Chapter 11
Zarathos
Zarathos glided through the trees, moving from shadow to shadow. Folding himself from one to the next proved easy. They called to him. He longed for the days when he had boundless energy. Endless power. Now all he could do was shift between them and manipulate them in close quarters.
And even that simple skill he had to hide.
And yet, they belonged to him. A part of him, and he was a part of the darkness.
When he came within a half-mile of his destination, he walked the rest of the way. A demon stood guard, always on the camp’s left side around this time, when Zarathos or his servant, Pithian, might stop by. This male was under a bargain to keep the arch king’s identity a secret.
Upon nearing where his contact should be, Zarathos moved into the shadows, not enveloping himself in them, just stepping into them as any demon would do to hide their presence.
He pulled the cloak’s hood up over his head, large enough to cover his horns as well.
The demon guard stood languidly, with red skin and five short spiked points that shot out of his forehead, marking him from Kingdom Inferna.
Zarathos stepped through the trees. The demon gave a slight nod. “Master,” he said.
“Bring me to Sabious.”
“Yes, master.”
Satisfaction settled in him. Pithian should take note. If all who made bargains with him showed this level of deference and never argued, Zarathos’s life would be much simpler.
The demon didn’t speak as he escorted the arch king through the back side of the camp.
Demon merchants from different nations filled the front of the semi-permanent encampment.
Stands that sold and hawked goods: foods, tools, even some with crafts of artistic value.
Many who came rotated with the seasons like other traveling merchants.
Only a few remained throughout the year.
Sabious was included amongst these permanent residents. Zarathos paid him enough to ensure that he stayed put.
This was the sole market with such a variety of demons. Subjects from all the kingdoms mingled here. Most didn’t realize, but the primary reason stemmed from this location being under the arch king’s protection. Sabious’s safety was Zarathos’s security.
But it was daytime, so the market wasn’t running at the moment.
Nightfall brought its awakening, teeming with demons and those seeking advantageous bargains.
However, one must be careful because a single wrong word of insult or even insinuations of such could culminate in deadly brawls.
Though Zarathos himself had never attended the night markets, he’d received enough information from Pithian or others to understand how it functioned.
The demon guard motioned to Zarathos as they eased through the back of a large tent. “I will tell them you have arrived. Please wait here, master.”
He departed. It didn’t take long for the potions dealer to arrive. Sabious entered the tent. This was the spot where they made most of their purchases, so they remained close by, especially when they knew Zarathos was coming.
Sabious swept in with their usual flair.
Today they donned a garment combining dress and suit elements, bisected down the center.
The eyeliner they wore accented their impish eyes.
Sabious originated from kingdom Misophae, being half-imp and a mix of some lower land devil from Terra Monstrum.
“Why, Your Majesty, how good to see you. What has it been, a couple of days since we last saw each other?” Sabious bowed, and Zarathos finally felt comfortable enough to let down his hood.
“I assume you have the potions I requested from you.”
“Always so to the point. No, ‘I missed you, too’ for your dear Sabious? After all, I’m moving mountains for you with these unorthodox, time-sensitive requests.”
“Do you have them or not?” Usually Zarathos was the one who liked to play games with others, but with Sabious, he found it better to be direct.
They released a long, drawn-out sigh. “Do you ever doubt me?” They dipped a hand into each pocket and lifted out two potions. The first appeared a hazy charcoal hue—the one he needed for Aryana. The other, the clear potion, proved even more uncommon. Neutrolisis.
He smiled and stepped up to take them from Sabious, but they snatched the potions back.
“Ah, ah, Your Majesty. You know how this works. Payment up front.” They held out their hand.
Zarathos delved into his robes and dropped the pouch of gold coins into Sabious’s palm. The small bag was much more full than usual.
They attached the bag to their belt. “And the other.”
Zarathos let out a low growl, but lifted out the small vial of his blood and handed it over to Sabious.
Hunger mounted in their eyes. “Yes, yes, once mixed correctly, my clients will pay a fortune for a potion with a drop of this.”
He normally rejected such requests from Sabious, but this time, in order to get the potions he needed promptly, it was worth the risk. Besides, Zarathos had servants on hand that could silence Sabious if they made a wrong move. He felt certain Sabious knew that.
But, naturally, Sabious also understood Zarathos’s great need for them. It became a game of cat and mouse, although he wasn’t sure who played the cat and who played the mouse on most occasions.
“You needn’t look so perturbed, Your Majesty,” Sabious said, flicking a hand in Zarathos’s direction.
“I fully accept our weirdly symbiotic relationship. I need you. You need me. Why in the world would I disturb that? I simply want fair payment for my services.” They held up the vial, looking more than a little eager.
“Then we are done here.”
“Are you forgetting the golden thread you promised me?”
“I will send the rest of the payment tomorrow.”
Sabious smiled. “Then we are all set for now.” They handed over both of the potion bottles.
“I’ll see you again when it’s time, unless you send that ridiculously stoic servant of yours.
What’s his name? Pithian? That demon could use a bit of the potion I will create with this.
” They nodded toward the vial filled with blood as they tucked it, too, into their belt.
“Good day, Your Majesty. Oh, and Neutrolisis was especially difficult to put together in such a short period. I would be very careful with how you use that.”
Zarathos nodded and turned to leave. His demon guard stood just outside the tent, falling into step beside him as they disappeared into the trees.
“Until we meet again.” Zarathos stalked into the shadows, feeling both defeated and triumphant.
That was always the way with Sabious. He supposed he should be used to it by now, but he still hated the extra visits it often took to get anything unexpected.
The potions dealer seemed to revel in exploiting such moments.
Zarathos reached into his pocket, fingers brushing over the potions.
The struggle was justified. His plans were taking shape.
A smile crept to his lips as he thought of Aryana.
A part of him anticipated the look of surprise coming to those challenging crimson eyes when he presented to her his escape plan.
After tonight, the vampress would be free, and they could move on to retrieving the scepter. They had no time to waste as the opening ceremony for the Demon Trials was only a couple nights away.