Cedric the Demonic Knight

by Valerie Willis

  “Oh, what do I see there?” Merlin’s eyes drifted their focus to Cedric’s left hand. “You can’t be serious? A wedding band on a demon’s hand is improper and insulting. Let me fix that.”

  The pale blue in his eyes brightened to an azure blue. Pain erupted across Cedric’s left ring finger as the gold band turned red with unnatural heat. Melting and burning, it flowed through his finger and bone like a hot knife. Screaming from the horrid pain from the wizard’s heat, his finger dropped to the floor as the golden ring melted into the black marble, sparking and sputtering as it seeped out of sight. Angeline paled as she only felt extreme pleasure from the tormenting scene. Despite the agony, Cedric could sense the fears from Angeline and choking back the tears he gathered what words he could. This damn curse is taking her from me, but I will not let it win!

  “Angeline, remember that sensation well!” His tears flowed heavier as she watched in shock. “I promise you that no matter what, you will never feel pain again! And as long as you feel my touch through our bond, know that I am still searching for you!”

  Grunting, Merlin pulled her tighter to him and in a rush of wind, they both vanished.

  Cedric sunk to his knees, despair swallowing him completely as his reason for living was gone. Left in his mind was her horrified face at feeling electrifying ecstasy from his ring melting through his finger. Slinking forward, he punched the marble floor in anger, staring woefully down at his own finger where it lay. Guilt came crushing down on him, Why didn’t I try? I should have made a dash for her. Merlin needed her alive, why did I stop thinking? Was my fear and panic that overwhelming that it cost me everything I ever wanted, ever needed? I am so sorry; I failed you, my Angel. Demon is a worthy name for a creature as pitiful as me. I will find you, this I will promise you. As long as you breathe, and I feel your pain, I will spend every second of my miserable existence to undo this curse and save you from your torture.

  “You’re a pitiful sight.” Morrighan’s melodious voice was trying to break through, but the new body she controlled made it difficult. “First off, I have no more quarrels with you. I just desire to be free of my own curse and I am pleading for you to help me expel Beelzebub.”

  “Sorceress, you will have to ask elsewhere.” The dripping of his tears against the floor rung out over the yelping and roars of the war that was still raging on down the hall. “I am neither a miracle worker nor a priest of any kind. Seek help elsewhere and leave me to my mourning.”

  “Are you not a vampire?”

  “What of it?”

  “Vampires can expel possessions with a single bite.”

  After a moment, he looked back at the disfigured creature that looked at him with desperate eyes. He could hear her sister Badbh’s words echoing in his mind, if you figure out a way to set Morrighan free, I would owe you for the rest of my life. Climbing to his feet again, he towered over her; tears no longer came to his eyes. His mind flew with thoughts and ideas, plans were already forming within him. With extreme force, he jerked her monstrous head to the side. His fangs dug angrily into her, heat from Beelzebub’s being was burning his mouth as he pulled the demon’s soul apart from Morrighan’s body. Cedric’s eyes opened wide as his instincts kicked in and he began drinking heavily. The immense power that Beelzebub had contained was still carrying the weight of the binding of Boto. In his mind, he could hear the shouts of anger from the prince of demons as his soul sunk back into hell, lacking the power it once carried. This was enough power to put him closer to the strength of Romasanta, but if he was planning to take Merlin on, he would have to acquire more than the strength of the Father of Werewolves.

  Releasing her upon the last of the burning liquid was swallowed; Morrighan fell to the ground, her human form pulling itself back to normal before his eyes. She was panting while gripping the ravaged bite on her neck. Cedric wiped the blood off his mouth and chin, a look of disgust on his face. There was so much he had to do before he could get Angeline back, he knew nothing of whom this wizard Merlin was.

  “I, I owe you my life, Cedric.” Morrighan was pale and sweat covered her shivering body. “I didn’t think any creature could handle absorbing him out of me, but you were capable. Ha, his own creation sent him back to hell after all.”

  “Merlin, who is he?”

