Two Brothers

by Phoenix Grey

  You have received the following item:

  Cursed Pendant of Transformation

  Defense: +1

  Type: Jewelry

  Durability: 10/10

  Item Class: Extremely Rare

  Quality: Epic

  Weight: 0 kg

  Traits: Can cast Transform, allowing the wearer to transform into any creature of equal or lesser level. This item is soulbound and cannot be traded or discarded once equipped.

  "Enjoy the gift," the demon hissed into his ear. "And remember our deal."

  And like that, Uden was left standing in the forest completely alone. It was as if the demon had vanished into thin air. The half-imp no longer sensed his presence, though the evil within him lingered. Feeling a bit foolish for doing so, Uden scanned the trees around him, but the demon was nowhere to be seen.

  A teleportation spell? He wondered. Or perhaps an illusion had activated the second he had picked up the pendant. Demons were known for having strong illusion magic.

  The half-imp reached for his throat to see if what he had just experienced was even real. The pendant hung there, the stone cold against his skin. In vain, he tried to take it off. Soulbound items stayed with the wearer for life or until the item's durability expired. There was no getting rid of them otherwise. He could only hope that once the durability of the item had worn out, it would disappear and he'd be free from the demon's clutches, but that would require using it, and Uden knew that each use would connect him more and more to the demon. Each use would enhance the evil already within him.

  "Well fuck," he drawled, tucking the pendant into the front of his tunic.

  The vision flashed forward. Azure somehow knew it hadn't gone very far. Maybe a day, at most.

  Uden was watching a small group of goblins sitting around a campfire. He stayed close to the camp, listening in on their conversation. When the scout that was supposed to survey the land around his parents' farm left, he followed behind, disposing of the goblin once it was out of earshot of the camp like a silent ninja.

  Defeated Level 5 Goblin Scout. 30XP rewarded.

  I can use the pendant to transform into this goblin and keep the others away from the farm. That would be the easiest course of action to take. I need to use the pendant to get rid of it anyway.

  And that was exactly what he did. Transforming into the goblin scout, Uden waited for several hours and then returned to the camp to tell the other goblins that the farmers in the area were too poor to be worth raiding. For the next few days, he traveled with the goblins, enjoying their debauchery but keeping to himself otherwise so as not to come off as too suspicious. Not that any of them were smart enough to figure out the ruse.

  A larger band of goblins joined up with them to perform the main raid. When they all headed to Cragbell together, Uden made sure to point them in Bronna's direction to be used as a sacrifice to the demon. He hated the bitch, and what better way to get rid of her than when he was unabashedly embracing his evil side. As long as he wasn't the one to slit her throat, he didn't need to feel much guilt over her death. After all, if it weren't for her, none of this would have happened in the first place. She deserved what was coming to her.

  Knowing that he had to return to his own life soon and come up with a convenient lie as to his latency in getting back, Uden allowed himself to get injured during his melee with the people of Cragbell, making sure to take on foes that were a much lower level so that he was in no real danger. And also making sure not to kill anyone. Once he'd accomplished his goal of getting believably injured, Uden sneaked off from the fight and headed home, finally transforming back into himself when he was but a quarter mile away.

  Being a goblin wasn't so bad, he thought, feeling only slightly ashamed for some of the more unsettling things that he had taken part in. If they weren't such a stupid species, he might have been inclined to join them forever.

  The scene changed again. This time, Uden was with Azure after their argument about walking in circles. It was strange for Azure to see himself through someone else's eyes, especially since it was his avatar and not what he looked like in real life. It almost didn't seem like him at all.

  The half-imp was panicking internally. The plan had been to procrastinate for as long as possible, then spend a bit of time meandering around before deciding that The Dark One couldn't be found. This was the point where he was supposed to live up to his part of the deal―to make sure that the demon's location wasn't discovered by his companions. It might have worked if Azure hadn't been so damned adamant that they continue searching. Even worse, he had underestimated the human's powers of observation. Once Azure had found the footprints, it was hard to argue.

