– Hail Derek, King of Kaldwind!

– Lead us, our king!

– Let the demons bite their elbows! And may they bite them off!

From all sides came the cheers of battle-weary but happy human warriors: they had won, which meant they would soon turn back to their families and be richly rewarded, as their king had promised them, and they believed him as themselves, as God.

– And now, my warriors, find yourselves a place to sleep! And for that, you have a whole palace before you! Eat! Drink! Have fun! But don't get so drunk that you give your enemies a chance to kill you! I will take one of the servants' bedrooms, Rossi will be locked in their quarters, and you will choose any place you like!

Instead of answering, the warriors hammered their swords loudly against their iron shields, making so much noise that King Derek himself cringed and raised his hand to signal them to stop.

– Take whatever you can find! Gold! Fabric! Stones! But no fighting and no squabbling! And one more thing: All demons in the city and in the palace are now under my protection! That means no rape and no killing! Anyone who violates this order will be executed by me personally!

– Unfair!

– Just this once!

– King, this order is too harsh! – The warriors wailed sadly, already anticipating how they would find a demoness each and make them do what they ordered, without violence.

– This is an order! – loudly, in a voice full of steel, repeated the king. – Now to the wine cellars! Bergil! Leave the guard!

– As you say, my King! – The chief of the guard eagerly responded. – Now, that's what I understand. But to deprive our soldiers of female affection?

– That order applies to you and to me," Derek told him grimly. – We are not beasts to rape and kill those who ask for peace.

– Do you know what I think, Your Majesty? You're too noble, and the damned demons don't deserve your kindness at all! – Bergil grumbled, but he dared not disobey, even though he wanted to catch a lush demoness in his arms.

Bergil was not a stranger to violence, but Derek shunned it: he preferred making love to raping women, and he recognized only consent, not the use of his power. Besides, there were many women in his kingdom who wanted to be in his bed: despite the fact that his mother was considered a sorceress who had intercourse with the Devil, Derek was a king after all and was generous with gifts to his mistresses.

Derek smiled crookedly at Bergil and ordered him to give his warriors a decent rest and a place to sleep. And the warriors, looking around in surprise and interest, began to enter the front door of the huge palace of demons, the heart of Flammehav, surrounded by a scattering of red mist. The inhabitants of the palace did not meet their enemies: they hid whoever they could, fearing the wrath and violence that the other inhabitants of the kingdom had faced earlier.

"Everything about these damned brats seems to be covered in blood: they love the color of blood! They even named their palace Blutoke! Blood mist!" – The king thought contemptuously as he scrutinized the tall palace of the demons, which seemed to be trying to tear apart with its tall, sharp spires.

This building was a majestic, ornate structure made of red stone and iron, its silhouettes illuminated by the gold that adorned it. Gold was everywhere, and this excessive luxury further alienated the race of demons from the king of men, who was used to the calm and icy lights of his own palace in the capital city of Kaldwind. Blutoke's demon palace screamed and flaunted its vulgar opulence, reminding Derek of one of the great brothels of Sturfjel, his capital, whose walls and floors were also covered in a screaming scarlet velvet, the color of vice and temptation. Derek knew from the merchants of Kaldwind what orgies and debauchery were going on in the palace of the great Lamar, but he rightly considered himself, who had deprived dozens of virgins in his kingdom of their innocence, not entitled to mock the fact. For, as the king admitted to himself, he was no better than the demons in this respect.