  “He is a wizard who strives for immortality. When magic users like him, or us, fully devote ourselves to a specific school of magic to the point of obsession without distraction, we can obtain immortality or god status. It rarely happens anymore. Though his practice is with manipulating time, he fails to devote himself to the art completely. He has too many desires of destroying demons and other magic wielders as well as wanting to rule over men. Mankind is his highest priority since they pose no threat or challenge to him.” She lay mournfully on Boto’s cold chest as she spoke, “But there is no telling where in time he is hidden, and Avalon is impossible to visit without being allowed access by Merlin or having a blood relation to the same line. You may never—”

  “I will find a way, and when I do, you and your sisters will be called upon. Be ready.”

  Walking over to the large black heap of Barushka’s cold body, he knelt. After a moment of frowning down at the large shag foal, he gently slid his sword from his hairy chest. Sheathing his sword, he began walking down the hall. His thoughts working out every move he will need to make, every task that will need completing in order to secure Angeline’s rescue. The war was starting to die off with dead piles of werewolves and monstrous creations lying on the floor. Halfway to this lifeless pile he paused, looking back at Barushka where he still laid. “We don’t have all day, Barushka Matushka.”

  The great horse erupted into flames once more as he stood. Cantering up beside him, Barushka shook his head, snorting and huffing as Cedric mounted him. With a few clicks from Cedric, they took off, riding past the castle gates and raced by Romasanta. The Father of Werewolves was killing off the last of both his cursed ones and the chimeran. He paused in his activities as he watched them ride by in great speed, knowing all too well the look Cedric wore on his face. He had completed their deal, but Angeline was not with him. Something grave had happened inside that black castle, and Cedric would call many to aid the battle that would ensue.

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Rusty’s Bar, Present Day

  “…And that was the last time I saw her.” Cedric’s green eyes were dull under his baseball cap as they stared far off to another time and place. He rubbed the nub of his left ring finger for a moment before returning a glance to the bartender, Tony. “That’s how I lost the love of my life and my finger.”

  “Wow.” Tony scratched the back of his head, unsure how to take in such a wild tale. “That’s some story, Cedric. I couldn’t imagine how you must have felt just seeing her disappear like that.”

  “Well, I am getting closer these days to getting her back.” Cedric took a sip of his drink, a smile gracing his lips. “Thank you for letting me share my story with you in the last several weeks. Sorry to be a bother.”

  “None at all, after the first few Thursdays, I looked forward to hearing you share more of it.” Tony was doing his routine of cleaning the shelves as he idly chatted with his red-haired regular. “The only other guy who comes in is the homeless man in the back corner over there. He never orders anything and the boss told me to leave him be, Rusty seems terrified of the guy.”

  “I noticed that.” Gulping down the rest of his glass, he slid it towards Tony. “In fact, can you put that bottle of top shelf vodka on my tab and send it his way.”

  “Really?” Picking up the bottle of vodka and an empty glass, Tony gave him a quizzical look. “That’s a first for you, are you feeling well? I don’t think I have ever seen you buy anyone a drink?”

  “Much better than normal to be honest.” Cedric leaned back in the stool and shot a glance to the back booth. “A lonely soul deserves a good drink, if you ask me.”

  Tony walked the bottle back and the large homeless man looke
d back at Cedric with an accepting nod. He was a broad-shouldered man, with big brown eyes, and a scruffy beard. He remained silent as Tony left to return behind the bar. Refilling Cedric’s glass, he went back to taking inventory and continuing the conversation.

  “So what does a guy do over so many centuries?” He shot a look back expecting a smirk, but found that sad distant look in Cedric’s green eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “No, you are right. What does a man or demon do with so much time?” He down the glass and flicked his finger for more, sorrow in his voice as he continued. “I wish I could say I was very productive, but there were centuries of sulking or dedicating myself to research and further knowledge. There were battles fought, and many friends and family loss in that time. Not to mention the pain I felt and knew she was going through…”

  There was a moment of silence as Cedric’s voice failed him. Tony waited for him to come back to the present, setting down his clipboard. He could not help but wonder if the wild tale he had been hearing from the regular had some truth to it. Cedric’s green eyes shot up startling Tony, as they demanded his attention. A smirk came back to his face, and a hint of a fang sent Tony’s hair on end. Perhaps he had been serving a demon over these several months.

