Chapter 43 - The Bleak Future (1/2)

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Quietly, I watched the madness go on. The scratching and tearing of paper rang throughout the cell. Dried blood was smeared across the wall, giving the entire room a unsettling aura. The scratching stopped. Mordred looked up, his eyes hollow, gutted by something inside.

”Hunter?” His hair was drenched in sweat, matted against the side of his head. His skin was pale and sallow, missing the sun. He looked dead.

”Did you find anything?” I asked nervously, I didn't know who was in control anymore.

”Ah, yes.” Mordred dug through the mountains of paper, pulling out a now worn, small, red book. Clearing his throat, I began to see the last vestiges of the man left in him, the scholar. ”It is written in Draconic, the language of demons. It is called Hellmouth. The general concept is the opening of a portal to their dimension. This involves massive amounts of chaos in the local area, which I am providing.” There was a pause as Mordred choked on his own words. Tears began to well up. Again, clearing his throat, he moved on, his voice trembling. ”There wasn't much on the actual demons themselves. From what I can tell, they are soul like creatures that possess hosts, giving them unnatural abilities. The original owners, well…” Mordred's voice began to trail off.

”Spit it out. I can take it.”

”Accounts differ. Some go insane, others cease to exist. Most commonly, the soul is slowly consumed, painfully.”

I looked into Mordred's face. His eyes stared back at me. What I saw was acceptance of his fate. The courage to face it head on. I sighed. Why did an admirable man to have to die like this? Raising my bow, I gave him a knowing glance.

”No. It won't work. The host becomes immortal, except when the demon's own energies literally burn it away.”

I let the bow fall to my side. Why? Why? Why? Why did have to be him? The only thing I have left in this world. I turned and left the cell. I didn't make it far before collapsing to the ground, heart-wrenching sobs tearing at my soul. Why? Why? WHY? He was the only family I had left.

In the distance, I could vague hear Mordred's voice, ”Are you alright?”

”No.” If this was true, was all my struggling for naught? I rubbed my arm. For the first time in my life, I felt defeated, hopeless, lost, dead. Why? Just… Why?

Persephone

”What exactly happens?” We were pulled into Savah's house. Sitting in his living room, there was nothing but three chairs, a table, and a old photo of a happy couple, old and worn. I presumed it was his parents.

”I only get fragments, but what I could see was you in your room, asleep, when the window shatters. Then, cloth catching fire.”

”When?” Solskin slammed the table. He had become violent and irritable, a far cry from the innocent boy I meet in Shira.

”Soon. Within the next few days.” Savah stated grimly. I was going to have trouble going to sleep for the next few days. ”The Hunter never misses.”

Savah stood up and out of his chair, in a slow, deliberate motion, Savah produced a wooden horn, engraved with intricate symbols and runes. It looked like it was on the verge of falling apart. Savah's eyes lingered on it, an unknown emotion clouding his eyes.