16.
Division of Power
Erian's glare was colder than usual.
It wasn't because of the overabundance of Blethinette's soldiers. They had arrived a few days ago and immediately set camp outside the fortress walls. Though only a select Uppers were allowed in the building as messengers and maintenance, the army's presence was a bustling, noisy force. The outside horde spread for miles and laid in wait for further instructions from the two Superior demons within. Their snarls, hisses, screams, snorts, and scuttling penetrated through the walls, but that wasn't the cause of Erian's irritation.
"You're supposed to be setting up the new seal around us," Cerus repeated his words from a few seconds ago.
He had been standing in the room for a few minutes, waiting for the Seer to show any signs of acknowledgement to his words. The room had once been Dante's but most of the furniture had been cleaned out and except for the bed and a single dresser.
"Erian?" Cerus tried again.
He continued to give his back to him, sights on the back wall.
He sighed. "Is it Azul?"
Erian half turned his head to the Shape Shifter.
"Why can't you just let her be?" Cerus said with a pleading face.
"No," he snapped and fully turned to face him.
"Is she here?"
"No, she is—"
The room door opened and the Spirit in question walked in. Her footsteps were quiet and her sway was smooth.
"Erian," she said as she came up to him.
His stern eyes softened but there was still a glare present. "Where have you been?"
"It is not the same structure, but I discovered some familiarity in certain objects."
"That does not answer my question."
"Mundus will arrive here soon?"
Fury and a tinge of jealousy zapped through him, but Erian managed to speak. "I have heard no word of his coming."
She briefly eyed him and turned away to walk to Cerus standing by the entrance. Erian crossed his arms and watched her petite figure cross the glassy hardwood floor. The cobalt braid wrapped around her torso was neat and tight, as always, and her flowing skirt folded and clung to her pacing limbs. He sighed. It was heartfelt and heavy, but neither Cerus nor Azul heard it.
"Cerus," she addressed him. "There is familiarity within you as well."
His eyes widened and he shot a questioning stare at Erian.
He met his gaze with similar inquiry.
"Azul," Erian spoke.
"Yes, Erian?" she answered but didn't face him.
He hesitated before speaking, not expecting her to actually listen to him. "Azul, why do you not return to the weapon? You may rest there."
She shook her head, eyes still on Cerus. "I am well. I do not need to be in there to rest."
"Azul," Cerus finally spoke, "are you okay? Maybe you should return and stop all this wandering."
She smiled.
He returned the gesture though it held a tint of sadness.
"As I said, I am well," she spoke. "I feel as if there is a haze I must escape."
Cerus briefly remained silent before saying, "What have you remembered?"
"Cerus!" Erian marched toward the two.
The Spirit placed a hand on his shoulder. It halted the demon.
"Erian," she said, "I wish to remember, and you"—she looked at Cerus—"I am unsure as to why, but..."
She reached up to him and her blue arms enveloped around his neck. She was such a tiny creature her limbs stretched out to their entirety and her head rested closer to his stomach than his chest.
Cerus sharply inhaled and Erian gasped. The Shape Shifters arms shook with repressed urge of some sort before he gave in to the impulse. His body bowed over her, making it seem like he was crushing her, but his embrace was a gentle one.
A crashing knock was heard from the door before an Upper rushed in. His appearance was like a Minotaur with black skin instead of fur. Wide orange eyes beckoned the attention of the demons before him.
"My Lords!" His nostrils exhaled white steam. "We are under attack!"
Erian stepped up to him followed by Cerus.
"By whom? We have not sensed anyone's arrival," the Seer said.
The Uppers eyes opened unbelievably wider. "It is Auronmar. I have received word of sightings of him."
As if his words were a summoning, all in the room felt the overwhelming tide of Auronmar's Magika essence crush through the room. It seeped into them and momentarily suffocated their thoughts. A brief pause was needed before Cerus and Erian shared a knowing glance.
"Flow!" Cerus called as he ran out of the room to meet up with his Spirit.
Erian instructed the Upper. "Locate the Generals in the castle and deliver my message to group their forces together for an assault. The same applies for your group. You all are to wait for either my or Cerus' order outside."
The demon nodded and raced out of the room.
Azul stood next to Erian. "We shall descend upon the scene as well, yes, Erian?"
Before he could answer, she manifested into her usual blue light and entered the curled weapon hanging by his side. He gazed at it for a moment before sprinting out of the room. When he exited the castle, Cerus was in his wolf form giving out orders to surrounding groups to head out and telling others to remain and hold ground at the castle.
"Your group shall ride with us, Tah," Cerus spoke to the Minotaur demon, muzzle unmoving but voice intimidating as ever.
The giant wolf turned to see Erian. "Did she come?"
"Yes," he answered and placed a hand on his weapon. "She is here."
"Then come on." He gestured for him to jump on his back.
Erian sighed but did as told. If there was any chance to keep the castle under their control, it was found in meeting the enemy head on. Erian jumped on Cerus and clung to the excessive skin around his neck with both hands. He eyed the black ring on his finger and wondered if he should inform Blethinette of the situation.
"Do not distress as of yet, Erian," Azul said.
"Erian," Cerus' voice cut through her words, "you're squeezing my skin too tight."
He looked down at his hands and saw red splotches in Cerus' fur. "I apologize."
They continued, flanked by dozens of trotting, slithering, and galloping demons, following Auronmar's essence. The closer they got, the more crushing the force fell upon them until it suddenly disappeared.
Cerus halted as did the demons surrounding him. They surveyed the black and green scenery. Their run had been short, but it had taken them quite a ways from the castle.
