The demons in the Dark Order were powerful and well known throughout the entire empire. Each of them had enough strength to destroy small cities and towns. They ranged from the weakest marked 'XX' to the strongest marked 'I'. Xaidon never, even in his dreams, thought he would encounter one, and now as they headed toward the organization, he still didn't believe he would meet one. He was going to a branch, not the main headquarters. Yet, fate seemed to annoy him, as it suddenly brought a demon right in front of him. Not just any demon, but number eleven. He looked at the man before him and then at his companions. There was no way out, so they had to fight or die. Actually, dying was probably inevitable either way.
"So, who wants to die first?" the man said with a smile. Xaidon cursed his luck once more. Peter immediately stepped forward and said, "My lord, please wait. We are travelers seeking to join the Dark Order, and that's why we're here."
The man studied him for a moment before sighing. "Fine, I won't kill you. You can join."
Xaidon was surprised by this. It was much easier and less bloody than he expected. Then the man smiled. "Actually, I am looking for subordinates. My last ones met an unfortunate end."
Xaidon suddenly paled. 'I knew this wouldn't end well.'
"Now, how should I test if you're good enough?" the man said, holding his chin. Suddenly, an arrow shot toward him. He caught it before it could reach him and raised an eyebrow. Glancing past Peter, he saw a girl with silver hair.
"What if we defeat you?" she challenged.
Suddenly, a sword strike came toward his neck. He easily sidestepped and looked at Xaidon. Xaidon didn't falter and attacked. The man kept avoiding every strike easily, with half-closed eyes. He didn't draw any weapons but simply dodged every attack. Then, Xaidon jumped back as three arrows shot toward the man. He caught each one with his hands. A burst of flames then flew toward him. He looked at the flames with curiosity and confusion. The flames suddenly exploded outward, engulfing him.
Peter watched the flames burn, and Xaidon appeared beside him, surprised. Before they could say anything, they heard a voice from the flames. "That's a surprise. I never expected one of you to be able to use magic."
A second later, the flames dispersed. The man stood there unscathed, smiling and taking a step forward. Xaidon panicked and charged at him sword drawn. Suddenly, he saw a palm strike him, and then felt the force of it. He was smashed to the ground. That was the last thing Xaidon remembered.
*****
In a dark room, Xaidon slowly opened his eyes. Surprisingly, he didn't feel any pain and sat up. Confused, he looked around when he heard a voice. "You're finally awake, that's good."
Turning his head, he saw Peter sitting on a chair, with Skylar looking out the window.
Xaidon studied them for a moment before asking, "We're not dead?"
Peter chuckled slightly before replying, "What makes you think we wouldn't have escaped?"
Xaidon frowned and said seriously, "The moment he knocked me out, I knew you wouldn't survive."
Peter looked at him in disbelief, shaking his head slowly. "He brought us to the base. After knocking you out and realizing he'd have to carry all three bodies, he left us to carry yours."
Xaidon thought for a moment and sighed in relief. He examined the room, noticing its large size. There was another bed beside him. Then the door opened, and a man entered—number eleven of the Dark Order demons. He observed them for a moment before moving to a corner seat.
"Any questions?" he asked with a smile.
"Did we prove ourselves?" Peter asked. The man simply nodded. This eased Xaidon's nerves.
"So, we're strong enough to be your subordinates?" Xaidon asked.
The man laughed. "Hell no. My previous subordinates would destroy you and use you as toothpicks." He paused. "But I like your spirit."
The room fell silent until he stood up. "From now on, you will call me Master Eleven or just Master. Do I make myself clear?"
The three nodded and stood. Eleven smiled and motioned for them to follow him. They left the room and walked out of the large mansion. The base was hidden inside a forest, enclosed by a wall. It wasn't very large, but the buildings that were there were massive and impressive. Many people were walking around. Eleven led them to a smaller house at the edge of the base. Inside, it looked like a normal house. They continued through until reaching an underground tunnel behind the house. Xaidon's heart skipped a beat, but he kept following. They reached the end, discovering it was an underground training area.
Eleven watched them for a moment before smiling again. "First, each of you will attack me alone, so I can figure out how to train you."
And so, they began. Skylar was the first to attack with her bow and dagger. After a few minutes, she was taken down. Next was Xaidon, who tried to read Eleven's movements by watching his feet but couldn't tell how he moved. He was also defeated. Peter made contact and managed to produce a fireball, but it didn't travel far. Eleven then ordered them to attack him simultaneously, which they did. This process continued until nightfall, with each of them getting beaten black and blue. They were then sent to rest in their rooms at the mansion. Xaidon and Peter shared a room, while Skylar had her own. Not huge, but it was private.
As Xaidon and Peter lay on their beds, reflecting on their progress and how close they felt to their mission, Peter spoke.
"How long do you think it will take?"
Xaidon glanced at him. "How long do you think it will take for us to get strong enough?"
Xaidon paused, then said seriously, "Dark Order is a very cruel organization, and they don't care much about their people's lives. They send us on dangerous missions." He paused. "If we keep working together, I believe we can face any challenge and become stronger than we imagine. And with that useless master of ours, we'll at least gain some benefits. So, to answer your question, not too long… I hope."
Peter smiled and soon fell asleep. Xaidon slowly closed his eyes as he also drifted off.