Deathling - Outsiders SMP

A (Major) Minor Setback: Owen

Owen was almost there. He slashed away more and more foliage and vines, with a sword he stole from the deck. He could see the sunlight filtering through the remaining leaves. He ducked under them, to find an opening in the cave.

He came out in a gigantic open space, with a big view of a nice valley. He could see a village in the distance.

He had done it. He had escaped.

He didn't know what kind of nonsense was going on on that ship, but he didn't really want to know, and he was glad to be out of it.

He was about to walk out of the cave, when he heard a voice behind him.

"Owen?"

He turned around to find the demon standing at the far corner where the vine tunnel led back to the ship.

They both stared at each other for a while. Then Owen raised his sword.

Apo stepped back.

"We've already gone through this. I think you know the drill. Maybe this time, you'll, you know, start running at ten? Maybe then you'll have a better chance," Owen said, as he studied the intricate designs on the sword.

Apo shook his head. "It's not too late. Please, don't do this. If you do-" Apo cut off.

Owen looked at him curiously. "Finish your sentence."

The demon looked at him with uncertainty.

Owen raised his voice. "I said, finish your sentence!" he yelled, making Apo flinch.

He mumbled something.

Owen sighed. "What'd you say?"

"Because if you do this, Emmy will kill you. You heard what she said. She can read minds. And if she doesn't kill you, she'll do something worse than death to you, Owen."

"Was that a threat?" Owen said, voice boiling with malice.

"No," Apo said. "It's a warning."

Owen chuckled to himself. "Seems you haven't changed." He dropped his smile. "10. 9-"

"No." Apo said, staring at Owen with his head down.

Owen stopped.

"No?" Owen said, eyeing Apo.

Apo put his hand to his knife. "If I have to go down, I'm going to go down fighting."

Owen looked at him with a gleam in his eye.

Then he jumped at Apo.

Apo clearly wasn't ready for the blow, but pulled his weapon out just in time.

Owen backed away from Apo, realizing his weapon wasn't a knife at all. It was a long cutlass, with a chain hanging off the handle. The handle was decorated with a red jewel, and the metal looked like netherite, but shimmery. If you looked hard enough, you could see the sword was emitting some kind of fog. The main point was that it was impossible to fit in the small knife scabbard. But after everything that had happened recently, Owen pushed his curiosity aside and went for another strike.

The demon clearly wasn't as strong as him, but he was doing a good job blocking Owen's hits. As with every demon he fought, Owen memorized how Apo blocked and went for blows themself.

Soon he found himself interlocking Apo's sword with his and giving it a large push. Apo was shoved to the ground, and his sword slid way out of their reach.

Owen put his sword to the demon's neck, pinned both his hands to the ground with one hand, and kneeled on his chest so he couldn't move, all in one swift motion.

"Any last words? You've earned them. You put up a good fight." Owen said, smiling.

Apo struggled under Owen's weight for a little longer, then fell limp. He looked Owen dead in the eye, and said, "You'll regret this."

Owen didn't wait any longer. He stabbed his sword deep into Apo's neck, cherishing the scream that came out of his mouth.

Apo's eyes closed while he gasped for a breath he couldn't get. But, when they opened, they didn't look human or demon at all. They were glowing.

Owen felt himself being lifted off the ground, strangled by invisible forces. He fought against the air for a little longer, before noticing Apo was also floating.

Except he didn't look like Apo.

The neck wound was slowly healing itself, silver stitches were closing it up, but a wound in his upper stomach (that strikingly resembled the wound from when he killed Apo the first time) stained the surrounding white shirt red. Red horns with blood on them floated above his head. Blood seeped down from his head and hair, as if his horn wounds had opened up again. His eyes were still glowing a hazy red, and when Owen met them, he felt like he was in a dream, and he couldn't look away. The veins on his arms were also glowing red. And then, pain.

Pain, slight at first, intensified as he felt like part of him was slipping away. Owen felt weak. Apo reached his hand out, and he could see it was no longer completely red. It was somewhat glowing orange as well. Owen dropped to the ground, free of his binds, but Apo was still floating.

Owen looked down at himself. The veins on his arm were glowing the same orange that was drawing through the air to Apo. Apo was drawing whatever it was out of him.

Owen's vision turned red, and he collapsed to the ground.

His last thought was, Man, he sure wasn't lying