This is a rewrite from the flashback in "Funeral for a Funeral"
It's been around a year or two and I wanted to see how I've improved :)
Teal can be found here: (link in comments)
TW: Death/Murder, Gore, Breakdown, Violence, Injury, and Blood.
Gem's Flashback POV:
My hands shook. In front of me stood Xornoth, one of my empire's (and others) biggest threats.
I swing my staff, preparing to finish him off when a grin tore through his face. He ripped my staff out of my hands and threw me to the floor. "Pathetic," he hissed. Fear invaded my body as thoughts raced through my head, most of them preparing for defeat.
"Get away from her!" My brother, Fwhip, yelled. He attempted to stab the demon but Xornoth was faster. He sidestepped the attack and his ink-black hand grabbed Fwhip's arm and twisted it behind his back. Then, to my horror, looked me in the eyes. "Fwhip"— but Xornoth cut me off. "You thought you could come and save my traitorous daughter? Let this be a lesson to those who don't listen... say goodbye to him, Wizard." And with that final word, he sliced my brother's throat open.
Silence.
You could see it; the light fading from his eyes and he was dropped to the ground. The way blood pooled around his head and dyed his ginger hair darker. The gurgling and gagging were heard before he lay limp. My brother, my rock, my everything... dead.
I couldn't tell you what happened next. In a moment, I was still, then next, being dragged away from a lump, my hands stained purple. Purple with the blood of my enemy. Purple with the blood of a demon that had taken away everything from me. The 'lump' was Xornoth, bloody and beaten. I wanted more, I wanted to continue, I needed more—
"Gem!" Pearl. My eyes opened. My fists and an amethyst dagger (which I had no recollection of making), lay stained with blood. My head swam and I wanted to curl up and puke. I wanted this to be a nightmare. Fwhip was gone. My brother was gone.
I sucked in a ragged breath and let Pearl help me stand. I tore my gaze from Fwhip and Xornoth. Even if I looked away, the image would engrave itself into my brain.
I couldn't stand there any longer and unfurled my amethyst-shard wings. The sky welcomed me into its grasp as I flew away.
