Tenebris Renasci: A World of Magic and Gunpowder

Alexander followed Zara out of her home, the duo walking out into her village. 

As they walked, Alexander curiously examined his surroundings. 

Zara's village was far larger than he expected, with dozens and dozens of small clay huts scattered around the village's edge. 

The huts all had thatched roofs and small vegetable gardens beside them. 

Demons walked the dirt paths that snaked through the small homes and toward the village center, where a massive tree stood tall. 

The tree's sprawling canopy spread wide, almost fifty meters in diameter, (164ft) it almost completely blocked out the sun, only allowing a few rays of sunlight to beam through to the ground. 

The trunk of the tree was thick and long, with its base carved out to house what could simply be described as a wooden castle. 

The structure that was nestled within the massive structure was ancient, yet not even the passage of time looked to have weathered away the structural integrity of this "wooden castle."

Besides the structure at the base of the tree, there were several pathways and smaller structures further up the massive tree, nestled between the long winding branches. 

At the top of the tree were large circular platforms that were too high for Alexander to see anything on them, however, if he had to guess, it must've been lookout posts.

Holy shit that's a big tree!

As Alexander continued to marvel at the mega tree standing tall at the center of the village, Zara continued to lead him closer and closer towards it.

As they walked, the duo got a variety of looks from the demon villagers that walked the snaking paths within the village. 

Some looked at Alexander with awe and curiosity, others with indifference or suspicion. 

However, Zara's presence seemed to keep them grounded, no one daring to stop or approach the duo. 

Zara watched her fellow kin with cautious eyes, her six eyes moving from demon to demon.

When the duo finally reached the center of the village, Alexander could see that the tree was blocked off from the rest of the village by a small wooden fence and was guarded by several large demons dressed in wooden armor and furs. 

These guard demons were armed with large spears that had black spearheads. They had large thick horns that curled back, and six eyes that were a deep red.

Unlike the average demon villager Alexander saw wandering the village, these demons were all seven foot at minimum, with large thick tails and the red patterns in their skin instead of blue.

Alexander was truly blindsided by how massive these demons were compared to their fellow kin. 

As he and Zara grew closer to the wooden fence, one of the guards spotted them approaching and turned his attention toward them, his six eyes narrowing.

He said in his native tongue, his voice deep and commanding. He asked, approaching Zara and Alexander.

Zara took a deep breath before gesturing towards Alexander. she explained.

The elder guard turned his gaze towards Alexander, his red eyes, all six of them scrutinizing him closely. 

Alexander shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of the towering demon, moving to hide behind Zara. 

Zara wrapped her tail around him reassuringly, "No fear, elder guard… friend, no harm, promise." She said softly, turning to look at Alexander. 

Alexander swallowed hard, continuing to hide behind Zara, he wasn't taking any chances.

You say that, but this guy could actually squish me.

Seeing Alexander hiding behind Zara, the elder guard cracked a small grin.

Zara giggled,

The elder guard let out a deep chuckle as he moved to open the wooden fence, slightly bending over to do so. 

With the gate opened, the elder guard gestured for Zara to enter.

Zara nodded as she moved past the gate, dragging Alexander alongside her, her tail wrapped around his waist.

As the duo moved past the gate, the elder guard glanced at Alexander one last time, his red eyes gold less scrutiny and more curiosity.

the elder guard whispered to himself as he closed the wooden gate.

Zara led Alexander through the wide space between the fence and the structure at the base of the tree.

As they walked, Alexander could feel his heart rate rise and the tension of the surrounding air grow palpable. 

Stepping to the massive wooden doors that led into the base structure, two more elder guards stepped to the side. 

As Zara led Alexander past the massive doors with ancient script engraved into them, Alexander could feel a deep sense of dread creeping through the back of his mind. 

He wasn't sure what to expect, but the closer he got towards meeting the chief, the more he regretted every decision leading him up to this moment.

Walking through the candle-lit corridor that led towards the main chamber, Zara took a look back at the nervous Alexander.

Upon seeing the sweat beading on his forehead, and badly his eyes shook as he looked at the ancient scrolls that lined the walls of the corridor, Zara tightened her tail around Alexander.

"It's… okay." She said softly, "Chief won't hurt, not if… Alexander proves importance, remember, stay… calm." She said with a reassuring smile.

Alexander turned toward Zara and forced a wide smile. "I am calm, see."

Alexander gave Zara two thumbs up. 

Zara frowned as her expression turned skeptical, yet she didn't press any further. "Okay." She whispered. 

With that, the duo stepped into the main chamber.

Inside, the room was illuminated by a large sphere of bright light that hung from the ceiling of the room. 

The room itself was a large circular space that had a raised platform in the center. The platform was made of polished wood, and on top of that platform was a large throne that held the demon chief in all of his glory. 

The demon chief was unlike any other demon Alexander had previously come across. He was jaw-droppingly massive, even larger than the elder guards outside.

He looked to be around eight foot plus or just under three meters.  

He had a massive muscular frame that held muscles stacked upon muscles, with a large belly to boot. 

His horns were large a spiraled around several times, giving them a long twisted look. 

His tail was large and rested on the ground, gently rubbing against that large raised platform.

His six eyes were a stark difference from the red and blue of other demons, instead they were a deep and rich purple.

His hair was long and dreaded, stooping just at his thighs, his black skin held purple patterns all over his body.

He was dressed in a long robe that started at his waist and ended at his ankles. 

Along with that, was a shoulder piece that went from the top of his shoulder to the top of his forearm. 

Standing before the chief, Zara lowered her head slightly before addressing him. Zara said, her tone full of reverence and respect.

The chief, his fist resting underneath his chin, growled deeply. He replied, his tone deep and booming, filling the chamber with a deep sense of authority.

Zara nodded, straightening herself up she gestured towards Alexander, her tail still tightly wrapped around his waist.  

She moved closer towards the chief, Zara paused for a moment, turning to look back at the trembling Alexander who hugged her from behind. 

A hesitant frown crossed her lips before she eventually turned back towards the chief. <…At the very least, we could use him as a prisoner, in order to keep them at bay.> she explained, her voice steady.

The chief let out another Deep grumble as he shifted his gaze towards Alexander, his six purple eyes scrutinizing him with a piercing gaze.

Alexander felt a lump form in his throat as he made eye contact with the massive demon, his insides squirming as the demon's six eyes bore into his very soul.

the chief began, his voice filled with skepticism,

Zara nodded. she answered eagerly,

The chief slowly straightened up in his throne, his sheer size and presence shifting like a mountain. "This is indeed interesting." The chief said in Alexander's language, "please, allow this Alexander to speak for himself."