The Lowers and Uppers all exploded bloody bursts of green, purple, red, gold, and blue. Chunky gore and intestines sloshed to the earth from sliced torsos. Lopped heads flew in the air through rainbow arches of blood. The only sound was the spray and slimy thuds of flesh as they hit the ground.
"Ya both look so cute when Erian rides the big, blue wolf," a sly and amused voice rang out.
"Gahn," Cerus said.
Erian turned around. "That means..."
"Yup." Gahn appeared before Erian. He stood on Cerus' back and grinned down at the seated demon.
The Shape Shifter jumped to his hind legs and whipped his head and torso. The two demons on his back leaped off to prevent being sent across the air.
"Auronmar is currently attacking the castle," Cerus said as he turned to face the two demons.
"I know, idiot!" Erian exclaimed in midair. "You remain here while I head back!"
He landed, but before he could lift his foot to commence a run, a dagger pierced it to the ground. Erian grunted .
Gahn loomed over him, grinning with a hand on his ear.
A shadow settled over the Teleporter a split second before Cerus' jaw clamped shut over his head. A vicious snap rang out as the giant canines crashed together. He had bitten an afterimage. The real Gahn was on Cerus' head. The Teleporter reached to his head but his attention was draw to something behind him.
Erian had unfurled his weapon and it was on its way towards Gahn. It shot through him but there was no blood.
Another afterimage.
A second appeared next to the Seer, a third by Cerus. More appeared until a dozen blurred duplicates of the original surround the two demons.
Cerus threw his head in several directions in an attempt to locate Gahn's scent but even that seemed to be everywhere.
The several Gahns grinned.
One leapt in the air, causing the rest to disperse.
Whips of red launched out from Cerus' muzzle as Gahn speared a silver lance through Cerus' snout, pinning his head to the ground. Smaller bursts of blood sputtered from his paws as the Teleporter impaled them as well with his arsenal of blades.
Erian could only see crimson stars bursting from the wolf's body.
"Ceruh—" His word gurgled in his mouth. Marionette lines of blood cascaded down his chin. The Seer collapsed to his knees, the action spurting out blood from his slit neck.
Gahn peered down at him. "Doesn't feel so good to have ya throat cut, huh?"
He wiped the dagger—the same one he had stabbed his foot with—on Erian's chest. He phased the blade back into a stud and reached for his industrial piercing. When he pulled it off, it transformed into a short sword.
The Seer looked up at him, crimson staining his clothes. The silver in his eyes was fading into white.
"Not letting ya do that again," Gahn said and rested the blade by the side of Erian's neck.
"No!" a female's voice called out. It was meek but it sounded like the loudest thing in the world.
Both demons turned to the source. It was Azul; she was standing by them, bare feet sinking into the bloody mud from the earlier slaughtered demons.
"Let us go," she said. Her face was twisted with determination and anger.
Gahn gaped at her and the sword in his shaking hand fell to the drenched grass.
Erian coughed. "Azul you—"
"Do not speak, Erian. Concentrate on healing," she said, voice its usual soft tone. She turned to glare at Gahn.
"Let us go," she repeated. "Let us all go."
The Teleporter took a step towards her. His eyes were glossy.
Azul's small hands balled into fists. "If you truly are sorry, let us go."
Gahn's sharp intake of breath was audible. His hand stretched out and he opened his mouth but nothing was done and nothing was said. Instead, he gave her his back, lifted his sword, and phased it back on his ear.
Erian brought a hand to his throat. The wound wasn't deep enough to kill him but Gahn's attack had been so quick and precise, it had shocked his body into thinking it had.
Azul kneeled next to him and placed her own hand over his. His blood on her turquoise skin darkened it cobalt.
Gahn gazed at them before he turned and walked to Cerus to free him. He leapt onto the Shape Shifter's head.
"Sorry," he whispered and pulled the spear out.
Cerus grunted but it was unclear if it was because of the pain or Gahn's word.
As Gahn pulled the weapons out from Cerus' paws, he'd wipe the blood off on his jeans and return them back into their original shape. The wolf demon stretched his limbs out the best his wounds would allow. A small whimper escaped him when he attempted to lift his head.
The Teleporter briefly looked at Azul once more before he blurred away into a teleportation that brought him back to the castle. Thousands of corpses littered around its walls all impaled either through their heads or hearts—several hearts for some. Those that could not be killed through such methods were torn apart in what appeared to be a quick death.
The king himself stood in front of them all. His simple brown clothes were now a deep burgundy and black. His face, splotched with tar–like demonic blood, was solemn.
"You allowed Erian to live after all?" he asked Gahn though his eyes remained on the dead bodies in front of him.
Gahn cleared his throat and fingered his piercings. They were smeared with crimson fingerprints. "I let him go. All of them."
Auronmar nodded. "Two less deaths."
"So," Gahn said usual sly grin on his face, "why did ya get yourself captured anyways? I'm surprised Blethinette didn't track ya down with her super powered, creeper See Magika."
"It is because she no longer holds such power."
Gahn lifted an eyebrow. "Really? How did that happen?"
He sighed. "I believe it was taken from her. Other than her See Magika being completely gone, I am unsure on anything else relating to it."
The Teleporter rubbed his neck as he surveyed the gory scenery before him. "Did ya uh...did ya see—"
Auronmar turned to his Guard and smiled. It seemed sad. "Yes, I did. She appeared fine and fiery as ever."
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Come, Gahn," the king ordered. "We have much to prepare for now."
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Author's Note: I am sooooooooo sorry for this super late update. I had MAJOR writer's block, and it was...just...terrible. Yeah. Whatever.
This chapter's a little off and weird, I think. Hope you enjoyed it all the same.