  There had never been any runes or an enchantment, just Uden leading them both on a winding circular path that ended up nowhere. With that plan ruined, the half-imp had to come up with something else to ensure that they'd never reach the demon's lair. The darkness within him had grown since using the pendant for the first time. He had fought many moral battles, and sheer desperation was beginning to make it easier for him to land on the bad side of the coin. They were too close to finding the demon for comfort. Something drastic needed to be done.

  If Uden returned without Azure and told Lonnell that he had been slain by goblins, then that would put an end to their quest. There was no way that Lonnell would risk continuing the search for The Dark One if it were just the two of them. As life on the island became progressively worse, they'd have no choice but to leave. Everything would be as the demon had promised.

  Guilt filled Uden as he split off from Azure and used the pendant once more to transform into a goblin and alert the others of Azure's presence. The human was alone and vulnerable and would be no match against the higher level goblins.

  With that done, he returned home to protect his family. Azure would undoubtedly be used as a sacrifice to bolster the demon's strength. Soon, it would have the power to take over the entire island. Hopefully, Uden would be able to convince his family to leave before then.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  THE REALM – Day 31

  The vision faded away. It was like staring at the sun for too long. There was a brightness, though the light was more green than white, and as Azure's eyes began to adjust, he was back in the room with Lonnell at his side. Uden was still pressed against the altar, his head hung low in shame, his hair obscuring his face.

  “Oh Uden,” Lonnell said in disappointment. “You should have told us.”

  “I'm guessing the cook from the camp was the same one at the settlement then. You neglected to show that tidbit.” Azure sneered at the demon. There had been a lot left out about the half-imp's betrayals, he thought. He would have liked to have seen it all so that his anger could be fully fueled. At this point, he wasn't sure who he wanted to kill more, the demon or Uden.

  “None of that matters now,” the half-imp said softly. “This is the end.”

  The Dark One removed his hand from the back of Uden's neck. When he looked up, the green of his irises had bled into his scleras. Now a solid color, his eyes glowed the same bright shade of green as the pendant around his neck.

  “Oh shit, he's going to attack,” Azure warned as he watched Uden reach for his daggers.

  Both Azure and Lonnell had their weapons drawn before the half-imp was able to make it to them, despite him leaping over the altar to get to them faster.

  “I've got this. You take care of the demon,” Lonnell told Azure as he blocked the first incoming attack with his staff.

  Azure wasn't convinced. He knew that the half-imp was prone to using backhanded battle tactics—tactics that Lonnell wouldn't even think of resorting to. They were all now the same level. Maybe together, he and Lonnell would have a chance.

  “You can't fight him alone,” Azure insisted, turning to engage Uden as well.

  “He's my brother. I'll handle this,” Lonnell growled irritably as he pushed Uden back.

  Lonnell probably thinks I would kill Uden, Azure
thought. He might be right. More than likely, he's going to try to knock Uden unconscious. Is he even salvageable?

  Azure remembered his battle with the dark sprites. This was another moral dilemma. Killing Uden was obviously the easier path to take but was it the right one.

  Deciding to trust Lonnell, Azure turned his attention to the demon. Now at a distance, it was the perfect opportunity to use the imbued arrows that the Tree Queen had given him. Azure drew his bow and nocked. The arrow sailed straight and true, landing in the dead center of the demon's chest. A white burst of light was accompanied by a hellish roar, and when the light faded away, there was a small crater of flesh missing. Dark matter wove together to repair the wound, reminding Azure that he should have gone for a headshot instead.

  "Fuck my memory," he seethed under his breath, knowing that he'd have to get in close to finish The Dark One off. Unless the light magic within the arrows could explode the demon's head, he would have to switch to his sword to cut off its horns. It couldn't hurt to try with the bow first, though.

