When my father died, he left me with so many unanswered questions and an alcoholic mother who had a list of strict rules.
I broke one rule.
Just one.
Had I known that I would be the cause of another creation being let loose onto the Earth, I would...
When Bishop and I woke up we got off at another location that was spacious with little trees and people. Once we were out of sight and away from the train tracks, I looked at her and frowned. "You left me." I could feel myself getting angry. All of me wanted to confront her, ask her what she was and why was she a wanted person. I couldn't stop myself.
"Who are you!" I raised a hand at her.
She frowned and took a defense stand, raising her hands at me. "You need to stop and listen."
"I'm listening!" I showed my palms. "You can't keep treating me like I'm your enemy."
She didn't say anything. She looked down at the ground and sighed. "I don't mean too, Helena," She looked back up at me. "I don't want to leave you."
"Why would you think that? Why, Bishop? You can tell me."
She shook her head and returned to a normal stance. "I'm sorry, I can't."
"Then how am I supposed to protect you?" I ask her. "It's going to be okay. I just need your help."
She sighed and looked at me. "I lied to you."
"What? About what?"
"I knew who you were when you told me about the rings," she said. "I knew about it because...because...I'm Dasdamon's daughter."
I couldn't believe what she had told me. Bishop was the daughter of the same demon that took my father. The controller of the rings. The king demon.
"His banished daughter. I lost my powers, a long time ago," she continued. "I had the ring in my hand the day I was banished, 4000 years ago."
My eyes budged. My mouth dangled. Every moving, pumping, and living thing in me froze. I couldn't fully fathom what I was hearing. I looked at her, up and down. Her human form was so...human. Not like a 4000 year old being.
"What happened?" I licked my lips. The words could barely escape my lips. I was thirsty and hungry and confused.
She turned away and looked at the ground. I don't know what came over me. I grabbed her by the shirt and turned her around. With both hands on her shoulder, I starred into her eyes. "You lied to me. I trusted you and you will tell me the truth."
The both of us looked at my ring as soon as it began to glow. Bishop pushed me off of her and I stumbled a few steps back, surprised by her strength. Something was different about that push. There was emotion in it. Emotions of anger.
"He threatened to kill my mother if I didn't give him the ring," she continued. "I...I was the only demon who had ever spoke against my dad. Spoke out to what was right. My mother wanted to protect me, but my mother couldn't. She also took a softness to the humans. Demons don't normally like them. We kill them. We feel as they took our land and Dasdamon believes God choose them over us. That God gave more to the people he made from clay though we are made from fire. When he slaughter a whole town. that, my mom spoke out."
Bishop paused and looked around. My eyes darted around with her. No one was there.
"He tried to kill her but I used my powers against him and...I removed one of his horns. The clan was shocked and my mom began reprimanding me. She...hurt me in front of the clan and said I needed to learn my lesson. Dasdamon announced that we were no longer apart of them and he demanded the rings. My mom gave him hers but then, I panicked."
"What happened?" I asked.
"We ended up in a field. I ended up here alone at first without my mom for a while though she was near," she went on. "My mother...eventually found me but I had lost the ring. Whatever I did and however I transported, I had no idea what happened to the ring. I lost it. Eventually my mother found me and kept me safe, but Dasdamon had already took her powers and she didn't know how to live as a human. When we learned we had to eat and drink water and do this and that, she died. During the winter. Right in front of me. I haven't seen my father since and lived here for years alone."
I remained quiet, wiping tears that fell slowly. I was sad about the story but sad that everything I knew about Bishop was a lie.
"The truth is, that's my ring," she sighed heavily with tears in my eyes. "but I can't do good with it. Not like you. I'm made of fire, meaning I'd only cause destruction." She smiled at me. A very faint smile. "But you, Helena. You can do good. I see the light in you."
She laughed.
"What?" I said. "What's so funny?"
"I'm so old."
Ignoring her. I nodded. "You can't age anymore? And how do we stop your father?"
She shrugged. "You kill him. And yeah, I'm stuck this age without my ring. It's only a matter of time."
***
The sky was cloudy, soon to welcome a nice cool rain on us. Lord knows we needed it. Tired, we quickly spotted a river a few feet away. Trees swayed back and fourth, waving us down and telling us to relax. The river glistened, it too welcoming and reminding us we've come a long way.
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Bishop jumped right in. There was no crazy current just yet. I followed behind her and cooled off myself. The two of us standing in one spot just letting our hands splash water on ourselves. I felt so relief. If there was a river, there was a town. We were startled by a rattling noise behind us in the trees. We looked behind us to see Joe. He was stuck in the mud, waist down, reaching out at us like a zombie.
"Is that-" Bishop started walking towards him. I followed.
"It is," I said. "He's stuck."
He looked at me and shook his head. "You don't know how to use your powers," he gestured to his waist. "I can teach you, but first I need a favor."
"Let's go Helena," Bishop grabbed me and we began to run. I looked back.
"I can help you find your mother! But first I need that ring!" He called out.
We kept running. Bishop pushed me to keep going. "Why does he want the ring so badly?" She asked.
I wasn't sure why he wanted it. Power? To be in control? I didn't know and I didn't trust him.
