The Angry Alatap
"Before the first demon drew breath, Alatap was already dreaming, its rivers of fire shaping the fate of every creature born within."
Alatap, the place where demons are born and live most of their lives. There are multiple entries from Alatap to the Mortal realm. Few mortals know the entry, and it has been recorded in only a few places in history. Most demons avoid entering the mortal realm, fearing the safety. Very few places can support agriculture or livestock in this realm. Fully fulfilling all the needs to be traded in the human world with the help of the Yaksa tribe.
Alatap has multiple demon kings, and they fight each other for access to portals and control of the small, viable locations. Countries formed based on portals and waterfalls or rivers linking the mortal realm.
Once, there was an emperor who forced all the demon kings to kneel before him. However, he lost his life due to a dream he had. The whole demon realm called him Dreamt One. He was slain by the god's hand. Then came his brother, who took up his brother's dream. He is able to achieve it and make Alatap a little more livable for demons. And for years, made sure he supplied enough food and goods for all the demon lords in the Alatap.
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News of the Fallen One
The news of the Fallen One spread through Alatap. Some demons laughed at the sky, remembering the Dreamt One; others quietly remembered the Fallen One.
The people of the whole Hell's Above shed tears for the Fallen One. The demon lords and high-level demons knew that a hybrid had been born, blessed by their fallen empire with a blood pact, and declared the next emperor.
Some lords, however, worried how they would survive if the Fallen One was dead. They feared that the Fallen One's shadows might fail to procure supplies from the mortal world. If that happened, new tensions would rise between lords, potentially causing another Hillock Corpse War.
All nations with small armies but better resources decided to unite. This would decide what came next for the demon realm.
Some powerful and militarily strong nations did not believe a boy could become their emperor. They began planning to overthrow all nations and claim the throne. There was more than a 50% chance that the demon realm would see another Hillock Corpse War.
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The Threefold Crown
The Fallen One's country was created by merging three demon countries. Both the Fallen One and the Dreamt One were well known throughout the demon realm. The Fallen One took over his brother's country and merged it with his own. Some demon lords disliked this, while others didn't care.
The Fallen One's close friend, one of the demon lords who had helped him become emperor, and also opposed him when he wanted to invade DawnFire, became his greatest rival. The Fallen One had to make a tough decision and fight his friend in an all-out war. After three months and losing many people, they decided to settle the war by fighting each other directly.
The Rival and the Fallen One fought an all-out battle. Some demons still speak of it as myth. They fought under a mountain called Rikar, on the border of their countries near a waterfall. After their battle, there was no mountain and no waterfall, only piles of broken rocks. Those rocks were all that remained of the mountain.
Finally, the Fallen One and the Rival One both fell, and the Fallen One was unable to kill his friend. A temple was built in the rocky remains, surrounded by a massive wall made of stone. No one could enter it. The wall stood as high as a mountain, and it was said the Rival One still lived within it. All demon lords and high demons knew of him and knew how to enter the rocky mountain wall.
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The Mountain Wall Falls
One of the demon lords' new couriers reached the Rocky Wall Mountain, placed a scroll in a small hole in the wall, and struck a Zhong. Out of curiosity, the courier hid behind some rocks, wanting to see who would retrieve it.
After midnight, a section of the rocky wall shifted, creating a massive opening. A huge figure covered with a black cloth emerged from the mountain, picked up the scroll, and returned inside before sealing the wall again. The courier waited for several minutes, saw nothing more, and left.
The next day, the entire demon realm learned that the mountain wall had fallen. No one knew how, but the wall was broken in a V-shape, the rocks scattered into a new hill. Some reported that someone had used an entry from the demon realm to the shadow realm. The high court of that country tried to hide the truth, they had lost an elite unit in the battle.
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The Cavern of the Fallen
A few days later, the great shadow figure appeared in front of the Cavern of the Fallen. He saw the Cavern, and a single tear fell onto the stones. The shadow sensed something overwhelmingly powerful. The Cavern doors opened by themselves, and the shadow figures inside moved aside.
He walked up to the throne. The Fallen One's skeleton still sat upon it. The Rival picked up the skull with both hands and held it against his forehead.
The shadow realm witnessed unexpected behavior; for some magical reason, rain began to fall from the cavern ceiling where a hole had formed. It created a doorway between the living and the shadows. The rain made it seem like both guest and skull were crying.
He whispered,
"You fool…"
The entire shadow realm mourned in silence.
"Why did you cling to your life for so long, only to die like a bug?"
He crushed the skull in his right hand.
"Is there any reason for our life? Any meaning for mine?"
He sat on the throne. His anger heated the stone until it glowed red. The shadow figures moved far away. The throne began melting where his hands rested.
One shadow dared to speak:
"Rival One… the new emperor declared this as his throne. The previous emperor promised it."
The Rival did not raise his head.
"That idiot. With his foolish promises and foolish prophecy. This is not how life should end."
He inhaled sharply and shouted,
"Idiot! What about our promise? What do you expect me to do now?"
Then he leapt through the hole in the cavern into the living world.
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The Village of DawnFire
A small settlement in the northern forest of the DawnFire Islands. The tall figure walked near the village. The clay candle in the village's Knowledge Temple suddenly glowed bright.
The priest said, "We have a guest. Invite him. This will bring great fortune to our village."
The villagers ran and knelt before the man walking away.
The village leader bowed.
"Please, come to our village and honor us with your presence."
"Me? I am nothing but dust from old days clinging to life."
"You are our symbol, my lord. Please rest for the night and have supper."
"It doesn't look like a bad place for a last supper."
The villagers looked at each other, confused.
"Sorry, my lord?"
"Never mind me. Let's go."
He stayed in the Knowledge Temple that night. By morning, he left at 3 AM before anyone awoke.
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The Dying Fools
"Do you think you can defeat me, you old fool?" said Petal.
"Ha ha ha…" laughed the man with a scar from his right eye to his left chin.
The Fire-Wind Spirit lay unconscious on the ground.
The boy was also unconscious, his legs missing from the knees down and half his hands gone.
"There is nothing that can stop me here," said Petal.
"If I fail to fight a fool like you, then is there any meaning to being called the Emperor's Rival?"
"You… Are you the Rival One?"
The Rival One laughed.
"You're just an old fool who lost many battles. Do you think I fear you?"
Petal attacked the Rival One.
After a brutal fight, the Rival One lost both arms.
"How are you going to save that little useless emperor without your hands?"
"You old dying fools."