Chasing Demons

CHAPTER 8

A true monster

James had always been a tall guy in that and many other regards my brother was the opposite of me. He was a pillar in both his stature but also his manners calm but never spineless, just never needed to raise his voice to get his point across. It was a trait my father admired in him that I had always lacked. I was a total child in comparison emotional and so very petty I guess it was why military service was never going to work for me. I had never been good at just following orders and my teachers had suffered greatly learning that. I had tried hard to rain it in as I grew older but I was still an emotional idiot or I would not have reacted this way. Alastor had let me in after leaving me like an abandoned child at a mall. I did not get a good look at my surroundings as I entered no my eyes focused solely on the man in front of me. A few details were off like the horns but despite the changes, I recognized him, and then I moved to grip onto him feeling a flash of pure anger. "What the fuck happened to you," I shouted. Familiar eyes narrowed at me fuck he was even taller now. "Just fucking answer me what happened did you do this, or did someone do this to you? "My voice slowly quieted down as I swallowed trying to keep my voice even. "Are you not going to say anything, James?" the last question was more of a whisper. Silence stretched out between us until I could not take it anymore and lashed out my hand barely managing to move before he grappled it tightly. Then before I could do anything he picked me up like I weighed nothing I struggled before quickly realizing he was way stronger than me to an inhuman degree.

"Seems like you guys are having a happy family reunion, I rather not intrude on the moment," Alastor grinned before leaving us just two. "You should not be here," James' voice was raspy, and the words hit me like a slap to the face. "Not be here? Fuck you I have been stranded back on earth not even allowed to know what the fuck happened to you just some vague nonsense about you being MIA." I barely took a breath before continuing; "and do you know all the things I had to do to get here? Someone is fucking dead because of all of this, so no, fuck you, you do not get to tell me I should not be here." I was ready to keep arguing my case, as James interrupted me; "you should not be here, it is not safe, or have you not noticed what kind of place this is?" I gave him a deadpan look, of course, I had that was not the point. "Do not give me that look you are acting like an idiot, Caleb." Right of course I was. "You should not be here seriously I wanted you as far away from here as possible. Do you have any idea what they might do to you here?" the sheer fear in my brother's voice made me stiffen. The thing from the hallway haunted my mind for a moment. "Then why can we not just leave?" I asked. "Do you remember how you got here?" James asked, I nodded yes it was through Alastor's weird magic. Fuck I was an idiot, "I have been so stupid, we cannot leave without that weird magic right?" The silence was answer enough.

*

Alastor was not an asshole the description was too mild too petty, no, that guy was a straight-up monster a fucking sadist. I am not sure what James had ever done to the demon, but the guy hated my brother. James had been clinging to me tightly as the fucker made his return as merry as ever; "it seems like you guys have had plenty of time to catch up with each other now, so James are you going to keep being difficult, or are you willing to play nice for your brother's sake?" "Leave him out of this," James replied; "if you behave then I will gladly do so, otherwise, well let us just say your brother has not been the most pleasant traveling companion, and I may have some gripes to settle with him." The promise in that sentence made me flinch, this was all too much. Hesitantly I was put down as James followed Alastor as they were leaving the demon waved at me; "do not get any funny ideas about leaving without my help you are stuck here and I assume I do not have to remind you how dangerous this place is for an outsider." I nodded weakly in response, but the demon seemed satisfied as they both left. As soon as they were gone I broke. Maybe it was the presence of my brother keeping it at bay before, but tears flooded my eyes and I huddled myself together. This was the end I was going to die here or something even worse. Why the fuck had I ever thought this was a good idea? There had been so many red flags, and I had taken them as nothing but an invitation. I was so dumb not only that but I had fucked over James now too. What would Alastor make him do just to keep me safe? My mind supplied a few unhelpful ideas, which I tried to ignore by biting down on my tongue.

Alastor had returned without James. I could not help but keep my focus on him keenly aware of the danger he posed and even more of how little I could do about it. "You somehow managed to stay quiet for this long; I must say I am impressed your presence is a tad less loathsome like this might be worth making it permanent, though your brother was so insistent I did not hurt your flesh." I glared at him but kept my stupid mouth shut for once, it was not worth giving James more trouble. The taste of blood coated my mouth "you know you humans are so funnily irrational at times like orcs but still way smarter it is a joy to see you make such a mess of yourself. Orcs you see are too dumb to ever be properly reborn and the elves are too cold and restrained to ever walk that path. Honestly, I thought I would be left alone here with a few of my comrades never to get my justice." It was great being monologue at guess the fucker enjoyed having a captured audience. I bit my tongue again restraining myself from giving a snarky comment on the speech. "But then I discovered you guys a people filled with non-believers ripped for the picking all I had to do was to get you here, and then everything sorted itself out so perfectly. My revenge against the elves for the genocide they committed against us, and the option to replenish our ranks." The sheer happiness radiating from the monster was making me feel sick, and I could not hold my words back any longer; "you are telling me you are the reason for all of this the gate the fucking war all of this suffering is all because of you?" Alastor gave me a wide grin "yes and it is so wonderful to see your reaction knowing you will never be able to do anything with that knowledge." I opened my mouth to reply just to close it again I had no words to describe my loathing for this guy, a rare moment for me. I had never been lacking words before now, but this was just another level of fucked up.