"Iron Golems," Isla chants.
Two of her golems rise from the ground.
They lumber over to the rubble and clear the stone off of Aryn with a few swipes of their arms.
"Took your time," Aryn remarks with a smile.
I kneel down and begin healing him.
"You really are a fool," Isla says. "Why have you yet to use your flames once since the Devil started its attack!?" she exclaims.
Aryn chuckles. "I've been trying to use them since I first saw the Devil," he answers. He looks at his hand with a sorrowful expression. "For whatever reason, I can't use them. Perhaps I should say that I can no longer feel the fire inside me?" he smirks at his joke.
The bleeding has slowed down but is not stopping. I'm unaware if an injury sustained by a Devil can even be healed by magic from our world.
A loud bang echoes throughout the city. The area of the wall that Barin and Mister Utrix were battling the Devil has erupted into a pillar of smoke.
The Devil flies through the smoke into the air, followed by Barin and Mister Utrix.
The Devil slowly rises from the shadows in front of us. Its face is distorted with a twisted scowl of malice, and elongated arms lead to treacherous dagger-like fingers. It has the poise of one ready to strike at the slightest of movement.
It silently points at Aryn. "You will not be able to save that one. My essence has corrupted his very core of existence," it states in a cold and monotone voice.
Isla and the Iron Golems take up a defensive stance.
The Devil doesn't move. It just stands still, looming over us; its gaze affixed only on Aryn.
Barin and Mister Utrix land beside the Devil. Barin immediately approaches the Devil.
"What did I tell you?" Barin growls. He stops his approach once his body touches the Devil's. "Do you think my words are simple threats?" he asks.
The Devil's body shrinks to meet Barin at eye level.
"I will take your words with the full weight that they invoke," the Devil replies. "I have no intentions of foiling the attempts of vermin desperately trying to save one another. Such is the thinking of the foolish," it jeers.
After the Devil speaks, its body grows to resemble its previous appearance.
"You are the only one I need have slight apprehension towards," it states. "Now, let us resume our agreed-upon engagement."
With those words, the Devil vanishes. It doesn't reappear anywhere, but its presence is strong enough to tell that it is still near.
"Heal Aryn as best you can. That is your only job at the moment," Barin says.
A whirlwind of air appears around him, lifting him into the air.
Mister Utrix makes his way to Aryn and me. He kneels down to inspect Aryn's wound.
"Seriously kid, what does a guy have to do to get a body like yours?" he asks.
Aryn chuckles. "Saying sweet things at a time like this?" he snickers.
It is a bit endearing to see Aryn in high spirits.
"Why are you more concerned with Aryn's body and not the fact that he's missing his heart?" I remark.
Mister Utrix puts his hand into the hole in Aryn's chest. "That is exactly why I asked about his body. He's had his heart, ribs, and several layers of muscle torn away."
He glances up at Aryn and me, then turns to look at Isla.
"Do you two not realize what I just said!?" he shouts. "Aryn has a hole in his body. I'm touching the gravel beneath him right now!" he exclaims as he wriggles his hand around in Aryn's wound.
The atmosphere around Mister Utrix changes; a sharp glow of malice glistens in his eyes as he leans in closer to Aryn.
"So, tell me… are you a Devil?" he asks.
Aryn doesn't answer, causing Mister Utrix to grab Aryn's throat.
"Is there a Devil in you like that thing said!?" he yells.
I stop healing Aryn and strike Mister Utrix in the face.
He straightens up with a bewildered look on his face. Isla appears shocked by my action too. I, as well, am taken aback by my sudden response to his question.
Aryn starts chuckling. "Sorry Utrix, I honestly haven't a clue to what the Devil said about being in my body. Even if what the Devil said is true, this is my body, and I am still me," he responds.
Mister Utrix leans closer once again, but pulls back when I glare at him.
"Don't think you're getting past my bodyguard," Aryn mocks.
