Chapter Text
"Of all the women in this stupid village, they had to pick me"
Mira was muttering, but it didn't matter. No one would hear her anyway, the wind that whipped through the mountains swallowed any sound. The cold wind bit through the silks she'd been wrapped in. She wondered, not for the first time, why they'd even bothered to dress her for the part. They had draped her in bridal robes, only for the delicate embroidery to be dragged through the dirt.
Her own mother had pinned up her hair this morning, and Mira could still feel the sting in her scalp from how tightly each strand had been yanked into place.
"Represent our family well." Her mother's only advice to her. There had been no reassurance, no tears in Mira's departure. Mira was to be the bride of the demon king of the mountains, an unknown entity who lived above their village for centuries.
They called him Gwi-Ma, King of the Demons. He was said to devour the souls of lost hikers, and when too few would dare travel his lands, he would swoop down below and steal the souls from the village. The villagers believed he could be pacified - they left sacrifices at his temple near the top of the mountain so he would leave the villagers alone.
Usually it was food, livestock, gold, anything to convince the demon king to let them live their lives in peace. And for years, it had seemed to work. Mira had grown up her whole life and never known anyone whose soul was stolen by Gwi-Ma. She had heard the stories from her parents and grandparents, of course, they had all grown up hearing them.
But Mira had thought it to be a fairytale of sorts, something that kept kids from running off into the mountains and getting lost.
For a fairytale, it was feeling very real, with the cold wind chilling her and the clang from the weapons of the guards who escorted her.
Her family hadn't bothered themselves with the trip, hadn't even left their home. The guards arrived and Mira was simply taken away. Her father didn't look up when the knock came. Her brother never even looked her direction.
Only her mother watched her leave, her face cold and unfeeling. There were no tears, no signs of remorse.
Mira wondered, and not for the first time, if there had even been any consideration of any other girl, or if her parents spoke alone. She thought about if her parents had even hesitated before offering her up as the sacrifice.
Somehow, she doubted it.
Mira's thoughts continued to flood her mind, one after the other, as she continued her ascent up the mountain. Would the demon king devour her soul right away, or would he keep her around a while? Would he even recognize, or want a bride?
Mira glanced out to the sun, which seemed to be dipping earlier in the mountains. She could only stare as she watched the faintest orange streaks start to appear in the sky, the first sign night would be here soon. Was she watching the start of her last sunset?
The path narrowed as they climbed. Mira could see the rocks below, she could feel loose gravel under her shoes. One misstep would send her tumbling down the slope, silk tangling her legs, bones snapping against rock. The thought lingered.
Would it be a kinder fate than what awaited her at the summit?
Her foot hovered for half a second longer than necessary before she set it down carefully. There was no getting out of this.
She could scream, she could cry or she could try and run back down the mountain, but in the end, none of it would change her fate. They would drag her back up here, kicking and screaming if they had to.
Even if she flung herself off this mountain…then what? She'd condemn another girl to this same fate?
It wasn't much, thought Mira, but at least she would meet her end with dignity. She would save any other woman from going through this. And she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
Mira held her chin high as she continued up the mountain, carefully moving one foot in front of the other. Her village looked smaller from here - they were near the top now. Mira wondered what they would do if sending the Demon King a bride didn't help solve the problems.
Mira felt a hot flash of frustration hit her as she thought about the village below. This whole thing had happened because people couldn't just be reasonable adults and figure out a solution. People had to start throwing around sacrifices and Demon Kings and now Mira was here.
Selfishly, she hoped the Demon King would do nothing for them. That they would all live with the guilt and shame of having sentenced her to this fate when they could have worked it out.
It had been a bad harvest, which was nobody's fault. There hadn't been much rain, there had been pests. It wasn't a magical force, there were reasons for the fields to be bare.
But hunger had a funny way of turning the most reasonable people against each other. All the reasoning in the world wouldn't keep their children fed in the winter, wouldn't ensure their survival.
When times grew hard, the village turned to luck and superstitions. The chatter started among the elders in town.
“The Demon King is displeased.”
She remembered the first time she heard it, passing between market stalls. It had been said lightly, almost joking.
Then people began saying it more seriously. Rumors whipped like the winds in the mountains and soon the whole village was muttering about Gwi-Ma. Talking about how to get back into the demon king's good graces.
Mira had ignored it. Rolled her eyes, even. People always needed something to blame.
She had assumed she would be safe.
Her family’s name carried weight. She wasn't loved by them, but she had thought they had considered her useful at least. When she first heard the whispers about sending the Demon King a bride, Mira had even been grateful to her family. They were cold, but they'd keep her safe from being a sacrifice.
Gratitude was a mistake.
'It would happen during a full moon', the priests had said, and they would select a young woman and offer her to the Demon King as a bride.
