Angelic Omen

Execution

I managed to get well enough to go to the castle finally. I still felt like crap, but Larux probably doesn't want me dallying too much longer.

I nodded to the angel guards at the door as they opened it, allowing me passage into the castle. I was almost immediately met by Kyrlas. He smiled when he saw me.

"Hello, Inarix. Good to see you well," Kyrlas nodded in acknowledgement.

"It's good to be back here. Being stuck at home is no fun," I forced a smile.

"I have something I need to show you. I was hoping you'd be good to come today because of it," Kyrlas said, "Follow me."

Curious now, I followed Kyrlas through the elaborate labyrinth that was the castle. He lead me down a hall I hadn't seen before, to a heavy metal door with two guards outside. The door's material was really all that was unusual about it, there were lots of guards here.

One of the guards, seeming to recognize Kyrlas as the captain, pulled a key seemingly from inside his spear and unlocked the door. It creaked and scraped the ground with a heavy screeee, but the angel seemed to open it with ease. Kyrlas nodded to him, and motioned for me to follow him inside.

The dark hallway was lit only by the occasional orb-light, a product of angelic magic. They illuminated a good six foot radius around themselves before the hallway plunged back into darkness. The air was damp and musty, like an old basement. I knew what it was without Kyrlas having to tell me. This was a prison.

As we walked, Kyrlas explained why he had brought me to this place.

"A demon infiltrated the city walls last night," Kyrlas said, "We managed to capture it and imprison it. But it can't stay here. We have to kill it. And seeing that you're the one who seems to know the most about demons, and because they're seemingly so hard to kill, we were going to let you do it."

I held my breath, not replying. I couldn't help but think of last night's dream.

No, it can't be... Larux is smart enough to not get caught.

He lead me down the hallway, dipping out of light and shadow as he passed each light until we reached our destination. Another two guards stood outside of this one (they don't really take max security lightly here). Kyrlas nodded to them. One of the guards unlocked and opened the door to let me in.

Kyrlas handed me a spear as I went in. "Don't take too long, okay? You should know how manipulating demons can be."

I nodded stiffly before walking into the room. The door was closed and locked behind me.

The demon in the room was chained to the ground, heavy shackles around his wrists, ankles, and neck. He was aggressively gnawing at the metal binds, but when he realized he was no longer alone, he looked up with purple eyes that cut the darkness like a knife to a sheet.

Larux.

"Omen," he said, smiling, "At least the idiots had the decency to send you. Free me!"

I looked away, not meeting his gaze. We stood in silence for a moment.

Fulfill your destiny.

Fulfill.

Fulfill.

No... no, I can't kill him...

You will.

You will.

My hands gripped the spear harder.

Larux's smile faded. "Omen?"

I looked him in the eyes. His eyes widened, as if he saw something horrific.

"Omen...?" He repeated, his voice quivering.

My mouth moved without my control. My gaze hardened on my instructor. Out of my mouth came a voice that wasn't mine, yet was at the same time.

"Goodbye, Larux," I said, a venomous tone that I didn't realize I had in me accompanying the message.

I darted forwards, knocking him upside the head with my spear. Larux cried out in surprise, and fell to his knees.

No.

No.

Not Larux.

No.

Larux was a piece of crap sometimes. All the time, really. But he was still my friend.

I pointed the spear at his neck. Larux looked up at me, his expression pleading.

"Omen, please," Larux begged, "Don't."

I didn't smile, nor did I frown. "I'm sorry. I have to do this."

I managed to squeeze my eyes shut as the spear broke through the flesh of Larux's neck. Cold blood splattered on my hands, stained the half of the spear sticking from the other side a dark, almost black shade of crimson.

As I pulled the spear from his neck, I watched Larux's body slump to the floor. At impact with the ground, his head, barely attached as it was, rolled a foot or two farther. His lifeless eyes rolled back in his skull.

The only way to truly kill a demon. To sever his head.

I walked away, my hands still stained with blood. Larux's blood.

Kyrlas saw my shaken state. Probably thinking that Larux had tried to do something bad to me, he guided me without a word back to the main part of the castle.

When I made it home, Krel, who had apparently decided staying in the same home as a demon was a good idea, asked me what was wrong.

I ignored her, and locked my bedroom door.

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887 words