The sun’s first rays of sunlight basked the land, as if it could feel the historical importance of this day. The shadows were driven away to reveal-
“It’s the inn! It’s the inn!”
 ///>?<\\\
“My dear friends, it has been such perilous journey that we’ve overcome with my leadership that this unparalleled quest shall be remembered for centuries to come and we shall be made into legends.”
  ///>???WHERE_IS_THE_STORY_AT???<\\\
“Your leadership cost me an arm. Though, I have to agree with you my dear friend, all our perils and adventurous shall forever be remembered, and I have to lament that it has come to an end.”
///>!!!STORY_ENDING_ABORT!!!<\\\
“Stop confusing the narrator! That crowd will have eaten everything by the time you're done!”
“The Narrator’s the one who’s running late, so blame him. Now we can truly begin, Wilbert you should have everything you need? Oh, Doak follow after him for the shinies .”
//>PAGE_FOUND<\\\
Alkeyla fixed her hair and her blue baby dress as our team of heroes headed to investigate the crowd that stowed between them and winning the race.
Part 1
“Now you cowards and motherf*****, none of you are making it a run for it!” In the way of the gathering crowd stood a woman armoured with a sad excuse of a knight’s armour, which couldn’t even be described as ‘falling apart’, and with a cup of beer that she would take a swing from, time to time. Nestled in her arm was her helmet that had become an unwearable ‘tin can’. It was a well known fact that the money that she gained went into beer and that she was usually drunk, as she was right now with the tell-tale sign of flush on her cheeks.
“This ain’t a race anymore! We’ll settle it the honorable, traditional way; with a tournament of strength to decide who goes and defeats the Demon King! Any f***** who opposes to it?!” There were murmurs of curses and complains of the obvious unfairness of this proposal, and a newbie adventurer dared speak.
“Just because you want to nurse your own selfish ego, doesn’t mea-” His words were cut short as his leader knocked him out unconscious and excused his team as they retreated deeper into the crowd. 
For everyone knew a drunk Lyssa Smith was more dangerous than an army.
“But why shouldn’t we continue with the race instead?” Everyone turned to see who was dared to speak. Skepticism and doubt grew in their minds when a knight with a spotless armour make his way to the front of the crowd.
The sun’s light seemed to gathered around the knight when he flashed a smile that could rival the sun. Draped around his arm was a girl dressed up all pretty with a blue baby dress, though she had no number sewn into her dress which made Lydia come to the conclusion that she must be his lover or a token girl. Most likely the latter. And with how she seemed the only one in the team it was obvious that this guy was a politician.
“You! No, the ornament behind you!” Lyssa pointed to Narcissus. “Why would you say that?” Lyssa already wanted to punch him and his s***-eating grin, but she gave him the right speak.
“I’m only repeating the words of our employees, the republics, who’ve done away with the tyrants of the old ways,” Narcissus drew attention to the inn covered in ‘NO MORE DE-MONARCHS’ propaganda posters, “ and having this race revert back into a strength competition would be reversing all of the hard work our employees have done. Now we wouldn’t want to upset our employees, would we!” Narcissus scanned the front of the crowd, as the mercenaries nodded their heads in approval.
“And the more disturbing fact would be that you would take the equality that this race allows us and replace with threats and violence! Something on the level of the tyrant ruling over that savage land behind you!” When Narcissus finished speaking Lyssa placed down her drink as she asked, “That’s all you have to say?”
“Yes” Narcissus replied, confident that he’d won this debate and the support from the crowd fueling his ego. “Shall we counti-”
Something was thrown at his face and he only knew he was knocked off his feet when his head collided with the floor. That didn’t mean the crowd hadn’t seen what happened.
Everyone had clearly seen Lyssa drop her ‘tin can’ on the ground and also seen her effortlessly kick it at Narcissus with enough force to knock him off his feet.
“Any other politician in there?!” Lyssa shouted as she hazily scanned the crowd. “Someone take that pretty boy somewhere he belongs!” Her orders were achieved faster than she thought when the token girl dragged the knight away from everyone’s sight.
“And a round is on me for any real warriors here!” And with a roar of approval, the crowd followed her inside, trying to at least benefit from the free drink.
“She sure messed up your pretty face!” Alkeyla commented at the sight of Narcissus  bleeding broken nose and dirt filled hair. His appearance sure fitting of an exposed scammer.