Mira almost laughed at the idea of sending a demon king a bride. Why even use the pretense? Whoever they sent was just going to have their soul devoured. Why dress her in bridal silks? It was just a way of prettying someone up before their ultimate death,
And then they'd said her name.
Her family looked unconcerned. No protests, no insistence. A sick feeling settled into Mira's stomach as she watched the way none of her family would meet her eye.
They said my name… There was no other explanation to why her name, of all names, was being said. She knew that her parents had set her up for this.
She had always expected they would force her to marry young. She argued when most women deferred, she shouted and raged when she should be demure and quiet. She wasn't what her parents wanted, but she had expected them to at least match her with a human as a husband. She didn't think that would be too much to ask.
Again, she'd been wrong.
Don’t wander too far. Don’t speak too loudly. Or the Demon King will take you.
She had expected to repeat those words to her own children. She had expected her parents to find some boring farmer with lots of grain or land, or some merchant's son who could connect them to trade. If she was lucky, he'd be from somewhere faraway so Mira never had to see her family or worry about demon kings again.
A stone was sharp below her thin shoes, reminding her that her reality was here and that life no longer existed. Nothing was happening as expected.
Mira continued her ascent. They kept a small temple to the demon closer to summit. The trees had begun to thin out, the path was beginning to flatten again and as Mira crested over the last hill, she saw the Demon King's temple come into view.
She hadn't been here before. She had expected ruin, but found the place to be surprisingly maintained. Perhaps the villagers did some maintenance when they came up to bring offerings. At least the walls looked like they could shelter Mira from the wind. She would take any small relief she could get tonight.
Mira stepped inside, taking in every detail. She felt warmer almost instantly.
Near the entrance, there was a row of shallow stone basins, carved into the ground. She recognized them immediately as places where offerings would be set. But they weren’t filled with rot or mold. They were empty and clean, as if someone had collected the offerings and prepared the space for more.
If there had been livestock here, there was no sign of waste or mess. Someone cared for this space.
Despite being out of the wind, Mira felt a chill run down her spine.
The demon king is a myth. You'll stay out here tonight and…maybe you can make your way home tomorrow.
The Demon King could still be a myth. He could be real and have no interest in a bride. He could reject Mira and she would be free. Maybe there was still a way she makes it out of here.
Mira clung to the hope as she stood in the temple.
"Do we just leave her then? Are we supposed to, I don't know, tie her up so she doesn't run?"
Mira felt a flare of rage as her heard the guards discussing her, as if she wasn't there. She wanted to yell at them for even suggesting something as miserable as binding her up, that she was already freezing and her legs ached and she was very likely going to have her soul devoured at this point.
But she knew the rage wouldn't get her what she wanted. She had to stay calm, had to make them think she'd accepted her fate. If they tied her up here, and no Demon King came, she'd never be able to walk home in the morning.
Better to stay quiet, better to keep her mouth shut.
In the end, it was useless. Mira was left alone in the temple, hands bound behind her, tied to a post, all hope of escape lost.
She didn't care anymore. She sat on the floor below, waiting for her fate. She could almost hear her mother's voice in the silence, chiding her about sitting on the floor. If she was here, she would be raging at Mira about crumpling her wedding clothes, the way she'd get dirt on the white and red silks.
She wished she could think about anyone else other than her family.
The first hot tear rolled down Mira's cheek. Then another. Another, until she could no longer stop the free flow of tears down her face. What did it matter now if she cried?
All she could hope for now was that getting your soul devoured by a demon was a quick and painless process.
She didn't know how much time had past when she heard the footsteps. It wasn't quite dark, but it would be soon.
The demon king made no effort to be quiet in his approach. Mira wasn't sure why that surprised her. He walked as if he wanted to whole forest to know his presence. She heard every branch stepped on, every brush rustled.
This is it Mira swallowed, hoping her eyes weren't too red from crying. She could hear the movement outside now, any moment now, and the Demon King would be in view.
A figure stepped into her vision. The Demon King Mira thought to herself.
The Demon King was…whistling a cheerful tune? Had he even noticed her yet? Mira squinted - it was hard to make out any features in the fading light. It was really hard to discern anything…the sun was setting in a way that light was shining right behind the figure. A heavy cloak was wrapped around the demon's shoulders, with the hood pulled low. Mira couldn't see his face at all.
Did she even want to see the face of a demon king? Mira wondered if he even looked human under the cloak. He was human shaped, at least.
One thing struck Mira as strange though - the Demon King was pretty short. Mira had grown up hearing stories of a hulking figure. But this figure definitely wasn't huge - Mira would probably be much taller if she was standing. He was searching the basins up front.
The sacrifices. So the demon king was collecting their offerings. Would he know to look back here where they had left Mira tied up? Did she want him to look back here?
