The Pain of Honor

Ligria Aria: I

How you still had a connection to the holonet after all that had happened was a mystery. Silently scrolling through your datapad in disbelief while the rest of your family sat quietly trying to ration out today's meals you sighed. This would be the third week of eating bland, cardboard textured canned goods. Explosions cracked like thunder in the distance and shook the ground making you all look up for a brief moment, it wouldn't be long until they found you in your basement, and when they do, it's all over.

Pictures were posted all over the holonet of the demons that had invaded Earth. If anyone had shown you these a year ago you'd think they were from a twisted horror movie you'd never brave to watch. Zombies, grotesque flying monstrosities and hulking demons as tall as houses all roamed the planet. The ARC's broadcast was visible on every page you'd come across and your family would listen to each one for updates. It seems there wouldn't be one today.

"Will you get off that damn thing and come join us for dinner? If there's a broadcast they'll announce it, so keep the volume up and don't use the charge!" Your father, as charming as ever, hissed quietly in your direction. Food was the last thing on your mind, what would it do against the monstrosities that were coming over the horizon?

"I'm not feeling hungry." Continuing to scroll through what limited information that had been made public you could see your mother roll her eyes at you as she fed your younger sister some canned vegetables.

The ground shook and you could feel the entire house shaking above you, horrified you could see that the cement flooring you were currently sitting on was starting to crack in multiple places.

Even though there was still food left you all felt so hopeless and weak.

A loud crash rang out from above you, heavy stomping shaking the ceiling and shaking down dust from the light fixtures onto the ground.

"Not a word" Mouthed your father, giving you a frightened glare.

"This is an ARC broadcast." The datapad strung to life at full volume, the stomping upstairs becoming more agitated as it searched for the loud noise, eventually finding the locked door that led to the staircase.

"You were a goddamn mistake!" Screamed your mother, frantically trying to get your sister to stand while the door was made quick work of by the hulking wall of flesh. The mancubus set the basement ablaze with its flamethrowers, catching both your mother and father in the fire, though thankfully your sister ran towards you instead of them.

There was no time to save them if you both wanted to live. You threw your sister over your shoulder and ran out the basement door into the garage, then stumbled out into the open air. Blocking out the agonized screams of your parents as a final blast finally quieted them down.

Both of you started coughing like mad, the forest behind your house was burnt to a crisp, the hot air scorching your lungs while you desperately covered your face with your sleeve in an attempt to make breathing easier, it didn't. In front of you lay scorched concrete, melted asphalt and exposed underground piping work now naked from under the crushed pavement.

The harrowing red demons from the holovids floated in the air above you, they either didn't care or didn't see you yet because they all continued on towards the heart of your city. Gargoyles accompanied them high up in red skies, they circled over houses and ripped out any humans that had dared seek refuge from the armies of hell. You'd heard stories of what happened to those that got carried away, but they were just that, stories, because no one had ever survived to tell the tale.

Feeling heavy steps approaching from behind you, you flipped around, coming face to face with a pink, hunched over demon with a terrifyingly large maw. It snapped its jaws together and kicked its hind leg into the dirt before letting out a hoarse roar, charging with dangerous speed.

As you leapt to the side you realized that it kept charging in one direction, watching it run off and then skid to a stop to turn to you.

You can't keep dodging it forever, more foot soldiers were coming.

A screech from above alerted you, head snapping up after once again dodging the pinky as it ran into a nearby powerstation. Several cacodemons were firing upon an incoming military shuttle approaching at breakneck speeds, returning fire onto the demons. Frantically waving for their attention it slowed down and flew closer to the ground, dodging charred trees and rooftops.

Grabbing your sister and holding her as high as you could they took her into the shuttle, reaching down they offered you a hand, but before you could take it a cacodemon got dangerously close, landing a full hit on the vehicle. Commanding shouts came from inside the vehicle and the soldier gave you a sympathetic look, they were leaving without you.

"I'm so sorry, we'll keep her safe." You couldn't stop the tears that fell freely down your cheeks, just as there had been hope it was ripped away in a split second.

You screamed at them to come back, but to no avail, they were long gone and so were the cacodemons following them.

It was then you could feel it, the heavy stomping from behind you speeding up. You ran as fast as your tired legs could carry you towards the charred woods, perhaps you had hoped to evade the charging demon between trees. Breath growing shorter and more laboured with each pace, the burning hot air taking its toll on your lungs, it was impossible to keep breathing, each intake of air felt like inhaling flames.

Your legs finally gave up, everything around you seemed so surreal as your body collapsed onto the ground, your arms, knees and face dragging onto the charred ground, ripping your skin and muscle down to the bone on charred logs, giant splinters digging through your flesh like daggers, you didn't feel any of it.

That was until you got on your knees, your legs shaking from overexertion and malnutrition, unable to provide you any support you finally embraced what was to come. The stomping behind you ultimately catching up and you felt it all, every single scrape and cut, each giant splinter of wood through your thighs. The hunched over pink beast let out a terrifying scream, landing one giant hoof on your right hip, crushing the bone into nothing but dust, biting into your left leg and without much effort, ripping it off completely.

The searing white pain only lasted a millisecond before the blood loss became too much for your mind to bear, and you watched with a silent scream as the world grew darker around you.

Somewhere in the distance you could hear a distorted, almost human sounding scream as the demon released your leg in shock, biting in the direction of the sound and rushing towards it. The final thing you heard before you left Earth behind was a sickening gory gurgle, the demons decapitated head falling into your peripheral vision.

You could swear you felt yourself being lifted towards the heavens, maybe your guardian angel was there to carry you home?

Unbeknownst to you, it wasn't an angel holding onto you as your eyes closed.

He was quite the opposite.

Notes:

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