  By the time he nocked another arrow, the demon was already moving around the altar. It sunk down to take cover behind it, though it wasn't long before it came into his view again, proceeding against the wall to where Uden and Lonnell were engaged in melee.

  Azure followed it with his bow, loosing another arrow. A quick burst of speed made the demon flash a foot forward, causing the shot to miss. Light filled the room as the arrow exploded and splintered into nothing.

  Do I have enough time for one more shot, Azure wondered as he drew another arrow from his quiver. The Dark One was quickly approaching his destination, but Azure wasn't sure if it was to join Uden in his fight against Lonnell or to take cover behind them. More than likely, it was the first of the two. The demon Analyzed as orange, so one good swipe should be enough to do the older brother in. Azure needed to act fast.

  Desperately, he loosed one more arrow, but his aim was unsteady, and he missed again, though he nearly hit Uden instead when he stepped back to gain momentum for his next attack. Cursing himself for wasting so many of his imbued arrows, Azure quickly put away his bow and unsheathed his sword, rushing in to join the battle.

  The Dark One had slipped behind Uden and Lonnell. As Azure circled around the other side of them, he was caught off-guard by a spin attack. Uden made like he was going to charge forward at Lonnell, gripping his dagger for a backhanded strike, then he rotated around, driving the point into the demon's throat, pulling out, and dashing away just as quickly.

  Startled by the momentary loss of its grip over the half-imp, the demon clutched at its throat. Azure took advantage, charging in and swiping down with his blade. The blow cleaved through the creature's shoulder, the tip of the sword carving down the side of its cheek. Oddly, there was no blood, just dried up muscle and sinew that magically began to fuse together the very second that Azure drew back his blade.

  He almost made a triumphant comment that the demon's spell on Uden had been broken, but then he saw the two brother's fighting again. What had gotten into the half-imp? His eyes were still glowing green with his possession. Was he trying to kill them all?

  "I guess it's back to just you and me," he told The Dark One as he swung his blade at an arch, angling it straight for the demon's horns.

  It easily dodged, ducking under Azure's sword, and then using another quick burst of speed to move to the side. Azure didn't realize that it was going for an attack until it was too late. With claws outstretched, The Dark One lunged towards Lonnell's blind side. He was so preoccupied with keeping his brother at bay that he never even saw it coming. But Uden did.

  Lonnell went tumbling to the ground from the shove. And for a moment after, everything was quiet and still. Azure froze, watching the scene play out in front of him, wondering if he had imagined what he had just seen―if this was all just another illusion. It was hard to make sense of anything after what they'd all been through.

  Uden's cough sounded deafening in the silence of the room, the only other noises that of Azure's and Lonnell's heavy breathing. A wet squelching sound followed. The green light faded from the half-imp's eyes, his scleras sucking back in until everything left was just him. Blood dripped onto the dirt, the droplets big and heavy.

  Sickeningly, Azure thought of the prompt Critical hit and the voice from an archaic fighting video game saying "Fatality."

  Lonnell was trembling on the floor, his eyes wide and glistening, his mouth agape.

  Weakly, Uden clutched onto the demon's arm, an arm that had gone straight through him like a knife slicing through butter. He looked over at Azure and choked out the words, “Kill him.”

  There was no hesitation. Azure raised his sword high above his head. The demon saw their move, but despite all his pain, Uden wasn't letting go. The blade went down, hitting the thick, dark keratin that was infused with the blood of The Dark One's victims. There was a spark and a feeling of resistance, as if the demon was trying to will the horns to stay attached. But Azure's resolve was stronger. So many emotions were going through him that he probably wouldn't have noticed if he drained all of his stamina to get the job done. He yelled at the top of his lungs as he used every fiber of muscle in his body to cleave the horns. Despite their resistance, they parted from the demon with a sickening crack, blowing him back against the dungeon wall, a string of blood following his clawed hand.

