Though the High Fae had warned Iris and her friends about the discomfort they were about to experience, as soon as they left the portal, Iris was still surprised to find her friends unconscious inside their carriage, while she could barely stay seated.
Her world seemed to be spinning and she had this urge to throw up, feeling like her head was heavy and huge at the same time. She couldn't focus on her surroundings, nor did she know if they had safely arrived at Silver City.
"Are you alright, Lady Iris?"
Iris lifted her head and stared at the fae, but it didn't seem like Ricci was affected by the portal, unlike her and the rest of the maidens who came with them.
"I…" She held the side of head, trying to figure out what had happened to her and her friends.
"It's alright, Lady Iris. They just passed out because of the effects of the portal. The fact that you are able to remain awake means that you have enough mana to protect you. The portal is strong enough to test the mental stability of a person. All maidens passed out as soon as we entered the portal, Miss Chrysanthe managed to stay conscious for ten minutes while Miss Amelia lasted longer than the rest. She almost made it along with you, but she couldn't resist the power of the portal."
"Then… does that mean that Amelia has magic too?"
Ricci shook her head. "No, Lady Iris. Miss Amelia is a human with no magic on her."
"Then how did she manage to last longer than the rest?"
The High Fae's lips curled with an amused smile on her face.
"I believe you already know the answer to that question, Lady Iris. You should know Miss Amelia better than me."
Iris said nothing and understood what she meant at once. Amelia had the strongest will amongst the people she knew in her whole life. Her best friend wouldn't back down and give up without a fight, so it only made sense why Amelia would last longer than the rest. She was proud of her friend. She knew that she could rely on her friend, especially here in Asnar, where it wouldn't be certain that she would lead a happy life.
"How long would it take before they regain their consciousness?"
"In an hour so, Lady Iris."
Iris didn't know if she still had any strength to move right now. Do they really need to go and see the rest of the demon lords that ruled the land? Was it really important for them to meet the rest of them? She also wondered, aside from testing the maidens for magic, why do they need to test them for illnesses?
"I have another question, Miss Ricci." She asked, once she didn't feel light headed anymore.
Ricci cocked her head to one side. "Ask away, Lady Iris."
"You said that we will be tested for magic and illness. I can understand why you need to test for magic, but what about the illness?" This had been bugging her since Ricci said those words to them. Iris didn't believe that a mortal disease could possibly harm the darklings who were obviously more powerful and resilient than humans like her.
It didn't seem like the fae expected to hear such a question from her. Unlike earlier, when Ricci was able to provide her with the answers, this time the fae looked conflicted. It must be something confidential that she couldn't simply divulge.
"You don't need to answer me if it makes you uncomfortable." Iris said, knowing that it wouldn't be easy for Ricci to answer her this time. The High Fae had done enough for her and her friends already.
"No, let me answer you truthfully, Lady Iris. It's better for you to know, since you will be living with the rest of us. It was rumored that the Black Mage had left something behind, securing a part of himself amongst humans. The thirteen demon lords believed that it might be hidden particularly in a magus. Maguses can outlive a normal human, you see. Their strong mana is enough for them to prolong their supposedly short lives."
"So you all think it's hidden inside a magus because they would be able to hide its presence?" Iris assumed that whatever the thirteen demon lords were looking for, it must be something really dangerous if they were still looking for it after all this time.
"It's just an assumption, but you are right. We would have found it already if it was hidden in an ordinary human. Not that a simple human would be able to contain any of the artifacts that once belonged to the Black Mage."
It had been centuries and it had never been found here, so the thirteen demon lords thought that it might be hiding amidst the humans' dwellings outside of Asnar. However, given the treaty that was still in effect between the Court of Shadows and the Kingdom of Dravial as well as other human kingdoms, they weren't able to scout the area to find the artifact.
"Do you know what it looks like? Does it have a name? Why do you think you can only find it in the maidens and not the men?" Iris questioned the fae. Although their meeting was quite short, she was sure to miss Ricci once they were separated again later.
"That, I'm afraid I can't answer, Lady Iris. Only Lord Kieran and the other demon lords know what they are trying to find. We were only told that it's extremely powerful and dangerous, and that it could revive the Black Mage once the conditions are met. The Night Critters are also searching for it, so the demon lords cannot stop until they find it."
The two fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Iris realized that even the darklings had their own share of problems, despite possessing magic and longevity. Back at Dravial, she and her family were striving to put food on their table, but here in Asnar, every darkling was worried that another war might erupt once the Black Mage is resurrected.