Lightning crashes down from the skies, erupting with loud thunder that shakes the city. The ground flies up into the sky, followed by icicles falling from above.
Isla taps Mister Utrix with her foot.
"What did Barin say or do to make the Devil agree to leave us be?" she asks.
Mister Utrix stands, stretching and cracking the bones in his back.
He sighs and rubs his head. "He didn't say anything—didn't really do anything either. He just held his hand towards it," Mister Utrix answers.
A loud crack ripples through the air.
"Guess I'll go provide what support I can," he states as he turns his back towards us. He waves and he flies off.
I sit, cradling Aryn as I continue to heal his wound. He's still bleeding, and the blood has started to flow faster again. I'm not sure if I can save him.
A tear falls from my eye, landing on Aryn's forehead.
He looks up at me and smiles.
"W-why…why can something so horrible exist?" I stutter.
Aryn is smiling at me, but his eyes look as if he is detached from us.
"Do you believe that Devil to be an embodiment of evil wickedness?" he asks.
"It has demonstrated sufficient evidence that it is," Isla answers.
Aryn begins laughing manically, then stops suddenly.
His sudden outburst startles Isla and me; Isla actually takes an offensive stance against him.
"If that Devil is true evil, then what of the Senate members that were controlling and experimenting on their own citizens for their amusement?" he questions. "There's already pure evil in our world; it's inside of every living thing. It's only a matter of perspective, after all. Who are we to decide what evil is to anyone but ourselves?"
I don't know how to answer his question. It appears neither does Isla. The words he just spoke are akin to those of the most enlightened individuals.
So many emotions are swirling within me; once again, I feel utterly insignificant to everything happening around me.
"Well, that's just my perspective on things," Aryn says with a grin.
Without any warning, the hole in Aryn's chest erupts with flames. In that instant, Aryn throws me towards one of the golems.
"What are you doing!?" Isla shouts.
Aryn slowly stands. He seems to be more confused than we are, as he examines the flaming wound. It must be painful; the heat from the one area is hot enough to slightly blister my skin.
Isla has the golems block us from direct contact with the light.
Aryn's skin begins to crack, like wood burning in a fire, spreading further from the wound.
"Aryn!" I shriek.
He raises his hand towards us. "I'm fine. If anything, I feel a sense of warmth and comfort from these flames," he answers.
His right eye catches fire, the white of his eye becomes a smoldering black.
He starts looking around as if he's trying to locate something.
"Do you two hear that voice too?" he asks. "Is there a survivor from the Chimeras around us?"
Isla looks at me. She doesn't say anything, but I can tell she thinks Aryn is going mad. I don't blame her if she were to arrive at that conclusion; the three of us are the only things alive down here.
He falls to his knees with a perplexed look upon his face. He covers his face with his hands; the flame in his right eye seems to glow more intense. He proceeds to scream,.. as though he's enraged.
Aryn slams his head into the ground with enough force to shatter the stone.
"I won't listen to you!"
He straightens up�
�� he's forehead is bleeding profusely, but his eyes look steeled with determination.
He slams his head into the ground yet again, this time creating a small crater.
"I won't listen," he repeats.
I step from behind the golem, with the intentions of refraining Aryn from further injuring himself. Even if it's minute, I'm the only one here who may be capable of providing some relief from his injuries.
I step forward when Isla pulls me back behind the golems.
"Do no leave the protection of the golem's body, no matter what afflictions may incur on the fool," she states.
I knew that Isla held Aryn with low regard. She never made an effort to hide that, but to think she despises him to this extent. Aryn stood against the Devil, while all we could do was cower. He managed to fight the Devil and made it admit defeat. He was stabbed through the chest for showing us the Devil could be bested. Even while lying in a pool of his own blood, among the terrible scene of death around us, he still finds a way to make us laugh.
I yank my arm away from Isla.
"How can you loathe a man as great as Aryn?" I question with a glare.
