Half-Bloods R • 2 : Growing Shadows

C • 23 : The Ancient Spire, The Lonely Throne

Vaelan opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by black bricks, pale light flickering in through the open ceiling. Wind sang its way across the stone walls and splashed against his face.

He knew this place well, it was his destiny and home, his birthplace and the location of his second death yet to come. He was home in the tenth spire of the Demon Realm, yet in the mere seconds that he sat and thought, he questioned whether this was where he truly wanted to be when Demi was back on Earth- back in the Mortal Realm. He sighed, leaning back into a lonely throne that he realized sat beneath him for the first time. He looked around the tower and saw grey stairs creeping up the black walls that lead to the doors of the abyss. In every direction there was an open archway with no door, all the way to the top of the spire were doors and more doors.

He was lost without Demi, bored out of his mind and bland. Was this really the life that his mother not only lead but enjoyed? He leaned into the armrest of the throne and pressed his chin even further into his palm. He sat and surveyed the room around him, then stared blankly at the wall for what felt like hours. He growled, this wasn't what he wanted, he would gladly fight for his fellow demonics, gladly fight for Demi, but sit and wait for danger to come to him? No. This wasn't his life, not yet.

He stood up and spread his wings to leave, and was lifting into the air when a commanding voice struck at him.

"Leaving so soon, Vaelan?"

He landed and spun back toward the throne. Leaning against its backing was Decimii, jade cracks dropped from her eyes like a delta, and her sharp green eyes pierced him like spines. She clicked her stiletto nails against the grey stone throne, baring her fangs at him.

He turned away and spread his wings again, "I won't sit here and wait for danger when the realm could benefit from me seeking it out."

"Sit down, you damn brat! You and your sister have gone unchecked with immense power for far too long!" She raised a hand and clenched it into a fist, summoning a cage of giant nails to trap him and wedge his wings between the magical metals. "I promised your mother I'd keep you safe, and that's exactly what I'll do, even if it means beating some sense into you!"

He scoffed, grabbing one of the nails and snapping it in half, the sound echoed throughout the spire, ringing in his ears. He folded his wing back in and freed the other one, folding it in as well. Vaelan crossed his arms, rapping his fingers impatiently against his forearm as Decimii walked up to the cage. He looked her up and down, she wore colorful clothes, a short navy blue dress with a single strap, covered in patches with various pieces of art, each patch depicting a scene of her triumphs and victories. Wrapped around her waist were about a dozen colored cloths, and around her wrists were silver bands. She was dressed nicely, as if for a show, why?

"You know, I'm the greater here."

She smacked him, her eyes burning with frustration.

"I may be a lesser, but I've been alive for far longer than you, Vaelan," she growled his name through gritted teeth and tore away the front of the cage.

Decimii grabbed him by the hair and, in response, Vaelan immediately grabbed her arm with full intent to break it, but quickly stopped when she put a fingernail to his throat. He huffed and was then tossed back onto the throne.

They remained in silence for a long while, which Vaelan was thankful for. He didn't have to listen to Decimii berating him, though he had to admit that he was quite powerless in the Demon Realm. He didn't have nearly enough years in him to be called a spire lord, and yet, this was his destiny. He couldn't deny it, it was what he was born to do. When he died, it would become his job to act as the true spire lord just as his mother did and wished. He took a breath, this was his spire now, he would have to meet the other eleven greeters and their lessers, he would have to claim his own lessers and prove his worth. Suddenly, he realized that the weight of the realm was on his shoulders. No more being a mortal on Earth, here, he was a full demonic, a greater archdevil.