warriors and a lady facing me.

My hand was clenched in fists and I felt disgusted by them. I couldn't help but remember how their kind brutally murdered my parents.

"Judging by the rich fur and expensive kimono you are putting on, you must be a lord, right." The chief asked as I chuckled softly then cleared my throat.

"I won't beat around the bush because I see no reason to entertain you pests." I answered seriously.

"Pests!" He exclaimed.

"Yes, so listen carefully. I am The demon king and I am here to grant you rain and healing. In exchange I want your daughter as my bride." I said simply.

The man gave me a sympathetic look before whispering something to the young lady next to him.

"I'm so sorry to say this my Lord, but my husband is asking you to leave." The young lady said as I raised a brow.

Husband?

She was just a young maiden and yet she was already married! How could she marry such an old man?

Why were humans so foolish? I wondered.

"He looks like a lord but in truth he is insane. I don't have a daughter but a son, insane lord." He mocked, annoying me.

"Old man, I won't repeat myself." I said seriously.

He gritted his teeth then pointed a finger at me.

"Kick him out of my village!" He exclaimed as the warriors ran towards me with arrows and swords.

"Stupid move." I whispered then raised my left hand, freezing their bodies to ice.

"Demon!" One screamed as they all began to run away.

"Call the priest now!" The chief called out then ran into his house as his wife followed behind.

I angrily disappeared and appeared in front of him, before he could hide himself in the wardrobe.

"Come with me." I spat then grabbed him by the collar dragging him outside.

"Please let my husband go!" The lady pleaded behind me.

I ignored her and went to stand at the center of the village. As soon as the humans saw their chief in my grip they began coming back slowly.

"Let me go, you demon. Let go while I'm still asking nicely. If the priest comes here with the holy sword, he will drive it through your heart as they did back then to that demon lord who captured and forced himself on our blessed maiden." He spat and in that moment my fangs and claws came out.

I was furious and I couldn't contain myself. How dare he, a lowly insect, say such horrible words about my father! He did not deserve to live.

I turned in a split second sinking my teeth into his neck and drinking a mouth full of his blood as his body went pale and limp in my hand. The saliva demons spat out whenever they were angry was toxic to humans. One bite at the human's flesh resulted in an instant breakdown of the nervous system. But I was different, one bite in my angry state sucked the living soul out of their flesh, their lifespan adding to my very own.

A loud scream got my attention, I let go of his body then looked up and came face to face with the child I had met.

A clay pot of herbs was shattered on the ground and she was shaking badly in fear with her eyes widened, while her mother held her shoulder with tears rolling down her cheeks.

I looked at my hands and noticed the dark smoke coming from it. I sighed softly knowing my form wasn't human, anymore but demon.

The little girl was nowhere to be seen at first so I thought nothing of her, but now that she was here witnessing me suck her father's life out, I felt uneasy.

I was about to take a step forward when she picked up a sharp piece of clay and pointed it at me.

"Stay where you are, you demon monster!" She screamed in a cracked voice.

The mother quickly went down to her knees and put her hands together in a pleading gesture.

"Please spare my son." She sobbed.

I looked around and noticed how everyone was looking at me in fear.

I looked at the lady then raised my hand as a cloth shaped like a page appeared. A binding spell was Written on it, in my language, so no one could read it, in human terms it was a contract.

"Your daughter shall step forward and press her hand on this piece of cloth. Failure to do so, I will wipe out your entire village and leave out your daughter to live a miserable life alone blaming herself for your deaths. But if she does as I have ordered, I will grant this village rain and healing then leave you in peace. I will then return to claim your daughter for myself once she reaches a marriageable age." I said as they began to whisper.

"Daughter, what does he mean?" One human asked.

"I can't sacrifice my only daughter, please have mercy." She sobbed.

"Ah, humans. Always selfish." I whispered then raised my hand to kill only a few as an example, when the girl took a step forward.

"Wait." She said seriously.

I looked at her, surprised at how bold she was acting.

"I'll do it." She said as her mother grabbed her hand, shaking it a few times.

"No, Eleanor you can't." The lady sobbed.

"Eleanor? Is she truly a girl?" The other human asked loudly.

I ignored the ruckus and grabbed the cloth in my hand.

"Step forward." I ordered.

She took in a deep breath and did as I had ordered.

"Extend your arm towards me and show me your palm." I instructed.

She breathed out then did.

I went down to my knee and pressed my claw on her palm.

"Deep breath." I whispered before making a small cut.

The girl stood still without making a sound or flinching.

When her blood dripped on the cloth it vanished.

I stood up with a smirk knowing how the contract was finally sealed.

"Now that it's done, I'll fulfill part of my bargain." I whispered softly then raised both of my hands as rain clouds began to gather.

It wasn't hard healing the sick humans and making it rain. After all, all it required was weak magic.

