Moira was suddenly awakened by the sound of trumpets alerting the castle that it was under attack. In the halls, she could hear demons racing through the castle to clamor to their battlements. She made a magic light, and dressed quickly into a dark dress and a black hooded cloak.

Leaving her room, she went out into the corridor, and all but ran to the stairs that led up round the tower to the throne room where she had left Thainos, the demon king. As she went, she could see part of the battle out of a mall window. The pathetic Ice Worlder people had actually attacked her castle, thought Moira. She would have to make Thainos use the Ice Wand.

When she had first arrived, she had been granted an audience with Thainos, but when she had spoken of serving The Dark Force—and herself—he had become rather obstinate.  She, however, drew on the power that Dark Force had given her. His influence was powerful and allowed her to bend Thainos’ mind, leaving him no more than a puppet that she used to control the demons in this world and the Ice Wand. It was regretful that it had to be this way; one of the problems of leaving him in his mindless state was that he couldn’t do anything of his own will, but it had been the only way for Moira to gain power over this world, and that was more important than any demon king.

Moira finally made it to the throne room at the top of the tower. “Get up, Thainos! We’re under attack,” said Moira.

Thainos got up from the throne and went to the window where Moira had gone, and from there they could see the battle raging below them.

“The Ice Worlders are doing better than I thought,” said Moira to herself, “but they will suffer by the Ice Wand. Fire, Thainos!”

Moira directed Thainos as he used the Ice wand, and a beam that seemed to frost the very air shot out of the Wand and struck a group of the Ice Worlder troops, freezing them into jagged towers of ice.

Thainos set the wand on the humans again, but this time Moira could feel another surge of magic power, and a magic barrier materialized where the beam of ice hit, making a frozen dome over a portion of the human soldiers.

“Jedin!” said Moira as she recognized the feel of her brother’s magic in the barrier, “You have only prolonged their lives for a short time.”

Then Moira thought that he might try the trick again, and directed Thainos to fire on the spot where the magic serge had originated. Thainos fired again but this time the beam of ice reeled back and struck the tower freezing over the windows. Moira jumped back in surprise. “Blast Jerith and that infernal sword!” she yelled.

***

Jedin looked up as the top of the tower froze over, “So Moira is controlling the Ice Wand; well it’s taken care of for now” said Jedin half out loud and half to himself.

The battle was raging on all around, and the demons themselves were bizarre in appearance.  Dark was not the right word to describe them, their bodies appeared to be black voids somehow made solid, and their eyes seemed to be composed of fiery glass. Their armor was equally terrible, made from thick plates with sharp jagged ends that would jut out in odd places.

Jedin wielded the Wand of Inheritance, and was starting to understand a little of how it worked. It felt incredible how much magic he could draw in and command into spells, yet he still required more concentration to give the spell direction.  

“Ebalon!” yelled Jedin as he sent an exploding fireball at some demons on the castle wall. It missed, however, and struck the wall just under them. The ball exploded and shook the castle, throwing the demons to the ground.

“That will do,” said Jedin as he watched the demons fall. He drew in magic and focused for his next spell, this time directing it towards the castle’s portcullis.

“Ebalon!” and an explosion blew away the castle gate.

Taren gave the signal, and troops began flooding into the castle’s courtyard, lead by the dragoons from Laya. The battle heated up as the demons made their last stand for control of the courtyard.

“Into the main tower!” commanded Taren at the head of his armies.

Jedin blasted open the main entrance with a boom that sent a shockwave from the end of his wand.

Taren’s men quickly took control of the entrance hall, and Renin led the human forces further into the castle. Taren called for Jedin and Jerith to dismount their horses and enter the tower with him. Once inside, Taren led them up the stairway toward the top of the tower.

***

Moira could hear screams of demons and the shouts of humans along with the clang of metal and loud booms sounding through the castle.

“Well, we will see what happens when they reach up here and face the Ice Wand.”  She placed herself on the throne, and though she was confident, she placed a magic barrier to protect herself during the oncoming battle.

The sounds of battle were coming closer; then she heard shouts just outside the entrance of the throne room.

“Ebalon!” came the shout, and an explosion blasted the doors away. There stood Jedin and Jerith, along with one of the Ice Worlders.

“Moira, stop this. You have caused enough turmoil—more than I would ever believe from my sister. Stand down, and I’ll persuade the Queen to be merciful,” said Jedin in a loud firm tone.

“Merciful,” Moira said the word as if it had the taste of acid. “Jedin, you see I have a bit of power now, and Thainos as my pet; you cannot stop me, nor the Great Dark Force,” she said in an oddly calm way. “Thainos, destroy them!”

Moira sat in the demon’s throne as Thainos turned from the window where he had been standing to attack with the Ice Wand. As Moira saw the battle unfold, she felt only a bit of sorrow that Thainos would have to kill Jedin, but she thought, perhaps, that she could capture him instead, and turn him to follow The Dark Force.

Thainos shot an ice spell at the Ice Worlder, but as the beam of ice flew through the air, Jedin yelled, “Sae Leerin!” and a ball of water appeared between Thainos and the Ice Worlder, freezing as the ice beam struck it, sending it crashing into the throne room wall.

“You’re much quicker with magic than I remember, Jedin,” said Moira.

Thainos then turned on Jedin, and in surprise, Jedin produced a force wave that sent Thainos against the wall. Then Jerith swung hard with his sword making a deep cut into the demon’s arm.

Thainos went after Jerith with the Ice Wand, but Jerith deflected blows with his emerald blade, sending beams of ice throughout the throne room. The demon king swung hard with his fist. Jerith caught the inside of the demon’s forearm, but was knocked to the ground.  Thainos then raised the Ice Wand in his good hand, ready to freeze Jerith where he lay.

“Sae Leerin!” yelled Jedin just as Thainos went to cast his spell. The ball of water hit the ice beam just as it had enveloped Thainos; freezing him in place.

Moira looked in shock as she saw that Thainos had fallen. “No!” she cried as Jedin turned to face her. In a second of panic, she grasped her pendant, and with a blink, she appeared in her old home in the wood.

“Well, that didn’t work out as well as I had hoped,” muttered Moira to herself.

She had learned, though. Next time, she thought, next time I’ll rule personally. Next time I will hold the wand myself.

Moira went outside and considered the gates. She could see the one that led to the Ice World; frost had spread over some of the vegetation near that gate. Jedin had that world now, it would seem, thought Moira.

As Moira stood there, she heard a snap and the sound of approaching footsteps through the forest. Moira spun around to see what was coming. Drawing in magic, ready to strike, she saw Volerum’s Royal Guard marching through the woods.

Moira sighed and entered one of the gates.