Demon Blood: Chains of Fate

Chapter 20

Evelyne

I arrive at his resting place. A large clearing in the forest. Plants have grown nicely around here thanks to my help. I walk to a large tree in the middle of the clearing. I put this tree here for a reason.

I despise you Shadow. You took away what I cared most about, and yet I miss you, I want to see your smile again, even if it's for just a moment. When you left, that couldn't have been the real you, for all those years with you were nice and kind to me, but it's all my fault for the way I reacted. I let my fear get the better of me. This is why I grew this tree here, right where I found Shadow dead. Underneath it's roots is a chamber that holds and preserves his body. This is all I can do to now, I only hope that you will forgive me...

I look up at the sky and wonder to myself. What was he to me? before I learned his name. When I first met him, he was an enemy turned friend. Then in my realm he became a friend and student. After that I would always be happy for our next training session or lesson, until I learned his name...I exiled him, yet I felt so bad about it...

What was he truly to me? I don't know...will I ever?

I laugh at myself for getting lost in my thoughts. I inspect the grave for any signs of tampering...none. With my results I decide it's enough for the king and leave.

Maybe I'll visit again one day...yeah, I'd like that.

Oh look...a raven...

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Shadow

So I'm falling from the sky, is that right? It's fine though, I can fly. But I don't feel like it right now.

It's nice, to relax, to have nothing to worry about. This feeling of weightlessness, of peace...of freedom...I love it...

The ground is closer now. I can see cities, villages, towns, forests, lakes, rivers, and many more things. I see a building in a forest that looks familiar. It's a tall, wide building...where have I seen it before? Let's find out.

I angle my body towards it and spread my wings a bit to keep the angle, while still gaining speed. It takes me half an hour to land near the building.

I walk towards it as I try to remember. People are near the entrance. They look busy so I won't bother them. I walk past them and enter the building.

It's full of people rushing around from one place to another. It looks busy, I'd better not disturb anyone. I'll just look around for awhile.

This place is quite big, I wonder what it's used for? As I walk past people, I get a few strange looks and some stare at me for some time but I don't mind. Someone says something behind me.

"Excuse me, sir," a woman says. I look at her. She has long golden hair and deep blue eyes. She's wearing a suit that an accountant might wear. "Are you new here?"

"I don't know..." I say, "this building feels familiar, but I just can't remember why that is."

"Well, that's quite the predicament! Come," She turns to her left and motions at me, "follow me, I'll take you on a tour of this fine organization, maybe it'll jog your memory a bit!" She walks away, I follow.

We weave through countless hallways and up so many flights of stairs, all the while the woman would point out certain rooms or points of interest and explain their role or history. I stayed silent for the entire duration of the tour.

"And this, of course, is the roof," she opens a door that leads outside, "here you can just relax if you wish. Personally I like to come up here just for the view, you can see the entire forest from up here." She walks to the edge of the roof. Only a railing is between her and the ground below. I follow her and look over the horizon. Two crimson moons are starting their rise. One moon is full, the other is broken into a large crescent shape.

"Your right, it's quite the view," I look down and see the people that I saw outside when I first arrived, but now there even more of them and they're all dressed in black. I point them out to the woman and she starts to panic.

"I have to warn the Founders immediately!" She yells. She runs off. I stay up here for a while as I stare off into the distance. What she said had got me thinking, the Founders...why does that make me feel like this...like I want to strangle something...

I look down at the people in black. They're entering the building now. I wonder what they want?

Out of curiosity I head back down. All the way down I can smell a high concentration of magic in the air. People are running past me in a hurry. Most have weapons with them, others are yelling commands and procedures. Now I'm even more curious about what's happening.

I find a nearby window and open it. Below is nothing but the ground so I jump out of it. With a single flap of my wings, I land safely and begin to look around for the entrance. Once found, I approach it. All the doors have been busted down. Inside is what some would call hell. Me? I don't know what to call it, it's too minor to be hell...a small battle maybe? Fire is visibly everywhere that's flammable, the ground is cracked from both heat and magic, any furniture that was here is now splinters on the ground or charred by the fire.

Something catches my eye, a small white fluff moving around. I recognize it, it's name is...Yuki! That's Yuki! Yuki is jumping around around with practiced expertise, slashing, biting, and burning her targets. I walk over to where she is, ignoring everything that's happening around me.

When I get near her she notices me, stops, and stares with eyes full of disbelief. Two seconds pass as I continue to walk towards her with a small smile on my face. She starts to run to me and jumped at me with joy. Then a light illuminates her right side, my left side feels warm and is soon burning hot. A fireball flies in front of me as it consumes Yuki. I turn to my right, Yuki hit a wall and her fur is scorched. I run to her. She doesn't move. When I reach her, I check if she's alright, she's breathing but doesn't respond to my calls. As I stare at her, the same feeling from before arises. Now I think I know what this feeling is.

I slowly pick up Yuki and move her away from the fighting. I find someone who is retreating because of a wound, they aren't dressed in black.

"Excuse me," I ask them, "could you take Yuki to a healer if at all possible?"

"Yeah, we have to help each oth-" they grab their side in pain.

"Please hurry..." I gently hand them Yuki. When they have her, they head down a hallway where I assume a healer is.

I turn my attention back to the battle before me. This feeling of mine getting stronger. All this rage...this wrath of mine...

I walk towards them, a scythe appears in my hand and drags on the ground. I spread my wings out and let my wrath control me.

Three people in black charge me. One has a spear and a tower shield, the second has a claymore, and the final stays back a bit while muttering, a spell caster.

A sinister grin spreads across my face as my eyes widen. I'll make the first move...

I flap my wings towards them and send a flurry of razor sharp feathers at them. The shield bearer plants his shield on the ground and the two others cover behind him. Most of the feathers bounce off the shield but a few stick in it. It's enchanted.

The spell caster makes his move next. He sends a fireball at me that was easily stopped by my scythe with a single handed upwards slash. What I didn't expect was that the warrior would be following it, too bad though. I quickly rotate the blade to face the warrior and brought it down with some strength. He is sliced straight down the middle. His companions stare at the scene for a few seconds in disbelief before recovering and attacking again. Wrong choice.

The shield bearer rushes me with his shield up and spear pointed at me, this is starting to become boring. I jump over him while preforming a front flip with my scythe extended. Its blade lands square in his back and carries him with it. As I land I launch the shield bearer at the mage and just for insurance, I send a flurry of feather behind him. The mage dodges his companions corpse but is ripped to shreds by the feathers. Should have taken the hit buddy, at least you would have lived.

I look at the rest of the people in black, they're everywhere. My wrath continues to build as my grin widens...

Let's begin...shall we?