by Joe Duck
The demon screamed, and when the light faded away, Palkeon's entire body was burnt, his skin shriveled up to reveal the cooked muscles beneath it.
Palkeon raised an eyebrow, his muscles visibly stretching as he made the effort. "Ah, Astreal. You used to be such a good little girl. It truly pains me to do this." He snapped his fingers. A ring of smoky corruption exploded around Astreal and rose to form a dark dome, trapping her inside. "But I fear if I get hit by that again, I might not survive."
Astreal roared and raised her weapon. Flashes of light erupted as she hacked at her prison. The corruption around her scattered, but came straight back at her only moments later. Astreal continued to swing away, but the light emitting from her dimmed as she was gradually devoured by the darkness. At the last moment, she threw her spear away and looked at us, her hand stretched out to Narius, before vanishing into the lightless dome.
Narius cried out and rushed forward a few steps. He glanced over his shoulder, and his eyes met mine. Instead of continuing his charge, he stopped and tightened his grip on the sword.
The demon looked at his handiwork. Corruption seeped out from his wings and covered his hand before moving to the rest of his burnt body. In the blink of an eye, the dark smoke engulfed him. Then just as quickly, it disappeared, and Palkeon stood with his skin restored.
He smiled at the dome. “Can you believe I spent centuries in a prison like that? I almost lost my mind with no one to talk to." Palkeon stepped up and squatted before the wall of corruption. "But, Astreal, if you listen carefully, you might hear something very beautiful." Palkeon glanced at the incapacitated angels surrounding him. He put his index finger and thumb in his mouth and whistled. A stream of corruption escaped him and engulfed the helpless angels. When the darkness vanished, thousands of tiny little white maggots covered the angels like a living blanket.
The angels shrieked as the creatures ate away at their skin, drawing blood from the gouges they had eaten through, turning the white blanket into a crimson one.
The sound was soul-wrenching, and I clasped my hands over my ears, but each of their cries pierced through my hands and into my ears. My eyes swelled with tears and terror filled my mind.
Narius flapped his wings and readied himself to fly off to his death. I hugged and held onto him, exposing myself to the music of death. "No!"
I clutched his body until the screaming of the angels stopped. When I looked back at the angels, there were only bodies mutilated beyond recognition in their place, limbs twisted and skin covered in blisters. Blood and gore filled the cathedral, the red tide flooding across the floor.
Dusting off his hands, Palkeon turned to Mafis, the latter crouching behind the altar, his mouth open and eyes wide. In his hand, Mafis held the Grimoire, and the demonic dagger glinted by his side.
“So you are the one who freed me from that awful, awful, place,” Palkeon said. “I cannot thank you enough for rescuing me. If there is anything you wish, all you have to do is ask.”
The terror on Mafis's face disappeared, replaced with a maniacal grin. “There is only one thing I want.”
“Speak. I am very generous.”
“Can you bring my daughter back from the dead?”
“Of course. If the soul is there, any Archangel of Lord Halfaya can.” The demon patted the air above his head and grinned. “Hmm. I must have lost mine some time ago. By the way... when did she die?"
“Nine years ago.”
Palkeon picked up a broken piece of Heliose’s halo and tapped it against his chin. “Then I am afraid that might be a little difficult. Perhaps if her dead body was preserved by magic immediately after she was killed... or maybe if she died minutes ago.”
Mafis brightened, his ears perking up. "That's not a problem. Heliose placed a spell on her to keep her body intact."
The demon chucked the halo over his shoulder. "In that case, you have a decent chance. Do you have her with you?"
Mafis nodded, scurried behind the altar, and brought out a small body wrapped in a large silk sheet. Placing the body in front of the demon, Mafis flung the sheet off, revealing a little elf dressed in a white gown whose silvery hair reached her waist. She looked so peaceful, like she was taking a short nap in spite of the horror around her.
"Excellent." Palkeon bent down and touched the little elf's pale cheeks. Corruption seeped out of him and formed around Filia, encasing her in an oily embrace. “You shall have her back, just the way you remember her.”
