Heavenly Opposers-Chapter 373 - 372: Demon Territories: A Comprehensive Introduction Nobody Asked For
Azrail told them on the morning of the next day.
He waited until Raena was on her second cup and therefore past the phase where surprising news made her throw things. He waited until Huifen had finished breakfast and was in that briefly calm state she sometimes reached between one shock and the next. He waited until Xuanyin had finished her sword forms in the expanded practice space at the rear of the chariot, and Valencia had completed whatever fate calculations she ran every morning before she was willing to talk to the world at large.
Then he pulled up the holographic display from the central table, let it spread to full size, and said: "We’re going to the Velith Dominion."
The silence that followed had several distinct layers to it. Raena put her cup down slowly. Valencia’s eyes went gold for exactly two seconds.
Huifen said, with genuine incomprehension: "The what?"
Xuanyin looked at the holographic map that had materialised above the table, found the Velith Dominion on it, which was labelled in red with a small symbol that meant high-danger zone, and looked back at Azrail with an expression that said, very clearly: brother.
"The Velith Dominion," Azrail said, "is the primary demon empire of the Eastern Continent. It occupies approximately one-third of the continent’s southeastern territory, sits in a natural band of atmospheric twilight caused by the volcanic activity along the Ashveil Mountains, and is ruled by a Demon Sovereign named Malachar who has held that position for over four hundred years. It is not, technically, at war with any human empire at the moment. This is because most human empires have enough survival instinct to avoid provoking it."
"And we," Raena said, in a very particular tone, "are going into it." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
"Yes."
"Malachar runs a functioning society, not an open slaughterhouse," Azrail said. "Outsiders can enter. It requires the right approach and, in our case, the right appearance."
Huifen raised her hand. Slowly. Like she was in an academy and wasn’t sure she was allowed to speak. "The right... appearance?"
"Disguises," Azrail said, and because the holographic display was already running, he pulled up the next section. It populated the table with visual references he’d had Nayan compile, rendered in clean detail: figures of varying demon types, their physical markers, their clan signifiers, their hierarchy positioning.
The table now had demons on it. Huifen made a sound that was not quite a word.
"There are seven major demon clans in the Dominion," Azrail continued. "For our purposes, what matters are five." He indicated each as he named them: "Ira Clan. Wrath-natured. Red-orange skin, multiple horns, typically built for combat. We will not be disguising ourselves as these, because Ira Clan members are expected to be aggressive as a baseline social norm, and Huifen would not survive the first hour."
Huifen was staring at the Ira Clan rendering with wide eyes. "They have four horns."
"On average, yes. Umbra Clan." He moved on. "Shadow-natured. Dark blue to black skin, exceptional stealth. Useful, but their social interaction customs involve a specific tonal pattern in speech that none of us has practised. Removing them from consideration. Gelid Clan." The next rendering appeared: a figure with pale blue-white skin, fine crystalline horns like frozen needles, and a quality of stillness to the rendered form. "Frost-natured. Ice affinity. Calm, composed, associated with scholarship and cold-region territories. Considered somewhat distant by other clans but respected."
He looked at Xuanyin. She looked at the Gelid Clan figure for a long moment.
Then she looked at her own hand, which had the faintest blue tint from the Harmony Matrix working, and the cold that had stopped being pain and become something quieter and more hers over the months. She looked back at Azrail.
He gave her a very small nod.
Her expression did something complicated. Not quite a smile. Something more private than that.
"Sangui Clan," Azrail continued. "Blood-natured. Deep crimson skin, elaborate face markings, eyes that run red or black. Known for ferocity in battle and an almost theatrical approach to personal presentation. They tend toward the dramatic."
He looked at Raena. Raena looked at the Sangui Clan figure.
Then she reached up and touched her own red eyes with her fingertips, and the smile that spread across her face was the specific kind that Azrail had come to associate with situations that were about to become either very useful or very chaotic. Sometimes both.
"Oh," she said softly. "I’m going to enjoy this."
"I was afraid of that," Azrail said. "Finally, Anima Clan. Soul-natured. Pale skin, faint purple or silver undertone, horns that tend to be singular or paired but slim. Associated with high scholarship, fate-reading, and what the demon clans consider the closest equivalent to cultivation researchers. They are a small clan numerically, but positioned high in the social hierarchy due to perceived wisdom. They ask unusual questions and are considered appropriately eccentric."
The last part was practically ideal. He’d chosen their covers with some care.
Valencia had been looking at the Anima Clan rendering since it appeared. She tilted her head. "The horns are rather elegant, actually."
"Don’t get attached to them. They’re going to be constructed attachments."
"I know that." She paused. "They’re still elegant."
Raena started laughing.
"Who are we going in as?" Huifen asked, in the tone of someone who was trying very hard to be practical about the fact that she was apparently going to be a demon.
"You and I," Azrail said, "will be Anima Clan. Valencia as well. Raena is from the Sangui Clan. Xuanyin is from the Gelid Clan. The disguises are formation-based and will hold unless someone with a Heaven Core cultivation or above scans specifically for falsified demonic aura, which they won’t do without cause."
"And what’s the cause we’re trying not to give them?" Huifen asked.
"Any cause whatsoever," Azrail said. "We go in, we observe, we attend the event, we leave. Clean and simple."
The silence stretched.
Then Valencia said, "You said there’s an event."
"Yes."
"Are you going to tell us what it is?"
Azrail looked at the table.
"No," he said. "I’ll tell you when we’re closer."
Raena pointed at him. "You’re enjoying the anticipation."
"Someone in this carriage has to."
Xuanyin tugged his sleeve once, looked at him, and he met her eyes with a small, honest expression that said: You’ll like it. I promise.
She held his gaze for a moment longer. Then she leaned back in her seat, apparently satisfied.
Outside, the sky was starting to change colour.
The forests below were getting older, the trees wider apart, the undergrowth thicker, and the light that filtered down through them was beginning to take on that quality Azrail remembered from accounts of the borderland transition zones. Less gold. More red. The Ashen Reaches were beginning.