Despite its name, Silver City was surrounded by green land. Iris had never seen anything like it in her whole life. She hadn't been to a big city in Dravial, but as she looked at the dwellings and large structures below them, she supposed that there weren't much differences between the world of the darklings and the human kingdoms.
There was so much color, so much sunlight here, unlike where they came from. Calaren Town couldn't be compared to the magnificent architectural landscape of Silver City. Silver City was teeming with life and magic.
"It's beautiful here." Chrysanthe commented next to her, equally at awe with the scenery in front of them. "What do you think, Melia?"
Amelia looked impassively at the city from the hill they were on. The city below sprawled across a valley nestled between two great mountains. Cold winds howled around them, biting their exposed skin.
"It's not what I expected. It reminds me of the capital of Dravial. There are so many people buzzing around in the daylight." She said, and it was only then her friends noticed several species walking across the streets of Silver City. Some looked like humans, while others had pointed ears. Being humans with no real exposure to the magical world, the three of them couldn't differentiate those pointed ears as faeries, elves or a demon from a distance.
"Ladies, we have to enter the palace now." Ricci called them out. She paused for a moment and looked at Iris, straight in the eyes.
"Master Yuri has a message for you, Lady Iris. We wish for you not to reveal your creation magic in front of the Court of Shadows."
"I don't understand, Miss Ricci. I don't think I'm capable of chanting such magic."
"Master Yuri expected that you would say that. He says that you will know what I mean if I tell you about dispelling the endless winter in Calaren Town and restoring life in the woods. It would be dangerous for you if the other demon lords find out what you are capable of."
Iris found herself rendered speechless. How did Lord Kieran and the rest know about what she did in the woods? Was it possible that they were in the area while she and Amelia were stuck in a fight with the direwolves?
The three shared a knowing look at each other and held each other's hands. They weren't sure what to expect during this meeting with the rest of the demon lords. Once all the other maidens finally regained their consciousness, with Amelia being the first one waking up amongst them, they followed Ricci's lead as they entered the court.
The maidens followed with chattering teeth, with the legion of Frost Guards marching behind them—minus Lord Kieran and his three loyal vassals. Iris had a vague feeling that the demon lord couldn't wait to release them from his protection. They were merely an obligation for the Undead Lord - to ensure their safe arrival in Asnar.
Sweat trickled down the side of Iris's face. She felt suffocated although the place wasn't crowded and they weren't bound by anything. She tried to shove away her fear and uncertainty, reminding herself that she would rather be here than allow Junifer to encounter these frightening darklings.
As soon as they entered the palace, darkness greeted them. The hallway was only lit by the magical lamps attached to the white pillars on each side. The marbled floor was so smooth that everyone had to be careful with their steps. The only sounds the maidens could hear were their own footsteps and the racing beat of their hearts.
Once they reached the end of the hallway, they entered a coliseum-like place where the ceiling was almost as high as the towers and the seats hovering over them, preventing them from clearly seeing who was seated on them.
Iris lowered her head, not daring to look up to see the rest of the thirteen demon lords of Asnar. She could feel Lord Kieran's heavy stare on her. As to why she was able to tell he was looking at her, Iris wasn't sure herself. Her nerves were tingling at the incredible fact that she and the rest of the maidens were being presented in front of the Court of Shadows.
A female laugh could be heard, its tone was enough to make the rest of the maidens, except Iris and Amelia, tremble in fear.
"That human kingdom is getting worse as decades pass. You would think that with their insistence of protecting their kind by separating their country from Asnar, they would treat their people better. These maidens look no better than the Night Critters with their dirty hairs and scrawny figures."
Iris winced. Although she shared the same sentiment as this demon lord, she couldn't help but feel offended by this darkling's words.
"Caelea, you have to remember that these humans lived along the border of Dravial. What can you expect from the rulers of that human kingdom?" Another woman said, her voice was stoic and cold at the same time.
"Don't tell me you are taking pity on these humans, Riasa? Don't you think that we've been tolerating these foolish mortals long enough? If they are able to sacrifice a few of their kind for this farce of a treaty, then what makes them think they are greater beings than us? It's about time we end the treaty with those human kingdoms and let them deal with the Night Critters that will invade their lands by themselves!" The demon lord named Caelea said.
"We've already discussed this before, Caelea." A man with a domineering and authoritative voice said, stopping the discussion between the two female demon lords. "We will not enter a futile war against the mortals."
Iris, who was overcome by her own curiosity, lifted her gaze to look at the being who had just spoken and immediately regretted it once she met his eyes.