The Seven Kings

Kareem

Be it his luck or a curse, Kareem was beginning to regret his decision in joining the Riders.

He had ridden hard for a day, not stopping once for anything, speeding past countless ruined cities and avoiding traveling demons. The demons he had been unable to avoid paid him no attention, as he was dressed in their armor and sat on top of their horse. He was lucky to be alive.

Having left his bag of supplies at the ruins he had escaped from, he had nothing to eat or drink, save the minute supplies Verin had left in a small knapsack strapped to the horse. Kareem knew he was on limited supply, but he couldn't help nearly emptying the bag of water he had found. He wanted to stop for a while and scavenge for food and water, but time was running out. Fast.

Kareem had been forced to stop when the horse had come to an abrupt halt, refusing to go any further. Mentally kicking himself, he realized he had thought of the horse as no more than another monster, instead of the living creature it was. He swung himself off the animal and offered it the little food he had. He would use this resting period to hunt for whatever he could.

The leash that had held the horse was still wrung around its neck, dangling under its neck uselessly. He cut it off and tossed it to the side, rubbing the horse's head. Kareem would have to hope it didn't run off when he left. Grabbing his sword, he gave the horse one last pat on the head, before sprinting off. Kareem had recalled seeing a city not too far off from where they had stopped. Although they had drifted wide of it, he was eager to explore the inside and scavenge whatever he could find.

Even as quick on his feet as he was, it took Kareem nearly fifteen minutes to travel what he assumed to be half a mile before he finally caught glimpse of the fallen city. He skidded to a halt, his hand resting on his sword. He didn't intend on walking into a trap as he had before. At the very least, he was going to secure an escape route in case things went south.

Walls were erected around the ruins, but they had crumbled over time, making it easy for Kareem to slip through a small gap. Like the one he had fled from, there were collapsed buildings everywhere, but the majority were upright enough for anyone or anything to live in. He hoped he wouldn't alert anyone inside the city.

The chances of him finding anything were zero, but his hope rested solely on the fact that Riders also ventured inside ruins from time to time. Some even left supplies in case another group found their way to the same place, or if they were solo Riders like he was. But as much as Riders could find whatever was left, demons could as well.

Using a furnace as cover, Kareem looked at the other buildings further down. He felt uneasy, panic and worry churned in his chest making it hard to breathe properly. He wasn't groomed to be afraid, but after everything that had happened, he had every right to be.

Although his immediate surroundings were clear, Kareem wanted to make sure he was completely safe before continuing his search. He walked towards the next building as silently as his armor would allow, hesitating as he neared yet another corner leading deeper into the city. He rested one hand on his sword, placing his back to the wall and looking past it. Yet again, there was nothing.

Exhaling, he took his hand off his sword and placed it on his chest. Although he was wearing thick armor, he could feel his heart thudding aggressively against his palm. Although he was sure there was no one close by, or at least, around the half of the city he was, the feeling of impending danger refused to leave his back.

"The generals will throw a fit if they find out we are yet to depart for Sewadr."

"They can't. It's not our fault we were separated from the others and got out horses butchered. Damned Riders."

Gritting his teeth, Kareem cursed his luck.

"I assumed Zagan's team would have disposed of the last one quickly. It's been nearly three days."

"Zagan is a slow fool. I should have gone in his stead."

Kareem pressed his body against the wall, not daring a single step back the way he came from. He hadn't expected the demons to have split up. And of all places they could have chosen to make camp, it had to be where Kareem decided to make a detour. Deciding to grieve his terrible luck later, Kareem tried to listen on what they were discussing.

"Gaap, who in their right mind would have wanted YOU to go after those pesky mages? You can't even hunt down a rat."

Gaap, the demon that had been insulted, hissed. "One day, I will cut off that sharp tongue of yours, Naamah." He dragged out the 'a,' making it sound like he was bleating like lost sheep.

Laughing, Naamah thumped Gaap's back, the sound of his metal gauntlets hitting the breastplate filled the air with a loud clanging sound. Using the noise, Kareem shot backward on his toes, his eyes firmly on the corner the two demons were just around. Reaching the corner leading behind the building, Kareem sharply turned, breathing a sigh of relief as he had narrowly escaped a risky confrontation.

"Where are you creeping off to?" a voice asked from directly in front of him.

Biting his tongue, Kareem looked up. He should have checked around the corner before he had launched himself blindly away from the other two. The person in front of him wore the same black armor he had stolen, with a broadsword strapped to his waist. The only reason Kareem was still alive was because he was wearing demon armor.

"Just patrolling sir," he mumbled.

"Naamah and Gaap are already on patrol," the demon said, amused. "I requested for everyone else to remain at the north side of the city."

"Sorry sir." Kareem kept his head down, careful not to let the demon see his eyes. Unlike mages, demons had a set of red lifeless eyes unique only to their race.

Chuckling, the demon reached out and grabbed Kareem's chin, forcing his head up. Surprised, Kareem had no time to shut his eyes or back away from the demon.

"Clever," the demon commented, his hand squeezing Kareem's jaw. The demon had a fierce face with his red eyes complimented by his silver-grey hair. He had a long nose, but small lips shut tightly together as he thought of what to do to the mage in front of him.

Kareem unsheathed his sword and went for the demon's head, but he had already seen it coming. Pushing Kareem's face away, he dodged the sword by merely an inch and unsheathed his, grabbing it with both hands.

"You are a century too late to fight me, boy," he smirked. "Drop your weapon and I may yet spare your inconsequential life."

Kareem chose to respond with his sword, swinging low and then bringing his sword up, aiming for the demon's chin. His attack was easily dodged and countered with a thrust that connected with Kareem's armor perfectly. Stumbling backward, Kareem was glad he had armor on, otherwise, he'd been dead.

"Lord Kokabiel," a voice Kareem recognized as Gaap's called from behind him.

"Do not interfere," Kokabiel snarled, jabbing at Kareem once more, aiming to put a hole in his face this time.

Kareem ducked under his sword and tried slashing at Kokabiel's feet, trying to exploit the open chinks in his armor. The latter simply hopped over the sword and swung his broadsword at Kareem's head. It slammed into his helmet, sending him down to the ground immediately, his eyes unable to make out the ground in front of him.

Clenching his fists desperately, Kareem punched forward, weak flames spurting out of his fists. Laughing, Kokabiel stomped his foot on Kareem's hand, crushing his left hand. Unable to scream, he groaned as the pain spread all over his body.

"Bind him," Kokabiel said.

Kareem was barely able to hear his voice. All around him, the world had dimmed, leaving only the fading sound of his heart beating.

'Is this the end?'