The icy surface hit me suddenly, and as I plunged deeper for a second, I saw a shimmer of golden-white light.

The eyes.

I took a second to compose myself.

I blinked to wipe away the fear that had settled into my mind. I don't know why I felt afraid. I was a demon, a horribly mighty entity, an accident of the metaphysical. She was just an enchantress, a creature of the waters, nothing but a low-life compared to me.

These thoughts did little to quell the uneasiness which I felt at that moment. I delved deeper into the lake, looking around, flinching at every small sound. Then a voice came crashing into my ears, lofty and great, and terrifying as well,

"Who are you, demon?! What reason has impelled you to invade my waters?"

I winced. I was not used to being spoken to this way.

"I am Damien The Second, Rightful King of the Realm of Demons!" I spoke boldly. "Excalibur has called me. I require it, and I assure you, if the mission I need it for is accomplished and successful, I shall return it, along with a substantial amount of wealth and splendour."

I looked around. The water was dingy and dark. I could only faintly make out the outline of my hand, as I held it up in front of my eyes.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my foot and tugged slightly. I bent to look down, but I whoever it was started pulling me deeper into the pool.

"Hey!" I cried out angrily. "Release me-" I was cut off, as we had reached the bottom of the pool. I expected the Lady of the Lake to slow down and release my foot, but she still kept and iron grip, and I watched as the floor of the lake opened. I could obscurely make out the brown floor breaking away, revealing an oblivion of darkness below.

The Lady hurled me into the opening. I tried my best to swerve away, but the darkness was like a black hole, pulling me closer. I panicked.

I always panicked when I was unsure about my fate.

I entered the opening and I turned as fast as I could, but as I looked behind, the opening had shut closed.

I looked around. My visibility was even more limited here than it had been above. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my hearing. The Suit of Barca had strengthened my auditory perception, but silence was like a blanket covering the entirety of this "basement" or whatever it was.

"Hello?" I said. I could barely hear myself. "HELLO?!" I said loudly. Suddenly, a hand grabbed my neck and pushed me against what I could only imagine to be a stone wall.

The then figure illuminated itself, and The Lady of the Lake looked glaringly into my eyes.

She had pearl white skin, and her eyes were only discernible from the rest of her face, because they had a slightly yellow tinge to them. I was scarcely able to distinguish her lips. Her hair were golden, and she wore white robes. She had tender hands, but I only noticed that later, because right now they had tightly grasped my neck, and were rock solid. She would have looked beautiful, if not for the fire in her eyes, and the wrath plastered on her expression.

To be frank, I was terrified.

"Lady-" I began, but shut up swiftly, for I had felt the cold, sharp edge of a dagger press precariously against my neck. Impossibly, I could feel a bead of sweat trickled down my temple. Even in the water.

There was something seriously intimidating about this woman.

"You are lucky, vile demon, that I did not kill you as soon as you jumped into these waters! You have been spared only because it is the important belief of my kind that evil must not be destroyed, instead it must be transformed into good. I do not wish to set at naught the laws set by my ancestors, or else your cursed blood would have filled this lake to the brim!"

"O' Lady of the Lake!" I cried out, now quite concerned of how much time I had left to live in this world. "Why do you assume that my intentions are evil, and I have come only to wrought destruction on the Earth? Tell me, but do not strike your dagger, for the fate of my realm depends on me!"

She snarled. "Why should I care about such a cruel realm that is the Realm of Demons? Demons have forever haunted the other Realms. They disturb peace, create fear, and are wicked. They enjoy only wealth and splendour, and do nothing that is kind or loving or which contributes to the welfare of the other creatures."

My heart fell deeply to hear the Lady speak of my species like that. I felt betrayed somehow. What my ancestors had done, was now being blamed on me. I had done nothing as yet that was vile or menacing. I grew angry. This was not fair.

"Why do you mistake me as just another demonic villain? I am not what my forefathers were, nor will I ever be! After having been subject to the tortures of my forefathers, you have lost faith in the next generation! Look into my eyes, O' Lady of the Lake! And tell me, if you see an ounce of malevolence in my soul, I will gladly perish by your hand, for it means my quest of vengeance is all for naught!"

My wrath overcame my fear. I was no longer scared of this Lady. Who did she think I was? The only mistakes I had made in my life, were being proud and foolhardy. I was now paying for these mistakes, something she was not understanding. I was on the path of redemption.

She stared long and hard in my eyes, looking into my soul. She stayed this way for a few minutes. Suddenly, she looked away, releasing me. I gulped.

"I do not believe it. How is this possible?"

She looked towards me. Her eyes were slightly red now.

"I see nothing. You are...clean." 

I blinked. The Lady of the Lake said, "You have suffered more than I can imagine. You were first dethroned, and then stripped of all your powers. You spent five years in exile, in pain and anguish. Why did you not die? Why did you not die like him?"

"Whom do you refer to?" I asked. I moved closer.

"Your father."