Beneath the purple mist

Another great battle

The army gathering in front of his castle was a sight to be seen. It was strange, how quiet everything was right before a war.

Not literally, the noise was actually insufferable. But it just felt quiet. Like in any great war, at the beginning there would be dreams of glory and fame and chivalry, an at the end there would be dread and suffering and death.

Aleksei stood at the balcony overlooking the preparations. His usual extravagant clothes were replaced with a black suit of armor and a crimson cape. The crown on his head for once wasn't crooked, his air was pulled into a neat braid that fell down his back. His eyes were fixated onto a spot on the horizon that nobody else could see.

"Count your blessings, even if none of them will help you once my sword cuts you up." Aleksei said out loud, speaking to Morningstar even if she couldn't hear him. The sword in his hand gleamed menacingly, as if it expected, hoped even, that blood will be spilled soon.

Aleksei eyes lowered onto the sword then. "And your blade will shatter once I am finished. You will give him back to me, I guarantee."

"My lord, the army is ready." Trottler said behind him, his usual bubbly and dazed state was nowhere to be seen. He was in armor, though not a battle one, more of a decorative one.

"Good. Stay close to me Trottler. I would hate to see you hurt." Aleksei instructed and turned around, he placed the sword into the guard at his hip and went down to the foot of the castle where the army was.

Aleksei got onto his horse, Trottler was on a smaller one next to him, the kids behind them and the generals each on the head of one unit of soldiers of about a hundred thousand each.

Nothing compared to the army he used to command, but it would have to do. It would have to be enough.

He had left his very best unit of guards to watch over Theo even if there wasn't any real danger to him at the moment. Morningstar would focus all her forces on holding him back, but better safe than sorry.

"Forward march!!" He yelled out and Alexander took it as a sign to make the earth they stood on expand and created a bridge for them, over the stormy seas below and onto the central island.

As expected, the fighting was brutal and ruthless, none would celebrate that day no matter the outcome, for the dead were already beyond count.

Aleksei didn't care, he only cared about getting to the bloody angel and taking his beloved back, even if the world burned down in the process.

Morningstar, of course, wouldn't make it easy for him. The reenforced doors and barricades took an extraordinary amount of energy to burn though and even more to break down so he was waiting his energy fast, even with the dragon to back him up.

"My king! You will kill yourself this way!" Trottler panicked when he saw the way Aleksei's hair was drenched in sweat and even traces of blood as his control started to slip and his horns came out. A bit later his claws.

"Stand back!" Aleksei just yelled and forced yet another burst of blue flames from his palms, finally melting the heavy metal door in front of him and marching through it, cutting down anyone that dared to step in his path.

The angel was held in the underground facility and was guarded by Morningstar herself, with a flaming sword that she probably took from that same angel.

When you hear of angels you think of them as these magnificent creatures but this one was boney and thin, worn out with no clothing and bound by chains that seemed heavy enough to contain six dragons. It had a body that was neither male nor female, every part you would use to assign a sex to someone just wasn't there.

It was also in a cage that was likely made by a warlock as it had no lock and no visible door, just bars with a see though substance in between. Not glass, that would be too easily breakable. Something else.

"You filthy creature! You stole my creation from me!" Morningstar yelled, her armor was white and she had a golden cape, a stark contrast to him.

"You were going to kill them!" Aleksei yelled back.

"As if you wouldn't if you lose the angel! You don't actually care for them! You only care about yourself and that god forsaken mate of yours!" Morningstar spat the words, it had been a long time since Aleksei saw true disgust in someone when they were talking to him, in fact not since Theo got captured by his men.

"I'm not here to talk about my morality! I know damn well the kind of person I am! I do not care! I only care about him! And I'll be damned if I don't have him back at my side by tonight!" And with that Aleksei  attacked.

They exchanged blows, flames blazed and burnt anything in their path, swords clashed and the noise rung around like a cursed kind of music.

Trottler could only watch in horror, for every blow and every cut one received the other dealt two and so on and on for gods know how long.

Until, finally, after what could've been minutes or hours, Aleksei finally managed to stab the sword into Morningstar's abdomen and pull it upwards, successfully ripping her insides and cutting her open.

Finally, finally he approached the angel and started destroying the cage, bit by bit he tore it to pieces, melted it and ruinned until finally he stepped inside. In the end he wouldn't have to hurt the kids, his consciousness would be clean after all.

"Sorry about this. Nothing personal." He said to the angel that curled in the corner.

"You will be cursed, you will never know rest if you do this." The angel pleaded.

"I already don't know rest, not without him." Aleksei said and burried the sword right through the angel's heart.

A demonic sound escaped from the sword and the angel screamed.

The smoke formation reappeared and spoke. "You did your part, demon. I will do mine."