A Nation of Demons

Part 1

My mother used to tell me stories of Cosinthia's history. She'd regale me with tales of the beautiful Queen Iohna and her adoring subjects; of parades and princesses; of magic and mystery. They were the kinds of stories you'd expect to find in children's books. Young and naïve as I was, I listened intently, believing whole-heartedly on every word that left my mother's lips.

Sometimes, when I would visit my grandmother, I'd recite those very stories to her. Once I'd finished, she'd say, "That sounds lovely, dear!" Then she'd lead my mother around the corner by the arm and close the door. I was never able to make out any of the words, but I could always hear the anger in their voices.

Once, when I was twelve, I got to stay the night at her house. She laid me down on the couch and covered me with one of her quilts. Even though I was almost a teenager, I was still accustomed to my mother telling me stories before bed. When I asked her if she knew any, she shook her head and placed her hand on mine.

"Sure I do," she sighed.

"Could you tell me one?" I said. "Please?"

"Judith." She paused. "You're almost thirteen." She paused again.

"Yeah, so what? What does that have to do with telling me a story?"

"Now don't you get sassy with me, young lady. Is this how your mother taught you to behave?"

"No, ma'am."

"That's my girl. Now, if you really want a story..." she broke off.

"Yes, please."

"Alrighty, then. I think it's about time you heard about the Great Battle of Cosinthia."

"The what?" I stuttered. "But mom told me that Cosinthia has been at peace for centuries! You saying she's been lying to me?"

"No, no," she said with a sad chuckle. "You're mother hasn't been lying, but she hasn't been telling you the whole truth, either. Cosinthia as you know it is a peaceful place, but it hasn't always been this way. About a millennia and a half ago, a small group of sailors got caught in a terrible storm at sea. They were blown off course and washed up on the shores of this land. With their boat destroyed, the sailors had no way to get home, so they took what remained of the ship and made camp. Over the next 500 years, the group became a small town.

"In the mountains to the east, lived a band of monstrous creatures who called themselves the Nation of Demons. Now, the Demons believed they were the divine owners of the land west of the mountains, so when they saw the thriving town below, they were furious. They attacked the settlers, hoping to drive them back to the ocean. Much to their surprise, the townsfolk didn't retreat. Instead, they organized a military force to defend their home. At the head of the militia was none other than the humble daughter of the town's leatherworker, Heather Iohna."

"Wait. So you mean to tell me that the Queen Iohna wasn't even a queen?" I was flabbergasted.

"Not at first, no. You remember the story of George Washington, right?"

"Kinda, yeah. Didn't he start as, like, a military general or something?"

"Exactly. But after the war, he became the leader of the United States. Iohna was just the same. She led the battalion to the mountains, with the intention of negotiating a peace treaty. The Demons refused, claiming that the land was theirs and that it had been for eons. They were not about to give up any part of it to some puny humans. Iohna led her soldiers back to their camp in the mountains. She was utterly disheartened.

"A few days later, she ordered her soldiers to launch a sneak attack on the Demons. Iohna threatened the monsters with her sword and forced them right back into their cave. What happened next is still under debate. Some say that the townsfolk forged bars of steel and created a blockade at the entrance of cave. Others say her second-in-command, who was a skilled sorceress, cast the strongest barrier spell anyone had ever seen, essentially trapping the Demons in their mountaintop home."

She smiled at how dumbfounded I was. All I could manage to mutter was "jeez."

"Just after the war, the townsfolk named their establishment Cosinthia, and crowned Iohna as their queen. And that's where all of your mother's happy stories come in."

"I- I had no idea."

"I know you didn't. Your mother never liked that part of the story, so she only told the good parts. I guess she didn't want you to end up like your father; head full of fantasies of war and martyrdom."

"Oh." I mumbled.

"I know you probably didn't want to hear that, but you'd've had to have heard it sooner or later."

We sat in silence for a minute or two, until I decided to steer the conversation back on track.

"Well, where are the Demons now?"

"Still up in their cave, I suppose. You know, there's an ancient prophesy that states that at sundown on the day of the thousandth year, the Demons will be released from their prison, and only a pure-blooded descendant of Iohna can stop them from destroying Cosinthia."

"I wonder who it's talking about."

"I don't know."

"Do you believe the prophesy?"

"I'm not sure I want to."

"Why not?"

She opened her mouth as if to speak, sighed, and shook her head.

"Good night, Judith." She brushed the hair from my forehead and kissed it. She turned off the lights and shuffled to the door.

"I love you!"

"I love you, too." 

Through the darkness, I could hear a sad mumble. "I won't believe it, because I don't want to lose you."