56 – Something is Wrong

Something was wrong. After weeks in the harsh mountains, Frederick had finally tracked them down. He had his target right in front of him. She was badly wounded, and almost out of mana. He could kill her. It might not have been easy, but it was very possible.

Yet he couldn’t bring himself to move.

He sensed the beast in the cave. He sensed the boy running from it. He knew that if he kept delaying, the beast would come out to interrupt them. But he just stood and watched as the demon boy emerged and the Reaper told him to run. He didn’t even try to interfere.

She’s right there! he told himself. She’s the one who killed Ivan!

He looked at her and tried to muster up the hatred and anger that he knew he should have felt, but it wouldn’t come. She was more pitiful than hateable. She was clearly in terrible shape, and on her last legs. Her arm was gone, and she was not putting any weight on her left leg. She was on the verge of death.

Why isn’t she dead?

It just didn’t make sense. If the boy was a demon, he would have killed her. He would not have dragged her through the wilderness all this time. He would have let her die, and then eaten her. He would not have risked his life to try to escape with her.

And the boy…

“A five year old boy named Jonny with brown hair and golden eyes. He may claim to be a Visionary, but he is not. He may appear human, but he is not. He is a well-disguised greater demon, and should be killed on sight before he can gather enough power to wreak havoc on the world.”

The mission briefing was clear. He had read it over a dozen times, and committed it to heart. The boy in front of him was exactly as described, but everything just felt off. Why would a demon risk his life to lure out a beast as a distraction? Why would someone as renowned and experienced as the Reaper put herself into such a state for a greater demon. And why wouldn’t the demon capitalize on it?

Something was very wrong.

Frederick watched the boy hesitate near the cave entrance. He clearly didn’t want to run, but knew he had to, but he didn’t want to leave the Reaper behind. A demon wouldn’t do that, no matter how good they were at staying in character. It couldn’t be true.

That boy is no demon. He can’t be.

A terrible thought suddenly crossed his mind as he thought back to what he had been told when he arrived at St. Elena’s. Jonny had supposedly slain an assassin aimed after him while still inside the orphanage. Ivan had arrived to help, and when he got to the orphanage, Igrette had tricked him into following her out into the woods and then ambushed him.

But how would she have done that? Ivan’s orders were “kill on sight.” If he had been following orders, they would not have made it to the woods in the first place. The boy would have died. The only reason he would have gone… is if he agreed to a Holy Duel. And the only reason he would have agreed to a Holy Duel instead of following orders was if he thought there was a possibility that his orders were wrong. And if he then lost the Holy Duel…

The boy finally made up his mind and began to run away. Frederick watched him go, not making a move. When he disappeared into the storm, he looked back at the Reaper. No, Igrette.

“Well?” she said. “What are you waiting for?”

“Why did you kill Ivan?” Frederick called.

“It was a Holy Duel,” she replied. “Ivan believed Jonny to be a demon. I disagreed. The Lord declared me the victor.”

“Do you swear on the Lord and all that is holy that what you said is the truth?”

“May he strike me down if it isn’t.”

Frederick gritted his teeth, and turned to face the cave where the beast was rapidly approaching.

“Go.”

Igrette didn’t move.

“Go!” he shouted. “Before I change my mind.”

Igrette hesitated only a moment before turning to run, and right as she did, the beast emerged. It was a great serpent with pitch black scales and fangs as tall as he was dripping with venom. It was well into the fourth layer, and from its size alone, it was formidable. He wouldn’t be able to defeat it easily, if at all, and if he tried, the reaper and the boy would most certainly escape.

But he drew his sword and stepped up to face it anyway, as Ivan’s killer disappeared into the stormy woods.

***

Tears froze on Jonny’s face as he sprinted through the woods, buffeted by gusts of wind and mana. He had run. He had run away like a coward and left Igrette to die. He didn’t want to. He would have gladly stayed and died at her side, but he had made a promise, and he didn’t want her death to be in vain. For her to go through all of that, only for him to die at the end… he couldn’t do that to her.

I never said it back, he thought. Why didn’t I say it back?

He had to live. He was going to live. And he was going to find that inquisitor bastard who did the deed and make him pay. And the one who gave him the orders. And–

A shadow appeared in his periphery, and it was only pure instinct that allowed him to duck in time. Something whizzed right over him, and he felt a burning on his back as sharp claws cut into his jacket and sliced his back. When he looked to see what had attacked, all he saw was a spotted tail disappearing into the snowstorm.

“Fuck off!” he shouted after it. “Just fuck off!”

He tried to run further, but it was only a minute before he heard something behind him. He did not even fully process what it was. All he knew was that it was there, and that he had to get out of the way.

He lurched to the side, but wasn’t quite quick enough. Something slammed into his back, sending him spinning, barely able to keep his feet. He stumbled to a stop, just in time to see a big cat regain its own footing, and leap away, once again disappearing into the woods.

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“Okay, fine, then!” he shouted. “Fucking come at me! Stop being a coward and fight me!”

He slowly spun around, trying to find some sign of the beast, but he saw nothing. He heard nothing. It was a miracle he had even heard the second attack over the sound of the wind and his own footsteps.

“FUCKING COWARD!” he shouted, his voice hoarse.

Again, he heard something. A subtle change in the wind from directly behind. He spun around, just in time to see the cat flying directly at him. There was no time to dodge. All he could do was get his hands out to soften the blow.

He slammed into the ground, the leopard landing hard on his chest, claws outstretched and stabbing through his jacket. Its jaws were wide open right above its face. Jonny spit into its mouth, and punched upward at its throat. Neither the spit, nor the punch did anything. With its full weight on his chest, he couldn’t get the leverage for the blow, and the spit was always more disrespectful than anything.

Fuck, he thought. All that, just to die to some stupid cat.

He gathered his saliva, hoping for one last act of defiance when suddenly, the weight on his chest disappeared. Another dark shadow slammed into the leopard, and both went flying off to the side, Jonny scrambled to his feet and ran toward where they had disappeared in the snow. He found the leopard struggling while pinned down by a sword stabbed directly through its heart. The one-armed weilder of the sword was kneeling beside it, slumped forward with her hand on the hilt.

“Igrette!” Jonny shouted, sprinting toward her.

Right as he arrived, her grip on her sword loosened, and she started to fall over to the side. Jonny caught her before she could fall all the way down, helping her lay down more gently, and away from the still-twitching claws of the leopard.