  “Tony, let me tell you about the fall of Vladimir. Perhaps a story about how I indefinitely became the last of my family for quite some time might help you understand the depths of the loneliness I have felt.” He leaned back onto the bar top, his usual stance for telling his stories. “When I left Morrighan’s castle, I had managed a huge growth in power, but it was not enough to challenge a wizard as old and clever as Merlin. The years that followed, I had used new and old connections to shift my focus on ancient tomes and folklores about the man who stole what was mine. I even joined a monastery for some time, to gain access to unimaginable libraries that still lay hidden today. Strangely enough, I was able to find some peace for once in my life there. Some of the monks feared me, as I would pale and sweat at any given moment. I was struggling with those moments of pain I received from Angeline, so it was one of my better decisions in life going there.”

  The bell on the door called both of them to take a glance, interrupting the story.

  “Ugh, it’s a shitty time for a blizzard.” The girl was tall and she had shoulders like a gymnast. Agitated, she shook snow flurries from the wild curls of her deep purplish toned hair. “Couldn’t you have rescheduled this, Cedric?”

  “Weather is weather. You’ve been around long enough to not be bothered by it.” Cedric sat up as he smirked at the woman. “Where’s your sisters?”

  “No worries, they are on their way, but it seems it may be a few weeks.” Flopping in the stool next to him she huffed, her lips and chin looking awkward to Tony with such a horrific scar across them. “Gimme some Jonnie! Make it a double neat, no, a triple. Why the hell not?”

  “You two know each other?” Tony looked confused as he poured the triple shot of Jonnie Walker and slid it over to the woman who tossed her thick black coat off on another stool. “From your story, Cedric?”

  A coy smile crossed Cedric’s face as he pulled his hood down, placed his cap on the bar top revealing his hair that pulled back into a ponytail, red with its black tips. “Yes, that’s correct. Tony, meet Badbh. Badbh, this is Tony, that bartender I was telling you about.”

  “Badbh?” He watched in amazement as she took the triple down all at once, her cheeks reddening from the feat as she exhaled, slamming the glass on the table. “The battle goddess?”

  “AH! That’s one way to warm your ass up!” She was obnoxiously loud as she hugged onto Cedric. “When was the last time you and I sat down for a drink like this?”

  “Not long enough if you ask me.” A lonesome sigh escaped Cedric’s lips before he leaned back, looking over his shoulder at the ever-silent homeless man in the back. “Anyhow, I was about to tell Tony about what happened to Vladimir.”

  “Oh?” Badbh’s voice went soft as she looked on in curiosity. “I haven’t heard this story either. Do not let me stop you, I’ve been wondering about what happened myself.”

  “Yes, please tell me what happened to your, grandfather was it?” Tony poured more Jonnie for Badbh as he turned his attention back to Cedric. “I thought he was a vampire. Don’t they live forever?”

  “A strigoi, the pureblood, does have a lifespan nearing immortality.” Cedric looked pleased that Tony was paying attention to the retelling of his life as he wet his throat once more with the burning liquor. “And yes, Vladimir was my grandfather by blood. Unfortunately, he lost himself when Charlotte passed and written in History as several people. Vlad the Great was the man I met, but he then became Vlad the Impaler in the 1400’s.”

  “Wait.” Tony pulled a stool behind the bar and took a seat as he mulled the name over. “Isn’t that who Dracula is based on?”

  “Yes, he was also known as Dracula.” Pushing the empty glass away, Cedric paused a moment while Tony topped it off. “That name was given to him by the strigoi and then it was Sultan Mehmed the Second who sent word to me about my responsibilities to take him down.”

  “He was killing people and devastating the Romanian and the Turks.” This was history that Tony was intrigued and knew something about. For once, he could carry some of the conversation. “Isn’t his death a mystery? Or the whereabouts of his body?”

  “No, far from it kid.” Badbh leaned back as she too indulged in the information. “The purebloods reserve the first wave of bringing their own kind down for Family. Last I heard, Vladimir had been hunting down his own kind and sucking them dry. He was begging to be put down.”

