[Short Story] The Throne of Ash
The obsidian hall swallowed the sound of their boots. Four of them walked the black mirror floor, and the fifth—the Hero, blade drawn, jaw set—led them past the pillars carved with screaming faces. Torches burned green along the walls, and the air tasted of copper and old smoke. The Demon King sat on a throne of fused bone, one cheek propped on his fist, watching them come with the patience of something that had watched a thousand such processions. His horns swept back in twin crescents, black as the floor. His eyes were embers. The Hero raised his sword. "In the name of the Goddess, I—" "Let me save you the speech." The Demon King's voice rolled through the hall like distant thunder. He did not rise. "You've come to kill me. You've brought your priestess, your elf, your knight, your mage. And you believe that because you are the Hero, this will end differently than it always does." The Saintess stepped forward, her staff glowing white. "...