Chapter 13 - The Ambush (1/2)

Solskin

”Go… to Tartarus... you… bastard.” Persephone choked out.

I quickly lashed out with my sword. Electricity arced off the blade, crackling with blue energy. The black figure sidestepped the blade, bȧrėly passing over his shoulder. The energy discharged into the air, the force scattering dust and rocks. He chuckled slowly.

”You think you can kill a demon? My, oh my, you are a fool.” Shadows coalesced into a blade around his hand. He lunged towards my head, the shadowy blade grazed my cheek, dripping an inky liquid. Pain coursed across my face, and my vision turned black.

”I can't see. Ah! My eyes!” I panicked as memories flashed in my mind.

I heard swords clash together and a slow laugh.

”My lord, you are unwell. Why do you attack me, your sword C'Dor?”

”I am not Kalakrath.”

”You will be.”

My sight returned. Xavier stood in front of me, breathing heavily. He obviously sprinted here from the inn. His usual confidence was tempered by extreme focus. He was deathly serious about this fight, more so than I had ever seen before. C'Dor swung swiftly and wildly at Xavier, each striking closer than the one before. Xavier struggled to dodge with each strike coming closer to slipping past his swords. With each strike, his eyes narrowed and became almost cat-like. I swore to Odin that they were yellow after he was cut across the arm. It was probably the effects of the cut.

He was strangely calm, despite being slowly pressed down to the ground. His eyes followed every movement of the blade. I could see the calculating glint in his eyes. Realizing that I was still a part of the fight, I rushed forward, raising my longsword over my head. C'Dor glanced at me. Xavier suddenly leapt forward, seizing the slight ŀȧpse in the attacks to strike back. His blade cut deep into C'Dor's arm. Keeping his blade pressed into the arm, Xavier stabbed through the thin cloth armour on the figure's ċhėst with the rapier in his other hand. The tip emerged from the other side, coated with crimson blood. Xavier twisted his blade, causing blood to spurt out of the figure. Blood splashed to the front of Xavier, landing on his ċhėstplate. The scene was unsettling. I brought my blade into the shoulder of the figure's other arm. I heard a bone crack as my blade dug deep. But C'Dor was just smiling creepily at us.

”Well, I lost this one. I will see you all soon. I need to go before Astaroth finds out what I have done.” He grabbed Xavier's rapier with both hands, and pulled it out slowly. Xavier's veins bulged on his forehead. I could see the muscles bulge underneath his armour, but C'Dor overpowered him.

I was petrified, and C'Dor just walked into the dark of the night, chuckling.

”Damn it all! I couldn't stop him!” Xavier gasped out between breaths.

Persephone got up after being released. The black veins slowly receded as she rubbed her neck.

”Crazy lunatic.” She spat. ”Why does he show up now of all times?”

I glanced at Persephone. ”You know him?”

”He was the one who massacred my home town.” Her voice was pointed and harsh. She was seething.

”Oh,” I said quietly. ”How did he just walk away?”

”Physical wounds don't bother most demons.” Xavier rubbed the bandages over his left arm. When he saw me looking at him, he said, ”Old wound.”

”That is worrisome,” Persephone sighed. ”Let's head back. Mordred needs to know about this. Then, you are going to tell us everything you know.”

Xavier

Persephone glared at me the entire way back. It looked like she had caught on to something. I resigned myself to a long interrogation once we got back to the inn. Mordred rushed out to greet us.

”I heard Xavier run out. What happened?” He stared pointedly at Persephone. She was running her fingers where the black veins were.

”We got attacked.” Persephone replied curtly, her voice still cold and harsh.

”By one of the Three Kings.” I clarified. ”Who was a demon.”

Mordred took three steps back. His eyes narrowed. ”The demon,” he spat. ”Who was it after?”

My brows furrowed, confused as to why Mordred reacted so uncharacteristically. I did not answer, instead heading inside the inn, and immediately entered my room, leaving it ajar so they knew to come in.

They did not take long. The group huddled in my room like co-conspirators, talking in hushed tones.

”What do we do?” I said, getting straight to the point.

”You can start by telling us what you are hiding.” Persephone instantly shot back.

The group stared expectantly at me. I sighed deeply, already crafting a lie in my mind. ”When I was in the army, we were constantly chasing and fighting with a group of demons. Kalakrath and his band of followers. We had a suspicion that after the defeat of Kalakrath, the followers formed the Three Kings gang. If this is true, then there are three demons out to kill us.”

Solskin sat quietly on the bed. ”I think I know what one looks like. A soldier that was blackened beyond recognition. He was the one that attacked my village.”

Persephone pondered out loud. ”This is worrisome. We could bȧrėly survive one, let alone three.”