Narius gripped my shoulders with wavering hands and eyes. “Now is your chance. Run. Don't look back.”
I shook my head. "What happened to ‘I’ll never let you out of my sight’?”
“You can’t stay here. I'll have to do my duty, but I want you to run. It's too—”
An earth-shattering shriek echoed from the altar. I shifted my gaze back to the demon. The little silver-haired elf girl was on her feet, her bright eyes staring back at Palkeon.
“How are you feeling, little one?” the demon asked.
“Hungry,” she answered in the clear, innocent voice of a child.
I felt sorry for her, knowing the horror she would soon see. No one should wake up in this bloodbath.
Mafis, not sharing my pessimism, got down to his knees and extended his hand to her. “Filia?”
The little elf tilted her head. “Daddy?”
Palkeon nudged her forward. "Go on. Go give your father a hug."
Filia ran up to Mafis as fast as her legs could carry her. She jumped into the air and wrapped her hands around him. "Daddy!"
Palkeon gazed at us and smiled. “Well, isn’t that lovely? Father and daughter reunited.”
Narius’s wings quivered, and his breathing quickened. He shoved me behind his back and raised his sword.
“Why are you so scared, young one?" Palkeon asked Narius. "Did I upset you? Have you never seen the dead come back to life?”
The sword in Narius's hand shook.
“Not much of a talker, are you? Hmm… maybe this will cheer you up.” The demon walked over to Filia and whispered into her ear.
The little girl glanced back at the demon. “Really? I can?”
“Of course. He is your daddy. Your flesh and blood.”
Between the gap of Narius's wing and armor, I saw the little elf lick her father’s neck.
Mafis smiled at his daughter. “Daddy loves you so much.”
"I know." The little girl bit into his throat. Blood gushed out, spraying her face crimson. Thankfully, Mafis didn’t scream. Instead, blood gurgled out of his mouth as his own daughter ripped his flesh, eating him, biting through his neck and drinking from the wound. Mafis didn't try to push her away. Instead he held her tight, and they fell to the ground together where she continued to devour him.
Palkeon took the Grimoire from Mafis's limp hand and linked it to the side of his armor with a shadowy chain that materialized from the corruption. "Let this be a lesson to you. Return other people's books on time instead of asking favors." The demon stretched his arms and strolled towards us, leaving the little monster to devour her father’s corpse.
Narius took a step back, his legs shaking. “Run, Emily. Get out of the city as fast as you can.”
Palkeon tilted his head. “Emily? Is that what you have behind you, cherub?”
“No! I have nothing behind me!”
“He’s not stupid.” I stepped away from Narius's wings and into Palkeon's view, channeling my magic into the staff. So far, everything points to the corruption as the source of his power. If I can just avoid the smoke—
The demon clapped his hands together. “Ah! So, you were the demonspawn used to power the spell. I owe you my thanks. Now, would you kindly lower that staff? Casting all these spells has taken a toll on me. Even for someone of my magnificence, it isn't easy to dispatch two Archangels and resurrect a creature. Besides... someone is going to get very mad if I end up killing a third-generation demonspawn."
Third-generation?
“What are you going
to do?" Narius asked, positioning himself in front of me once again. "Destroy the city?”
Palkeon squinted at us as he stroked the Grimoire rhythmically. “What? No. I love humans. Do you not remember, little angel? We have a duty to protect them. Given to us by Lord Halfaya himself."
Narius lowered his sword. “You are not going to hurt them?”
The demon shook his head, the smile on his face turning to a scowl. “My, my. Who do you think I am? Some sort of mass murderer? I am not insane. In fact, I share the same goal as you: to gather knowledge and protect the humans, just as Lord Halfaya ordered us to.”
“But... but you are a demon. You are corrupted, and corruption must be wiped out to save the humans.”
“Am I?" The demon pointed at the scene of carnage behind him. "Tell me, aside from the instances where someone wanted to manipulate my power for his own gain, has the ‘corruption’ been used to hurt anyone except in self-defense? What about your little friend? Did she murder hundreds of people because she has some extra powers that no one else has?" He jabbed his finger at Narius. "Are you going to kill her after you are done killing me?”