“Shut up.” Obviously not in the mood, Narcissus got straight to business. “Wilbert should have returned by now?”
“That arrogant bastard hasn’t returned yet! He’s probably crying over the fact that he had to use one of his precious potions! The only ones that work! All the other one explo-”-”
“At least it would cure your stupidity.” Alkeyla turned to the newly arrived Wilbert, who was lowering his bleached red hood. “But an intelligence potion used on you would truly be a wasted one as one used on a brainless princess.”
“you basta-”
“Stop bickering like children and get a move on!” Narcissus forced himself straight on his feet despite the nausea. He spared them a glare. “Did you do it?”
“Yes. Everything went according to the plan. They were all too drunk to notice that their drinks had been spiked.” Wilbert stated as rechecked all of his potions.
“How long do we have?” Alkeyla asked in a rare burst of responsibility.
“Do not worry about my potions for they shall sleep till tomorrow's eve or…forever. Your highness.” Wilbert even added an evil laugh as he actected the role of the villain who was retelling the horrors he committed to a helpless royal.
“I really doubt it.” Alkeyla turned towards Narcissus.
“Yeah me too.” Narcissus added. “We should have at least twenty minutes.”
“For gold and glory we continue!” Alkeyla shouted as she ran towards the Demon King’s castle.
“Might as well add God as a reason, it’s a good excuse.” Narcissus said, as he and Wilbert ran after Alkeyla. 
Part 2
“My King, there’s still time!”Ah, Loyal Edward. It wasn’t a surprise that he hadn’t left. The poor man still had hope. “There would still be hope with a new start!”
That senseless optimism should have rubbed on to him. He was honestly considering the traitorous act of abandoning the throne and his people. He could feel his ancestors portraits judging him with painted eyes.
Though his thoughts were interrupted as the giant barricaded doors were thrown open as someone threw themselves at it. This said individual was lying facedown on the floor. He was shocked it was a girl with wild hair and a baby blue dress, though the blood-splattered sword that lay next to her sparked his anger.  
“I’ll be shocked!” His head spanned towards the entrance to see a man leisurely walk in, dressed in a ripped and washed out red cloak, accompanied by an equally laid-back knight who had spoken to him. He quickly rose from his throne and extravagantly shaked his cloak to divert any attention that may have befallen on Edward.
The blonde knight appeared as if he had come out straight from a fairytale, but the mocking smile on his lips revealed a sinister side. “I was expecting something more… Well kingly!”
His two party members chuckled. And the girl had already recovered from the blow and had picked herself up. They were walking closer to the throne and he could feel his destined doom.
Edward had escaped from the corner of his eyes. He hoped the Edward was running away and not attempting a suicidal rescue.
“I’ll have to disappoint you.” He ignored the knights smirk as he continued. “I’ve been named-”
“No!” Alkeyla interrupted, “his name’s longer than the paragraph! We don’t have time for this! We would have already died of old age!”
  “I’ll have to agree with Alkeyla for this one.” Narcissus added. “The sleeping potion would have already weared out by that point.”
“Any last words,” Narcissus said as he unsheathed his sword. “your highness?”
The knight was distracted and turned his back towards the Demon King as he turned towards the echoing thud. The Demon King  caught a glimpse of a tall silhouette through the crowd of three, dragging behind him a bag filled to the brim with golden treasures. He also saw the corpse discarded on the ground.
“Doak! Haven’t I told you to never disappear from my sight?! I thought you were that Lyssa Smith!” Alkeyla kept scolding Doak and even started yelling when Doak wasn’t paying attention.
“Good job. That’s all the gold from the mercenaries and from the castle, right?” Doak nodded as he gave Narcissus his undivided attention.
“I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!” The team’s reverted their attention was back to their target, who had erupted in fury.
“What are you waiting for?! As the dogs of the republics shouldn’t you be scurrifying for my head!” It felt satisfying when the blonde knights lips twitched though his anger and confidence only increased. “Your masters are calling you back! Can’t you hear them?! I’ll tell you what they’re sayi-!”
The Demon King unsheathed his sword just in time to block the knight’s killing blow from harvesting his life. He knew it was hopeless to try and to take down the knight when he couldn’t even kill a chicken.
But in his rage, his confidence only increased as the knight fell deeper into his rage with every word that he said. At this moment he only wished to prolong the knight’s shame.
And as he predicted, the Demon King fell by the hand of the knight.
