“Ah, but war is easy. War is simple.”
“The demons will fight, you know this as well as I do. Tennul Dawnoaken is of royal blood; it has been confirmed by our scouts and inside operations. If we go to war with them, theywillfight for him.”
“Demons...” The king's voice dripped with contempt. “Like cockroaches they continue to spawn. We were assured the last of the royal bloodline had been terminated. Our father–”
“Our father clearly missed something,” Cirro interrupted. “Tennul is not mated as far as we can tell, so at least we have that on our side. He may be the very last living link.”
“Then we need to act fast, before the beast gets to rutting on anything.” Lazuli sneered with disgust.
“Tennul does not want war. The demons only want basic rights: medicine, a regular supply of fresh produce and water, the right to practise majicka–”
“Never! Those foul creatures would taint the very core values of majicka. I doubt their dense brains could even master the skill at all,” the king shouted.
“Forgive me, but–”
“How exactly have you become privy to all of this insider information about the demon prerogative, Brother?” Lazuli narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
“Genevieveand I have held counsel of our own with the demon kind. We've been to the slums. We've spoken with the people... The innocent people.”
“Cirro.” The king paused, pinning his brother with a fiery gaze. “Where does your loyalty lie?”
“With you. Always with you, Lazuli – you know this. Please do not mistake my actions as a lack of loyalty to you. I can promise you, it's the exact opposite.” Hebowed his head, casting his eyes away.
“Explain,” the king barked.
“I simply believe we can address the issue, this uprising, without bloodshed. War is an expense we cannot afford. As you rightly said, the funds are dwindling.”
Lazuli turned his back, but waved a hand in the air, silently allowing his brother to continue.
“The demon king has actively made his presence known.”
“A careless move,” the king grated.
“No – a bold one, Lazuli.” Cirro shook his head. “Don't you see? The demons have given away their biggest secret. Their king has made himself known to us and they do not fear the outcome. I genuinely believe Tennul wants a peaceful compromise, but believe me... He is clearly confident that he will win if it comes to war.”
“A valid point. Maybe it's time to take a leaf from the Goldwyrm family history book,” the king muttered thoughtfully. “Cut the head from the snake, as it were.”
“And if two more replace it?” Cirro argued. “Have you learnt nothing from ages past?”
“I've learnt from our father's mistakes. Every last drop of royal demon blood will be spilt.I will burn the whole damn city to the ground to ensure it!” Lazuli shouted and bright flames of majick sparked to life in his palms.
“No Brother, that's not what I–” Cirro stammered.
“Your counsel is no longer required, Cirro. As always, you have helped me see a clear path of action.” Lazuli turned and smiled with an unnerving glint in his eye.
“Lazuli!”
“Guards? My dear brother is no longer required here. Please ensure he has a safe journey home.”
Two guards strode forward to Cirro's side. The faerie sighed heavily, not fighting against his brother's will. He knew the man well enough to know it was a pointless endeavour.
As Lazuli turned his back once more to gaze out at a fiery sky, Cirro allowed his brother's guards to escort him away.
“Oh, and one last thing, Cirro.”
“Yes, Brother?”
“You and your dear wife would do well to stay out of demon business. It casts doubt over your loyalties. I don't like doubting my own brother,” he said, a menacing tone creeping into his voice.