Narius froze, confusion running through his voice. “No, no..." He shook his head. "But that doesn’t change anything! Everyone is dead because of you! Even... Mother...”
"Mother?" Palkeon tapped a finger against his chin. "Ah, you must be one of Astreal's. You do realize she is alive, right? In fact, once I am out of here, I will stop supplying my magic to her prison."
Narius's grip on his sword loosened. "Really? I... I mean, I can't let you go."
The demon sighed and took a step towards us. “Enough. You will step aside, little cherub. I do not enjoy killing babies, but I will do so if you prevent me from beginning my work.”
“Work?” I asked. Going around killing people for doing you a favor?
He took another step. "Yes, work. To make the world a better place. The complete eradication of the elves, dwarves, trolls, and any other intelligent creatures capable of forming societies. Without their opposition to humanity, the world would be a peaceful place. One without racial wars. All would bow to Lord Halfaya, or be disposed of if they cannot see the truth of our ways.”
Well, he's a nutjob. I pointed my staff at him, several spells already formulating in my mind, the cracked orb radiating a bluish hue. “No one is going to listen to you.”
Palkeon stopped and placed his hands on his hips. “Really? I’ve seen a lot during my imprisonment. Humanity as a whole is incredibly gullible. Even Heliose’s valiant—yet misplaced—handiwork with the high priest of order shows this." The demon drummed his finger against the Grimoire. "But, unlike him and his limited goal of saving his wife, I will ensure that humanity will rule supreme with my guidance and praise Lord Halfaya.”
“Right. You keep telling yourself that.”
His crimson eyes glowed for a moment. “Now, I have places to go. Kings to meet. Armies to raise.”
“I... I," Narius said, "cannot let you leave this place."
“Oh? And what are you going to do to stop me, cherub? I could snap off your wings in an instant.”
Narius squeezed his eyes shut and gripped his sword. “I am Lord Halfaya’s servant. I will not back away!”
“Is that so?” Palkeon stretched his hand towards Narius. A wisp of corruption flew out, and the dark mist wrapped around Narius.
Before I could react, the blade in Narius’s hand glowed brightly and drove the corruption away.
The demon frowned. “Interesting. Care to tell me why you have Lord Arudi's personal sword?"
Narius shifted his feet, and exhaled. "Not to you."
"I see.” Another strain of smoke erupted from Palkeon and formed a spear. Grasping the weapon, he threw the spear towards Narius.
I shot a shield of ice from my staff, knocking the spear to the floor before it could harm Narius.
The demon glared at me, the amusement in his eyes gone. “Maybe I was being too lenient with the two of you. Perhaps you—"
With a sweep of his wings, Narius flew at the demon and swung the blade, slicing through Palkeon's armor and across his chest. "For Lord Halfaya!"
Palkeon howled and flew backwards, a line of blood spurting from the gash and onto his armor. The demon's pupils reddened. “You worthless vermin!” he roared. Summoning yet another spear from thin air, he thrust the weapon at Narius, who sidestepped the blow and closed the gap between them.
I tried to cast a spell, but they were too close to each other. The two angels locked their weapons. Sparks flew off and the air vibrated every time the blinding white sword struck Palkeon's dark spear.
Narius swung his sword relentlessly, not giving Palkeon time to recover. He let out another war cry and increased his pace, forcing the demon into a defensive posture.
Palkeon parried and blocked Narius's blows, but a labored look crept into the demon's face as he stepped back with every blow.
Hope welled inside me as Narius pushed Palkeon towards an arch on the side of the room. Narius was fighting well, even better than he had in the arena, and the demon, probably unable to use his corruption due to Narius's sword, was losing ground. "Keep at it, Narius! He's tired!" I shouted and readied myself to cast a spell as soon as they separated.
They didn't. Whenever Palkeon tried to peel away, Narius used his wings to close the distance and hack away with his sword.
I watched them fight, but something seemed off. Why is Narius winning? Even if Palkeon was telling the truth about his exhausted condition, he seems to be more than capable of defeating Narius.