  Lonnell got to Uden just before he hit the floor, cradling him in his arms. Azure stood there stunned, barely even noticing the prompt that flashed before his eyes.

  Critical hit! Defeated Level 10 Lesser Demon. 100XP rewarded.

  All of the joy was taken out of the defeat by his sense of loss. He knelt by his comrade's side, looking desperately at Lonnell. “We need to give him as many healing potions as we can.”

  "It's too late," Uden coughed. "My health is at zero. I am done."

  "Then how are you still able to speak?" Azure's thoughts bounced from one thing to another. "There has to be a Resurrection potion or some powerful witch that can make you better."

  The half-imp chuckled weakly. “I thought you would have figured it out by now. This isn't a game. People don't,” he winced through the pain, “come back when they die.”

  "Hush now, brother. Everything will be all right. You'll be all right," Lonnell told him, though it was apparent by the tears flowing freely down his face that things would not, in fact, be all right for Uden.

  "Ah, they were right about me. I'm evil to the core," he ignored his brother's words. "I deserved this for everything I've done."

  "That's not true." Lonnell shook his head.

  "Just so you're not forever wondering, you were right, Azure. I spared the cook because it wasn't a fighter, and it had a son." The half-imp turned his attention back to his brother. His breathing was labored, and his eyes were beginning to unfocus. "Tell father that I'm sorry I wasn't a better..." his voice trailed off as his last breath left him and his eyes stilled.

  "No," Lonnell sobbed, repeating the word over and over again as he clutched his brother's body to his chest. A desperate wail left him in his grief, and all Azure could do was stand there and watch, not knowing what to do, processing everything that had just happened.

  This was the first time he'd ever seen a monster one hit kill...one of his friends. He naively hadn't even thought it possible. Everything had gone so smoothly for them up until this point. There was no way this was real?

  "It's an illusion," he mumbled. "Another vision. The demon is trying to throw us off." But even as he said it, he knew it wasn't true. There was a palpable clarity to everything around them. No loss of function or confusion. The smell of blood was thick in the air.

  Azure's jaw clenched. He could feel his eyes welling up, but he refused to cry. A torrent of thoughts flowed through his mind, memories of the ribbing that he and the half-imp had shared...and then the betrayal. Admittedly, Azure was conflicted over whether or not he should actually be mourning Uden's death, but he couldn't
fight that he was sad about it. The fact that the half-imp had allowed the cook to escape because he knew the goblin had a child was proof that he wasn't all bad. Most of his ill deeds these past few weeks had been all due to circumstance. Uden had been trying to fulfill his obligation to the demon, something that had been forced onto him, while keeping them safe at the same time. It was only because Azure and Lonnell had insisted on pressing onward with their pursuit that it had come to this. If they had just left The Dark One alone...

  Azure's focus was redirected as he noticed the demon's body starting to quickly deteriorate. Almost immediately, Lonnell took up the chanting of the word no again. A quick glance in his direction showed that the same thing was happening to Uden. Watching the decay before him and being unable to stop it made Azure's heart wrench in his chest. He couldn't imagine the pain of witnessing something so horrific happening to a loved one. Flesh fell away from the half-imp's bones, turning to dust in Lonnell's hands until all that remained was his skeleton. Even his clothing and weapons had decomposed into nothing. Azure didn't understand what was going on. Nothing they had ever killed before had perished like this afterward.

  He glanced over at the demon. Not even bones remained of it.

  "What just happened?" he asked, wondering if this was like one of those movies where the whole dungeon was about to cave in on them. Instantly, he was on guard, his eyes dancing around.

  Lonnell didn't answer. He simply sat there unmoving, staring down at the remnants of his dead brother. The sobbing had stopped. Azure didn't know what to do, but he had a feeling that they should probably leave soon.

  "We need to go," he said with a gentle sternness as he bent to collect the demon's horns, the only thing that had been left behind by it.

  You have received the following items:

  Lesser Demon's Horn

  Quantity: 2/2