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Jellen watched his fortress in the human territories burn. He could hear the screams of the sorcerers who had served him for decades, and he smiled into the warmth of the blaze. He had brought only a handful of sorcerers with him to the Northern Mountains, and now he regretted their escape from his petty revenge against the dark lord. Naturally, he would say the humans had done it, enacted revenge, and the dark lord wouldn't believe him, but would have no proof otherwise.
A new commander would be appointed to the human territories, and Jellen would be free to do as he pleased. He waited outside of his fortress for a time, killing any who escaped the fire. He varied their deaths, even throwing in some human magics like wizardry just to leave enough evidence that it could have been the rebellion. He even killed a few with crude, physical weapons. When he was sure none survived, he traveled to his most comfortable fortress in the Fourth Realm.
Lindimood was waiting by the large doors, and the demon applauded when he saw the amalgamer. "Ugly piece of work, killing your men like that," he commended with a grin.
Jellen ignored him, pushing open the fortress doors and striding into the building.
"Why?" Lindimood asked, following after as if he'd been invited in.
"That era of my life is over," Jellen answered calmly. "It is playing out its final death throes."
"Poetic," Lindimood observed.
"I have no use for that place or those mortals, and that building was stained with too many unpleasant memories."
Lindimood laughed, and Jellen glanced over at him with a frown. "You're finally breaking up with the dark lord," the demon said, applauding dramatically.
"Stop," Jellen snapped.
"So you've finally realized that cowering under him won't help you get the orb back?" Lindimood grinned.
"There is still the final act," Jellen said with a faint smile. "I only need to play the servant for a little longer. I only need to look for the right opportunity, when I will be a better weapon than that boy. I have realized that it is a matter of leverage. When I am more useful than him, I can kill him, and the orb will not stop me."
Lindimood raised a brow. "You speak as though the orb commands you, and not the other way around."
Jellen scoffed, but he realized he had revealed too much to the demon. "Don't be absurd. And get out of my fortress."
Lindimood ignored the command. He followed Jellen into the lower spellcasting chamber where Jellen had created replicas of his body, vessels for his soul that would be more powerful than the body he had been born with.
"Not till you explain about the orb," Lindimood said, his tone dark with suspicion. "You lost it to the prince. I'd thought he took it, but it left you, didn't it?"
Jellen glared at Lindimood. "I do not answer to you, demon."
Lindimood crossed his arms. "I'm not an idiot, Jellen. Without that orb, you're more than useless to me . . . You're a liability."
Jellen scoffed. "My spellcraft is more refined and varied than yours will ever be, Lindimood. You need me if you plan to take on your father. Orb or not, I am your greatest ally. Don't forget that."
Lindimood let out a slow huff. "I'm going to pretend that I don't know what I just learned. You will get the orb back before I remember how weak you are without it."