  “Yea, he was shrinking the vampire society drastically and with uncanny speed. I was a monk at the time when the Ottoman soldiers showed at our doors looking for me…” Cedric rubbed his neck a moment as he continued with his life’s story.

  Chapter Twenty-Three: The Sultan’s Request

  Cedric had agreed to leave the Monastery with the Sultan’s guard. It was clear he had already stayed among the monks for far too long, and whispers of his ageless complexion were starting to scare some of his fellow brothers. He traveled far across Europe and further east to an area called Anatolia with the guardsmen. This was a place with harsh history, and at the current state of the world, the Ottoman’s were not to a power to oppose. Brought before the Sultan, he looked misplaced and pale compared to the people that lived in this hot dry land.

  With a wave of Sultan Mehmed the Second’s hand, everyone left the throne room. The doors thudded closed, echoing throughout the white and golden hall. After a moment of exchanging stares in silence, the Sultan spoke.

  “Stand Cedric,” He motioned for Cedric to stand on his feet. “I know who and what you are, unlike the blind that we live among.”

  “My reputation still holds after all this time, keh.” Cedric gave him a scowl as he shifted to a more relaxed stance. “And I am surprised that a strigoi would be living in a place so full of light.”

  “Ah, you are no fool. Vladimir’s grandson is as clever as they have said you would be.” There was a chuckle before he continued. “Do you know why I have brought you here?”

  “Honestly, no.” Sighing, he looked over the short, plump vampire. His skin strange with its dark skin and the brown eyes he held did not show any of the customary signs of a strigoi. It was only the scent and the moroi within Cedric that had told him what the Sultan was. “Why have you brought me here?”

  “You have a responsibility to tend to.” A grave look crossed the Sultan’s face as he sat down in his throne. “Vladimir has vowed to wipe the world of strigoi, but he has also killed many innocents in his lustful hunt for gaining powers from the others. Are you familiar with our customs?”

  “Of course I am.” Cedric’s jaw twitched as he confirmed what he knew. “Being the closest blood relative, it is my duty to hunt and kill Vladimir. This is due to the higher possibility of knowing his skills, matching his abili
ties, and even possibly being immune to more lethal attacks.”

  “Yes, yes.” He stroked his chin a moment, noting the tension Cedric held. “It is a horrible task, but if he is not stopped…”

  “I will leave at once. Where may I find my Grandfather?” Cedric was growing irritated with the situation.

  “Being a monk, I would consult his private monastery at Lake Snagov.” Turning on his heels, Cedric left the Sultan alone at his throne.

  #

  Barushka huffed as the blizzard blew hard against them. The mountain paths during the peak of winter were treacherous, but Cedric had no patience to wait out the weather. His thoughts trailed on about the task-at-hand. He had his assumptions as to why Vladimir would go on such a path of destruction, but this was the only blood family he had. It had been a comforting thought to know that Vladimir was out there in the world with him. Wylleam had died of old age and he had travelled far to devote himself as a monk to gain access to libraries that were unknown to even the pureblood’s knowledge. If he had to kill Vladimir, then he would be alone, with only the comforts of the pain he felt from Angeline’s never-ending torment.

  That was the single sensation they could exchange at the distance they were. Searing, bloodletting, and unspeakable sensations plagued him. All he could assume is that Merlin had continued to fail on breaking their bond. His binding was too strong for the magic and techniques he had access to. Never had Cedric thought that Angeline would still be alive after so long, but Morrighan had explained that the island of Avalon knows no time. He just needed a ticket onto the island. Hunting lineage of possible relatives to the ancient wizard was proving to be difficult.

  Stomping and bopping his head, Barushka neighed with excitement to see the Monastery’s tower through the darkened skies of the blizzard. It sat on an isle on the frozen lake and a small stable hugged it to one side. Crunching their way through the snow and ice, they managed to reach the shelter of the warm stable. Cedric took a moment to unsaddle and brush Barushka down. Since Angeline was gone, the two of them had grown closer. A smile crossed his lips as he imagined this must have been the comforting sensation that Angeline had found in the shag foal before they…