“Finally we did it! Sweet golden bounty here we come!” Akeyla could hardly contain her joy as she even hugged Wilbert, who’s comment lead to another fight. Meanwhile Doak waited for any further orders from Narcissus.
Narcissus was sitting on the throne. He had thrown his feet over the arm of the throne and was looking at his reflection from a hand mirror he found laying around.
“Lets go get that bounty!!” Alkeyla threw her hands in the air as she day-dreamed of her return to the village, and seeing her sweetheart again. She just couldn't control the blush that spread on her cheeks and the hands toying with her choker.
“Lets not.” The room went silent as they all turned towards Narcissus.
“What?” Akeyla couldn't help voicing everyone’s thoughts.
“Think about it.” Narcissus adjusted to sitting on the throne like a king, though his attention was still on the mirror. “Why would we return? For a measly amount of money?! This mirror is worth more than ten bounties combined!”
He carelessly threw it at her and Alkeyla could only be shocked as she saw the precious jewels carved on the pure gold coating.
“Then why would we even have to return back?! To be treated as their loyal dogs and just hope they’ll give us what is rightfully ours?!” Narcissus’ eyes had narrowed and his voice was rising. “And you think the other mercenaries and Lyssa Smith? will let us off?!”
A mocking laugh made it out of him. “Do you really think that she won’t just hack us down for messing up her plan to ‘purify’ herself?! That strength tournament was only a badly-hidden attempt to save herself from guilt by ‘stopping this bloodshed’! Don’t make me laugh! She just wanted to justify her actions her actions by acting like a saint when she really was the butcher!”
   Narcissus continued his laughter though he had noticed that the others weren’t convinced. “Wilbert don’t you agree with me? After All they wouldn’t care for killing us, but you have a bounty on your head!”
Wilbert’s attention was captured by Narcissus words. “Those alchemists from the academy have a hefty bounty for your head. Yes, for who wouldn’t want to get rid off their past failures.”
Narcissus continued with a smile on his lips. “But here! You’d have all the resources you would need to prove to them that you're not the failure whose potion blew up your classmates! You could prove them all wrong!” He addressed them all when he saw that Wilbert was hooked.
“We would prove all of them wrong!” Narcissus still continued as he saw doubt remain. “Don’t you think so Alkeyla?”
Alkeyla willed herself to talk as Narcissus locked eyes with her. “Not really.” She tried rising her voice from the whisper that it had become with the creeping doubt. “Wouldn’t the Republics hunt us down?”
“Why would they?” Narcissus had an effortless grin on his face, as though he had already won this argument. “We would be providing them an ally and an army! You didn’t think they grouped to kill that,” Narcissus pointed at the cold corpse of the demon king, “for a grudge? No, no, no, they killed him because he could backstab them at any moment in their grand plan of riding this world of the uncivilised monarchies!”
“Don’t you see?” Alkeyla could only continue to stare into Nassius’s eyes as he kept talking. “By becoming a republic we become far more important then just some loyal dogs! We would become famous! Someone who people would line up to marry! After all no one would marry a mass murderer.”
Narcissus continued. “Do you honestly think that if you go back to your village everything will turn out the way you wanted it? That that sweetheart of yours would just fall in love with you? A mass-murderer?!” He saw Alkeyla twitch and knew that he had gotten to her.
“All you have to do is stay here with us.” Narcissus continued confidently as he saw Alkeyla considering. “You become the most wanted lady! And with such a reputation who wouldn’t marry you?”
Narcissus waited on his throne for the reply that he surely knew was coming
“No.”
“What?!” Narcissus turned to stare at Alkeyla.
“No.”
“Don’t be silly!” Narcissus continued as he clutched the arms of the throne. “Think Alkeyla! Who do you think painted this castle in blood?!”
“No.” Alkeyla took a breath as she gained the courage to stare at the Narcissus before her. “For who expect myself would I trick by smearing pretty words over myself. All the floweerly words in a history book wouldn’t change that fact that I am a mass murderer” Alkeyla threw the mirror back at Narcissus, as she continued “The least I could do is expect my faults.” And with those words Alkeyla turned and made her way towards the exit.
It was a pity she never noticed Doak slit her throat under Narcissus order.
?T??h??e?? ??E??n?d?
//>E????r?????r?????o?????r???_???????4????0?????1?????<\\
“Shouldn’t I dye my hair? Black’s fitting for a demon kings.”