"Oh man, nothing at all?" The voice gave Mira pause. That wasn't the voice of a demon king. It was clearly a women's voice. Was she stealing sacrifices from the King? Did this mean the demon king wasn't real after all? Or…maybe he was real, and this girl was blatantly stealing from him?
Would Gwi-Ma devour two souls tonight?
Mira made a choice. She had to get the girl's attention and get them both out of here. If there was any chance at all that the demon king is real, Mira wanted to be as far away from his temple as possible.
Especially if she's been thieving for a while…I wouldn't want to face an angry demon king.
"Hey! Hey can you please help me?" Mira called out. The other woman startled, Mira could see her jump up as she whirled around.
"Oh my gosh, you scared me, I thought I was alone out here." The woman was walking towards Mira, pushing back her hood. For the first time, Mira saw her face. She was young, probably close to Mira's age, with black hair and friendly brown eyes. Mira noticed a small dusting of freckles on her nose. Clearly her mother hadn't insisted she stay out of the sun, like Mira's did.
Mira shook the thought of her mother out of her head. Her mother had condemned her to this fate, she needed to focus on the woman who might be able to save her from it.
"Wait, are you okay? Are you…tied up there?" The woman was working her way over quickly now, as she noticed Mira's predicament. She began to fumble and tug at the ropes. "Ooh these are a bit tight, but it's all right, I'll get you out. I'm Zoey, by the way. Who are you? How did you get here?"
"Mira. And please hurry, I don't want the Demon King to get here." Mira softly pleaded.
Zoey's face scrunched up like she was thinking something, or maybe she was about to laugh. "The…Demon King?"
Mira's heart was pounding. How did Zoey not know the demon king of the mountain? She didn't look familiar, so Mira knew she wasn't from their village. Was there another one nearby? Perhaps they didn't know the legend?
"Yes, the Demon King of the mountains," Mira said impatiently, "I've been sent here to be his sacrificial bride and I'm really hoping you're here to help me escape."
Zoey made a noise, somewhere between a snort and cough. Was she laughing at Mira? Mira didn't want to argue or press at it, especially since Zoey did seem like she was going to help her out. She had started tugging at the ropes that were binding Mira.
"Okay, I'm going to have to cut these I think. Hold on, I brought a knife, I just left it by the entrance. I was told that sometimes they leave livestock and things, and you gotta be ready, you know?" Zoey's voice was still too chipper for Mira's liking, and her movements too loud.
And how did she know other sacrifices had been left here? It obviously wasn't her first time breaking in. Maybe there was a reason Zoey felt so confident? Mira watched Zoey head back up towards the entrance, wondering how many times she'd been here before.
She was startled out of her thoughts by a loud clatter as Zoey dropped something on the stone floor, the noise echoing loudly in the night.
"Oops!" Zoey's voice rang out with a light laugh. She was going to attract everything in the forest at this rate. She was back to whistling a little song by the time she reached Mira again.
"Got it!" Zoey wiggled the knife for Mira to see, "Now let's get you out of here." Zoey knelt down and began to tug and cut away the ropes.
"Thank you, but you try and keep it down? I'd like to sneak out quietly before the demon king gets here."
Zoey giggled again - why did she keep laughing like that?
"Oh don't worry. I already know the demon king is busy tonight."
Mira felt her stomach drop. How on earth could this Zoey woman know the demon king was busy? "You— you know the demon king?" Mira's voice stuttered as she spoke.
"Sure do! In fact, I think you should come meet the demon king too. Ooh, got through the first layer of rope."
"I think I'll just…head back down the mountain to my village actually." Mira's heartbeat was beginning to pound in her chest, and her skin was feeling warm. Zoey had seemed so warm and friendly, but was she working for the demon king?
"And this is a wrap Miss Mira, you are out of those ropes!" Zoey was grinning from ear to ear now as she gently rubbed Mira's wrists. "Ugh, they tied you up with no care at all. I have some salve for those raw areas where the rope rubbed. I'll get you some when we get there." Zoey stood up to her feet and offered Mira her hand.
"Zoey, I don't want to be a demon king's bride. Please take me home instead." Mira was desperate now, as another tear slipped down her face.
"Mira…the demon king needs to meet you. You're the bride! You know your village won't let you just return. So, come with me. No one will harm you tonight, I promise."
Mira felt sick as Zoey helped her to her feet. She had no idea if she could trust Zoey or not, but Zoey did make a point. She couldn't just return home. It wouldn't even be safe to navigate down. And somewhere between this path and the mountains, surely the guards had made camp. If she miraculously made it down without losing the path, no doubt the guards would catch her and bring her right back here.