Eleanor's p.o.v

"Won't you rest Eleanor?" Victor, my best friend and crush, asked seriously.

"Evil knows no rest." I answered in a labored breath then drew my bow and arrow closing one eye to get an accurate hit on the board.

"You have been training for the past ten years." He said as I dropped the bow and arrow on the ground with a glare.

"You have been doing that too, so don't make it sound as if I'm the only one doing my best to always stay fit and very well prepared." I spat.

"I didn't mean that, you know. It's good that you are prepared and always training, but I also think you are doing a little too much." He said annoying me.

As if him being good looking wasn't enough, he was now getting my attention with his voice only to distract me.

"Training for ten years isn't enough. You know that I have to avenge my father's death and kill the demon king." I answered with detest.

"I know and believe me when I say that I understand. Not only did he kill our chief, he exposed your secret and most people hated you and your mother for lying to them. But now that your mother is married to your father's brother who was her past lover, she is happy."

"Your uncle is a good chief, and your younger brother his son will soon take over when he reaches the age of eighteen. That's like in the next eight years to come, it's not that far. so everything is going to be just fine. It's not a bad idea to relax once in a while." He said then winked at me.

I smiled and quickly lowered my gaze to the ground. My cheeks were heating up and I felt shy. He truly was a good looking man. He had bright green eyes, long black hair and he was tall, taller than me. His built was amazing too.

"On a serious note though, you need to rest." He said softly.

I sighed then shook my head and walked past him.

No way was I ever going to rest. Since the passing of my father I began training with the warriors of our village and grew strong. I knew how to weld a sword and how to shoot an arrow.

In my cupboard was a bottle of holy water prayed for and anointed by the high priest of the capital city. I was going to destroy the Demon king even if it meant my own death.

I went into the house and gasped quickly, then covered my eyes. My mother was on my step father's lap making out with him.

It was usually like this and I was getting upset with her actions. She was never like this with my late father. Even the day he had passed away she cried in front of the people but once we were all alone, she wiped off her tears and went into her bedroom to smoke her pipe.

When my uncle came forward to take over the Chief positions, she was so excited because she knew he would take her as his wife to continue my father's lineage.

People also began to call her names but that seemed to un-faze her. My younger brother was soon born and he became my mother's favorite as well as the jewel of my family. Since he was a boy, he was the rightful successor to the chieftain throne. He was brave and loved by almost everyone, he did no wrong in their eyes and he was who most women of our village and capital wanted to get as a husband.

It was still funny how no one saw his arrogance and rudeness. He was prideful and I hated him a lot because whenever we were alone he would try to make a move on me and I found it disgusting.

"Cover up for the love of gods." I whispered softly.

"Just walk past us as if you saw nothing." My mother answered in what sounded like a moan.

I frowned then bit my lower lip. She was no longer the mother that comforted me whenever I was lonely and assured me she would never hand me over to the Demon king. She was a mother who wanted nothing to do with me and cared less.

"Mother, I'm hungry." Zara's voice called from outside.

I dropped my hand and watched as my mother quickly stood up and fixed her long dress while my step father pulled up his pants and fixed his clothes.

"You are hungry my young chief? Don't worry, mother has prepared something good for you." She said immediately he walked in.

He paused when he reached where I stood and looked at me from head to toe with a smirk.

"Mother, why don't you let me have my sister for a wife or at least a concubine? You said the demon king wants her for a bride because she is a blessed maiden right? If that's the case then why can't you offer her to me when I reach a marriageable age?' He asked as I glared at him.

"For a ten year old you are really disgusting." I spat.

"You little whore, shut your mouth!" my step father warned on top of his voice.

"Wife, see her disrespect." He complained.

She angrily walked to where I was and grabbed my hand dragging me to my room.

"What's wrong with you!" She exclaimed once we were all alone in my room.

"No mother, what is wrong with you?. Are you going to let that ten year old child speak that way to me?" I asked seriously.

"Is it his fault that he wants to suck on these!" She exclaimed as she touched my breast, roughly hurting me.

"Is it his fault that he wants to be the first man to drive his manhood into your untouched womanhood?" She asked, making me feel nauseated.

"You and those bastards are sick in the head!" I yelled on top of my voice as she raised her hand and slapped me across the cheek.

I stood there not flinching or reacting. Once in a while when she was furious with me she raised her hand. At first I used to cry, not because of the pain but because of the disbelief and sadness over her actions. But now I was so used to her that it didn't come as a surprise.

"If the demon king never comes to take you. You will be your brother's concubine. You want it or not." She said then stormed out of the room.

Ducan's p.o.v

"Ducan." Ose called loudly outside my chambers.

"Enter." I ordered calmly.

He walked in with a labored breath and gave a low bow.

"It's about your bride." He said.

