"I do not understand this matter of the Demon King," Julina said, frowning. "Until recently I was unconvinced that he was any more than an ancient myth. That said, everything we know of Demons tells us that they must be summoned from the Underworld, yet the Demon King, by all accounts, is wholly immune, if not beyond the power of Wizards and other wielders of the magic arts. And if the Demon King is King of the Underworld, as you have said, why is it that his minions can be

summoned for purposes other than His own?"

"The true nature of the Demon King is and remains a mystery," Nylandor replied. "It is said that only Morlock has ever seen Him. Many believe that the evil wizard summoned Him . . . that there were no demons in the ancient days. But even in the most ancient of times, there was knowledge of Demons, and of the Demon King. There are inscriptions and illustrations in the ruins of Morag. I have seen them. As for summoning Demons, that may be accomplished by anyone who possesses sufficient might. They do not serve the Demon King, any more than they serve Morlock, and he is capable of binding only a few to his will at any given time.

"At present, all we know for certain is this: either the Demon King is the great and powerful danger Himself in the east, or else he represents that evil. Whether or no, that is where the killing blow to the Four Kingdoms will come from. The city of Lund was built to resist that evil, and now, because Morlock, too, has resurfaced and become a power once again, an eventuality we hadn't foreseen, we find that Lund, our greatest achievement, may be in vain."




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