Isla glares back at me.
"Silver Knight," she chants.
One of her smaller golems appears from the ground, seizing me. She then proceeds to slap me across the check. The stinging pain outlines the shape of her hand.
"Recall the events that have transpired!" she exclaims. "The Devil, the cause for the countless corpses around us, claimed that the fool had a Devil merged to his body."
"B-but we don't know if the Devil's words were not meant to deceive us," I stammer.
"Do you think a being of such power would have the need to tell lies to those who are vastly weaker than it?" she rebuts.
I can't find words to disclaim her statement.
"See, you are unable to find any flaw in sound logic," she states.
The golem releases me. I don't make an effort to move from behind the golem.
She's right. I don't know why I even tried to refute her statement. Part of me believed what the Devil said about Aryn as soon as I heard it. I'm ashamed to admit, but I thought that would explain why he could withstand the attacks he had.
Why didn't I question if the Devil was lying. Why didn’t I have faith in Aryn?
Suddenly, Aryn leaps into the air from a prostrated position. He turns upright in the air, landing on his feet.
"Finally, it has been some time since I last had the sensation of touch," he says.
Something is different about Aryn. I can't explain what it is, but it appears Isla feels in as well. It's a sensation similar to the Devil, yet somehow more baneful.
Aryn looks at us, he gives a soft smile, but his eyes are emotionless.
"You two must be his friends that I have seen, though, I have seen a lot of his so-called... friends," he remarks.
"That's not Aryn," I say to Isla.
"No, it is not," she replies.
Whoever this person is, he approaches us.
As if we know that danger is approaching us, both Isla and I retreat several feet.
He stops walking, looking somewhat confused by our actions. That confusion is soon replaced with a wicked grin.
The presence of the person changes, becoming precisely like that of the Devil's. No, it's more vile and wicked than the Devil. Just standing near, it feels as if I'm on fire. This fear is nothing like what I felt when the Devil first appeared. I don't think I may die; I know I will.
"It would appear you two are fearful of my aura. However, it is fear that you have felt before," it jeers. "The Devil that entered your world is not but a little boy, who the other Devils wanted no part of. I will not kill you two, nor the other two in the air. Aryn would make things difficult for me if I were to do so," it states.
The ruins on Aryn's forearm begin to glow as his arm is raised into the air.
"Come forth, my Twilight," he says.
25
BARIN
Utrix and I have been keeping the Devil away from the others. It's a tedious task, but it has to be done for Aryn to have time to heal.
We don't have much to worry about regarding the Devil's capabilities. Aside from deciding what the meaning of death is, it only has immense strength and the ability to turn into shadows. I doubt it will use any corpses to attack us anymore, seeing as I can neutralize the effects. The ability to become a shadow is the most annoying thing the Devil is doing; the only way I can get an attack to land is to make an opening for Utrix to stop its movements.
A new presence appears in the city, causing Utrix and me to stop our assault. Even the Devil stops moving.
"It feels like the Devil's," Utrix remarks.
"Kekeke," the Devil snickers. "It would appear I was correct about that vermin being a Devil's host," it states.
Damn. Why did that asshole have to appear now of all times? There's gonna be two annoyances for me to deal with now.
The malice and killing intent exuding from the presence spikes; the location that Aryn landed shines.
Suddenly, a blinding light turns everything white. The air around me is almost scorching; the smell of burning wood and crackling fires overtake my senses.
"What in the fuck, was that!?" I hear Utrix shout.
I feel around my body for any wounds. I have blisters on the area of skin exposed to that flash, major burns as well.
"Are you injured?" I ask.
“The skin of my arm has been cooked to a crisp," Utrix answers.
I start applying strengthening incantations to myself to ease the pain from the burns. At the same time, I cast healing magic on the more painful areas.
Slowly, my vision returns to normal. Luckily, I wasn't blinded by the light. Just as I thought, the city is burning. Does that bastard plan on killing all of us?
