– I was sent to you by my king, the Lord of the mighty Flammehav Lamar! – ignoring the shouting of his guide, the demon continued his speech.

– How dare you address His Majesty in the first name? – Bergil roared, but Derek only grinned at the insolence and made a hand sign to his friend to keep his temper down.

– King Lamar is interested in my humble person? – Derek laughed softly. – What have I done to deserve this honor?

– Soon your people will be slaughtered, your cities will be reduced to ashes, and your despicable kingdom will have no fertile land left, not even ruins, and its memory will be wiped from the face of Wakkerland! – The envoy spoke in a contemptuous, but even somewhat solemn tone, moving closer and closer to the throne of the king.

– Interesting! Go on! – Derek liked this performance.

– We demons will drink the blood of your children and rape your women!

– What grand plans! – the king said mockingly. – What is it about my kingdom that displeases your king?

– You killed his brother a month ago, and he will not forgive you for that. He will avenge the death of Daryal Rossi, and believe me, you wretched man, your puny mind cannot imagine the fate of your lands! – The demon grinned predatorily.

– Why not? You just intimidated me, and in great detail," Derek said mockingly. – So the poor murderer we executed a month ago was King Flammehav's brother? What an interesting coincidence!

"By the Almighty! What have we done!" – Bergil's mind was filled with flames, darkness and rivers of blood, while the screams of women and children rang in his ears.

The demon squinted his eyes: this wretched little man had the audacity to mock the fact that he had killed Daryal Rossi, and the picture of horror that he, Lamar's messenger, had taken such pleasure in painting for him?

– You and your people will pay for this murder! – he shouted angrily.

– Oh, I would love to see it," Derek replied calmly, and rising from his throne he drew his sword and strode toward the envoy as he watched him approach with a wry grin.

– Your people already hate you, imagine what will happen when they find out that it was you who condemned them to horror and death? – The demon asked in a mocking tone. – And the horror and death will come so soon and so suddenly that nothing will save you miserable creatures! But you won't see it, because your death has caught up with you now! – He thrust his hand forward to telekinesis his own sword out of the king's hands and cut off his master's head with it.

But Derek only laughed and came closer and closer.

Bergil did not laugh, but he was in no hurry to leap at the demon and kill him. He knew Derek was in no danger.

– You're relying on your devil magic, aren't you? – grinned the king. – Come on, try again!

Surprised by his failure, the demon did not hesitate and wanted to send a fireball at his opponent, but not even smoke came out of his palm.

– What is this curse? – he muttered, confused and not knowing what was going on. Where's the magic gone?

– I see you're surprised," the king said mockingly, coming closer and closer, and this time the demon didn't try to use his magic again, but deftly pulled a long, thin dagger from the sleeve of his coat.

– Stay back, you miserable brat! – The messenger hissed threateningly and slowly backed toward the door. He was stunned, but realized that, unable to use magic, he was in mortal danger.

– What was it? Is an all-powerful demon afraid of a pitiful human? So King Lamar sent one of his kin to kill me in revenge for the death of his criminal brother? – Derek asked with a raised eyebrow.