Then I spotted the unstable archway above them. Both of its pillars were cracked from Heliose's attack, threatening to break apart at any moment. Oh, no.
The demon was playing with him.
"Narius! Get out of there!"
He didn't seem to hear me. Instead, he kept up his assault, sweat dribbling down his forehead as he panted for breath.
They continued their dance of death, the holy weapon striking the demonic spear, with the former changing color every several blows while the latter remained dull and lifeless.
Soon they were both underneath the arch. Palkeon glanced up and grinned. He released his corruption, and dark smoke poured into the arch, shaking it and dropping bits of dust down onto the them.
"Narius!" My heart stopped beating for a moment, and pain spider-webbed across my chest. "The ceiling!"
He craned his head back to look at me, but at that moment, Palkeon jabbed his spear and pierced the edge of Narius's wing.
Narius gritted his teeth and ignored me.
I had to do something. So, doing the first thing that came to my mind, I froze the problematic blocks, hoping to freeze them in place and sprinted towards Narius.
But despite my spell, the marble blocks above slipped little by little as I rushed towards the duo.
The demon smirked. Moments before the first stone fell, he jumped back and thrust his spear towards Narius. The sudden attack forced Narius to spring away from Palkeon, and he landed directly under the arch as the ceiling groaned and collapsed.
Narius looked up and froze at the sight of death raining down on him.
I leaped into the air and tackled him.
We sailed through the air and crashed against the floor. Behind us, a thundering roar of stones smashed into the tile, forming a massive tomb. Part of the cathedral's ceiling had fallen inward, and dust filled the air. I shielded Narius with my body while shards of broken stone pelted us, some stabbing into my back as I shielded Narius. I bit my lips, trying to stifle the cry of pain as they stuck deep into my flesh.
Finally, the rocks stopped falling, and everything became silent.
Dazed, I stayed still on top of him, struggling to focus when Narius gave a short grunt and shoved me off.
I tumbled against the floor before coming to rest on my side. The world spun around me, and I wobbled to my feet. Jagged pieces of debris were stuck in me, and the pain was agonizing.
>
I leaned against my staff, trying to see Narius, and heard a sound of metal crunching against something wet.
I looked to the source of the sound. There, Narius rested on the floor exactly where he had pushed me away. A dark spear was planted in his chest with Palkeon standing over him.
Narius screamed and grasped the weapon in an attempt to pull it out.
Palkeon drove the spear deeper, then twisted it.
The screaming stopped. Blood poured out under Narius's armor and dyed his wings red. Narius lay still.
The world fell silent and everything slowed down to a crawl. "Narius?"
Life began to move, slowly. The dust shining from the sun settled to the ground before me. "Narius?"
Palkeon pulled out his spear and winked. "Oops."
The air around me chilled.
My blood boiled, and I thrust my staff at the demon. I'm going to shred his face and tear his limbs from his body. He's going to die. Slowly. Painfully. I'm not going to stop until he's a bloodied piece of meat begging me to stop.
I cast every spell I could think of. Javelins, spears, arrows, and any other spell that could hurt another living being—I conjured them all and sent them at the demon.
Colorful explosions of ice and pure magic consumed the demon, but none of the sounds of destruction reached me.
The world was muted, so I battled in silence. Off in the distance I heard my body screaming out at me to stop, to save myself. I ignored the pain, nothing mattered anymore.
Everything was simple.
I didn't care anymore.
I just needed to kill.
The demon walked towards me, shrugging off my spells, smiling.
I clenched my teeth and threw everything I had at him. Shards of ice filled the air to kill, but they all disintegrated upon touching the corruption around him.
Palkeon stopped in front of me and raised his hand. It was covered with corruption so dark it seemed even the sun refused to shine her rays into the bleak void.
My next spell fizzled. So, I swung my staff at his head. The blow connected, but Palkeon seemed unaffected, and before I could move, his fist slammed into my belly.
The sheer force of the blow threw me into the air, and I landed against the altar with the wind knocked out of me, right next to the little elf devouring her father.