"You vermin," the Devil calls.
I glance over in its direction; most of the Devil's torso is missing.
"What manner of attack was used to affect me so?" it growls. "Why am I unable to manipulate my body to replace my arm!?"
A wall of flame flies between us. The heat as it passes by is hot enough to burn my skin again.
"The three of you in the sky!" a voice from below calls out.
A man on fire is standing in the streets staring up at us.
"I lack the ability to fly, so I would greatly appreciate it if you were to come down here!" he shouts.
The Devil disappears into the night.
Utrix and I remain in the air, ascending and taking defensive measures, in fact. Since he's here, we'll have to exercise even more caution than with the Devil.
"Hey, that's Aryn… isn't it?" Utrix asks.
"It is, but it isn't at the same time," I answer.
Utrix floats over to me, taking me by the collar of my shirt; he pulls me towards him. He glares at me, doesn't try to hide his killing intent for me either.
"I've let you two go by without revealing too much about your past. That ends here, tell me what's Aryn doing… now," he growls.
Another burst of flames is launched behind Utrix.
"Do not make me repeat myself!" the one below shouts.
Utrix releases me and begins to descend to the ground.
He was pretty pissed, but can I really blame him? If possible, I would've preferred them not to see Aryn like this; it would've made it easier to ditch them whenever there was a chance to.
I fall towards the ground, calling upon a wall of air to cushion my fall just before impact.
He smiles as Utrix and I approach him. He has a sword in his hand;.. I don't recall him ever being a proficient swordsman. Actually… that's the decrepit sword that Aryn encountered in the warehouse. There may be a connection between him and that sword. I should be wary of it.
"Who, or what, are you?" Utrix immediately questions.
"You can say he's the source of Aryn's flames," I answer before he can. "He's not a Devil though, just all of the hatred that Aryn has lived with since he wa
s younger. It's easier to think of this guy as a personality that dwells within Aryn," I explain.
"Heh," he snickers. "I suppose that is not untrue," he says with a smirk. "I must say, I am a bit upset at the way you introduced me. It has been so long since we last conversed, Sage."
His killing intent is directed at me; it's still as searing as the last time I dealt with him. There's so much rage in him; it upsets me to know this is inside Aryn.
The Devil appears from the shadow behind Aryn's body. Its claws creep around his neck.
"Kekeke. So, I misjudged your sinister malice for that of a Devil?" it remarks.
The sword smolders as it turns to ash, swirling into the air.
"Where are my manners? I have yet to introduce myself," he states.
He proceeds the grab the Devil's wrist and pries its hand from his neck. The Devil seems confused at his actions; it better return to the shadows.
"You know, it is considered very rude to disappear when one is showing courtesy," he politely says.
He releases as the Devil yanks its arm away.
Much to the Devil's shock and amazement, a handprint has been seared onto him. I assume the Devil's confused as to how a shadow can be burnt.
"My name is," he pauses to ponder what to say. Following a moment of silence, he grins. "You may address me as Sur," he greets with a bow.
The Devil goes to shout when he is interrupted by Sur, raising his hand to silence him.
"I am sure that you three have many questions you wish to ask, or perhaps many things you wish to screech at me," he states. "However, I would like everyone to know that I intend to burn everything… indiscriminately," he explains.
With that, he begins to make his way away from us.
That mentality of his is the thing I despise most about him. His viewing of the order of the world is a disheartening one, to say the least. He's just walking rage and destruction; reducing all to cinders. If he feels like burning down a city or two, he will, for no other reason.
"Kekeke," the Devil cackles. "You dare turn your back on me, vermin?" it asks.
Sur stops his stride. His sickening aura flares like flames ever so briefly before dying down.
He turns to face us, still wearing that light-hearted smile. He starts back to us. Look at this fucker's gait, like he's taking an evening stroll through the woods.
Avarice Twilight Page 25