Mira supposed escaping her fate had never really been an option. Zoey was probably leading her to her death, but she had promised Mira would be safe.
Tonight. The word echoed in Mira's mind.
She had no choice but to follow Zoey. It had gotten dark, and she had the only light source.
You'll be safe tonight Mira repeated the words like a mantra in her head Zoey has somehow survived this time with Gwi-Ma. Maybe I can too.
Mira realized as they walked there's no way the demon king wouldn't have known Zoey was in his territory. She had never been around someone who walked quite this loud. Zoey seemed to step on every branch, she would hum little songs, or make little noises. The demon king could be clear across the forest and he would still know Zoey was here.
At least it made Zoey easy to follow. It was dark now and the little light Zoey was holding was the only thing Mira could see in the dark. Whether she was making the right choice or not, there was nothing left to do but follow Zoey.
"Oh? Maybe the Demon King is back after all." Zoey's voice was light but it sent a feeling of dread all through Mira's body now. A house was coming into view, its soft light beginning to illuminate the dark around them. Mira thought she could even see another person, shuffling around inside the house.
Zoey was strolling up confidently, and Mira stayed close to her.
Something Zoey has said to the demon king has kept her alive. She survived this and you can too.
Mira could do this.
She steeled her nerves as they entered the demon kings house.
Zoey didn't quiet down when they entered the house. If anything, her energy and enthusiasm were growing and she was making more noise then ever. Mira hadn't even known it was possible to open a door loudly, but somehow, Zoey managed.
"OH MIGHTY DEMON KING, I HAVE BROUGHT YOUR BRIDE!" Zoey was yelling now, but there was a giggle in her voice.
Mira wondered why she hadn't thought of the possibility before, that maybe Zoey was only still alive because she'd promised the Demon King she'd find a replacement. Maybe Zoey was so happy and enthusiastic to help Mira because now she wasn't the sacrifice.
Mira thought she heard someone groaning, and there was a sound of footsteps approaching. Despite the warmth of the home, Mira felt cold all over again. She tried to will her body to stay still, to look calm, but she could feel herself trembling.
The door swung open. Mira closed her eyes tight.
This is it.
Mira swallowed and with all her courage, she slowly opened her eyes. She saw the demon king's arms first, the way his slender hands and long fingers formed sharpened claws. His skin was pale, with a delicate iridescent pattern zigzagging up his arms. A long purple braid swung out behind him.
Mira looked up to see his face— "Oh!" For the second time tonight, Mira was startled to see a young woman's face. The demon king wasn't a king at all. She was a demon queen. Her eyes were a soft brown, though when she stepped into the light, they reflected with a golden hue. The tiger striped patterns were on her face and neck too. She wasn't human, that was for certain.
But she didn't seem dangerous either. If anything, she was looking at Mira with a concern on her face. Then suddenly her expression changed, from concern to clear annoyance as she turned towards Zoey.
"Zoey! You didn't tell her? Look at her, she's cold and you've got her scared half to death!" The demon was scolding Zoey, who had dissolved into laughter.
"I'm sorrryyy, I know it was a little bit of a mean prank, but she's fine, see? Tell her you're fine Mira, please? I'm sorry!" Zoey looked over at Mira and stuck out her lower lip, fluttering her eyelashes at Mira.
Mira couldn't even fathom a response to Zoey's pouting, puppy dog face. Any words were lost in her throat as she tried to take in the situation around her. She stared at Zoey, frozen in her spot.
"Zoey, go grab some extra bedding stuff, and see if we have any extra clothes for her. Check the room on the back left hall" The demon was speaking again, looking Mira up and down, "You're tall, but I think one of my moms was tall like you. She won't mind if we borrow a few things to get you comfortable." The demon was shaking her head, "And you walked all the way up here in that? Poor thing, your legs must be killing you. Come sit down."
The demon was gesturing towards Mira, but Mira still felt frozen to the ground.
"I don't understand what's happening." She finally was able to whisper out. She wasn't even sure the demon would be able to hear her.
But the demon must have sensitive hearing because she reacted to Mira's words right away. "Listen, it's a long story, but I can promise, you are safe here in my home."
Mira swallowed, looking around her for the first time. There was a warm firepit nearby, she could smell food cooking. She could hear Zoey rustling around down the hall. For the first time since her name had been called, Mira felt herself start to relax a little. The tension eased from her shoulders and she felt her heartbeat start to slow.
"Who…are you?" Mira asked, looking back at the demon woman before her.
The demon smiled, and Mira noticed the tiniest fangs poking out as she did. "My name is Rumi. I'm the demon of these mountains now."
Before Mira could respond, Zoey came thundering back into the room, her arms full of bedding and clothes.
"Yes! Isn't it awesome, Mira?! She's the new demon queen and we are totally gonna be her brides!"