I snapped my finger getting rid of the files in my hand, then sat upright on my bed.

"Are you tired of watching her?" I asked seriously.

He was ordered by me to watch over her whenever he had time, but he got strangely attached to her easily, not that I cared. His loyalty to me was still unquestionable.

"Huh," he muttered under his breath.

"What about her?" I asked not paying attention to his response.

"You need to go and claim her now." He said loudly.

I huffed in a mocking way then stood up and moved to my huge desk ignoring him.

"Ducan don't ignore me! You really should go and claim her. She's at a marriageable age and she grew up well for a bride. Also, her mother hates and hits her." He said.

"We have more pressing matters to attend to, you know? Like killing all heroes that search for our kingdom's entrance." I pointed out.

"Those aren't true heroes, we both know that, they are fools that think they can walk past the gates without the holy sword and defeat you." He answered.

I picked up a glass of holy water and took a sip from it calmly.

"Still they are like insects that need to be stepped on." I said honestly.

"I know Ducan, but I'm talking about your bride!" He exclaimed.

"Humans are bound to hit and hate each other, even our kind grow up in that way." I answered seriously then took another sip.

I took holy water three times a day to train my body from its toxicity. Holy water was like poison to my kind but a small dosage everyday became tolerant, after a few years I got used to it that I drank two to three cups per day.

"You don't understand Great Maou." He whispered.

I turned and faced him with a raised brow.

His snake scales were showing on his skin as he tried to calm himself. Ose was a python demon and unlike his father, he refused to take a bride or concubine for himself. He and I weren't so different when it came to that, we both had our own reasons why we wanted nothing to do with females.

These past few years he was practicing on how to maintain his human form. I found it rather odd but chose not to ask him anything. After all he had his reasons. But whenever he got upset his scales began to show and then his fangs and tongue appeared as that of a snake. It wasn't long until he was back to his original form. That's the human built with all the features of a python.

"Then make me understand." I demanded.

"His young brother wants to take her powers for himself." He answered loudly.

I carefully put the cup on the desk then cleared my throat.

"What did you just say?" I asked with emphasis.

"The mother married the girl's uncle and now they have a son together, but the son is crazy, he wants his own blood sister as a concubine." He answered, annoying me.

"Ose, blood ties have nothing to do with our beliefs. Here we accept such so I'm not interested in that part, what I want to hear is about her powers." I said strongly.

"Yes Great Maou, the brother wants her powers for himself so he could become stronger." He answered.

"Summon the ancient witch." I ordered seriously.

"Right away, Great Maou." He answered with a smile then rushed out of my chambers.

"Demon king." The lost souls called outside my windows. They were souls I didn't suck but forced out of their bodies leaving them to wonder and later be lost in the void of the endless pit.

"Speak." I ordered.

"Your right hand might be lusting for your human bride." One of them whispered as I smirked.

I wasn't dumb not to know that he was attached to her.

"Then I'll let him taste her too after I fully have my way with her. She's of no use to me, remember? What I want is power and my life prolonged." I answered honestly.

"What if he betrays you?" It asked as I chuckled softly.

"Ose can never choose a human over me and our kingdom. He knows and heard first hand what they are capable of doing." I answered as the spirit laughed, its laughter echoing in my chambers.

"You are foolish." It whispered.

I calmly faced it and raised my hand.

"How about I attach you to my lifespan to prolong it?" I asked.

It screamed in a shrill voice then vanished in fear.

"Weak." I whispered then walked to the door and opened it before Ose could knock.

Unlike the humans, us demons had heightened senses and good hearing. So it wasn't hard to predict a few things before they happened, the only thing we did was act too relaxed and pretend not to see shit when in truth we saw most things.

"Great Maou, the ancient witch awaits you in the throne hall." He reported with a bow.

"Lead the way." I answered then followed behind as he walked to the throne hall.

Immediately I walked in, the ancient witch gave a bow to show respect.

"Hail the Great Maou." She whispered.

I went to my throne and sat down comfortably.

"I want to go and claim my bride in human territory." I said.

She laughed then nodded and threw the bones on the ground chanting some words.

There were only three of us in the hall and that came as a relief because the advisers and generals were usually negative about me going to human territory.

When the door appeared, I stood up from my throne.

"Ose gather everyone here. When I come back with her, the wedding should immediately commence." I said seriously as he frowned.

"Great Maou, did you not say she would be your concubine? Don't you think making the human your bride is a little too much?" He asked.

I smirked then nodded.

"I did until you got too attached to her. I have decided to make her the empress and queen of the demon realm and kingdom. She will bear my children and that is my final decision." I answered.

He was about to say something when I waved my hand to warn him off.

"Hail the Great Maou." He whispered then bowed.

I walked to the door and looked at the ancient witch seriously.

"Make sure he goes through with my command." I said then walked past the door's entrance.