The Magnificent Mÿlanian Silver Bird Al'Frjdian

A last hope's prayer

Mason had dozed off a few times, but after the fourth time, he startled awake and stood up. He couldn't just sit here and do nothing. Mason went out of the secret room and went back to the main hall to go up the stairs and go into the master's bedroom. He saw Al'Frjdian sleeping deeply on the bed. The butler was really surprised to see him sleeping at all, but because he still used his Human form, he seemed to be bound to any natural Human needs. He had fought so hard, that he probably needed to regain strength for the body. Or he just slept out of leisure, as one would do after eating a lot, but Mason didn't know. Luckily, it had been really hard to wake him up, so Mason could walk around the room without problems. The blood was still there of course and, now mixed with the still lingering scent of sweat and their previous act, it made him feel sick. Al'Frjdian had washed up and slept peacefully under the covers. The sheets covered him to his hips, so Mason could see his splendid chest. The wounds were still there, but he seemed to be healing them while sleeping, because he could practically watch them fading really slowly. Mason watched him for a long while. He thought of attacking him again and actually burning him in his sleep, but the blonde wouldn't sleep so peacefully if the butler really was a danger for him. He decided that it was better for him if he gathered some strength himself, before he would do anything. So without having a plan, he left the bedchamber and first went to the kitchen to cook himself dinner. His watch told him it was in the middle of the night, but he had lost his real sense of time ever since the clouds had gathered above the mansion. After cooking himself a dish and eating he went back to his room. He dressed in his night gown and fell into a deep sleep himself.
When he woke up, it took a long while for him to recall the events. He started to tear up and feel panic, but after harking and not hearing a sound, he breathed deep and collected himself. Al'Frjdian was probably still asleep. While dressing and having "breakfast" he thought hard to come up with an idea. After a while he remembered that Al'Frjdian said he was a fallen god. Fallen, but a god nevertheless. Maybe he could pray to him and awake the god within the blonde to get his help. That was his last idea and last hope. After double checking that he didn't hear anything, he went back to the bedchamber and sure enough, he found Al'Frjdian still sleeping. There were barely any traces of the wounds left. Without wasting any time, Mason kneeled down in front of the bed, put his palms together in front of his heart and lowered his head.
"Dear God Al'Frjdian, I pray to you, please hear my words..." Mason prayed sincerely, putting all his heart and soul into his words, while he prayed for help and for getting out alive. He had not much hope left, but he put everything he could into his prayer. Halfway through he started shaking and tears flowed down his cheeks. He sobbed, cried and couldn't form any more coherent words. Al'Frjdian stirred on the bed, but didn't wake up. Instead, the God within awoke and appeared in a vision. In this vision, everything around Mason was white and in front of him a huge bird arose from the bed and stood before him. It was taller than Mason and it couldn't even spread its wings completely, because the room was too small. It had to duck even not to hit the ceiling. It didn't make it look any less graceful though as it sat before Mason and looked at him with the same hazelnut brown eyes he knew so well from Lord Chastain. Its feather coat had the same colour, getting darker at the end of the wings. In between the brown feathers there were silver ones that shimmered almost blindingly bright. The bird had a magical and mighty aura about it. After catching a glimpse of its appearance, Mason didn't dare to look longer, so he lowered his head again.
"Mason. Thank you for reaching out to me. I am the God Al'Frjdian. I am a Mÿlanian Magnificent Silver Bird and I ascended millions of years ago. I come from an era where Silver Birds still roamed the sky and Humans didn't exist. I have watched them develop, succeed and fail over and over again. I've seen many Human beings with pure and kind souls, just like yours. Unfortunately, these are the souls demons want to devour the most. This is just the case with Lord Chastain. He has been possessed by the demon, who even has the audacity to call himself Al'Frjdian...!"
Mason had still lowered his head, but now he dared to raise his look. He was enraptured by the words and by the way the God spoke. Hope sparked in his heart.
"Dear Al'Frjdian, what can I do to defeat the corrupted soul?"
"Unfortunately, you cannot undo the corruption. Over the last thousand years it has manifested too strongly. It has gotten stronger with every soul consumed."
"So, the demon consumed Human souls over and over again. This I understand, but how does all this come together? Who is Lord Chastain then? And who is the demon, the corrupted soul?"
"Listen closely. I ascended millions of years ago as a Silver Bird. I roamed Heavens and Earth ever since then in my original form, but the stronger I grew the more skills I earned and I started to develop soul observing skills. Ever since then I could be reborn in any living creature and witness their lives. I have been reborn countless of times by now, growing ever stronger. In the same way as demons do, I chose the purest souls and help them develop their full potential, so they might ascend themselves. However, demons just want to do the opposite, so when I met Lord Chastain and realised he had been possessed, I made it my goal to protect his pure soul to fend off the demon, but he has grown so strong that only the smallest fragment of Lord Chastain's soul is left within his heart despite all my efforts. Demons can act in two ways. They can either consume souls directly and grow stronger or possess bodies and their souls to consume them slowly and use their body to act. As a God, I cannot possess bodies and their souls. I can either be reborn into a body with my own soul or I coexist with a soul to observe and offer help, this is where I draw my power from. Since there is almost nothing left from the soul, I grow weaker and the demon keeps getting stronger," Al'Frjdian explained. Mason understood the direness of the situation. It was quiet for a long time.
"The demon must have a weakness though..." the butler assumed.
"This demon's biggest weakness is his own stubbornness. Before he came to this mansion, he really hadn't consumed any souls for decades. His hunger grew with every second he was with you. It was entertaining for him to play along and use this Human body, but ultimately, his restraint to consume your soul weakened him severely. Out of a demon's perspective there is no reason to come to this mansion to "play" with you for so many days before attacking. If you hadn't fed him and cared for him, he wouldn't have been able to maintain the Human body. This was our only chance to defeat him, but now that he has regained his full strength, we have no way of saving Lord Chastain, not to mention defeat the demon."
Mason understood.
"So...what exactly will happen once he wakes up. You're not in his body, right?"
"I have never been in his body, but only now have I shown my true form. I have been around all the time. The demon, since he possesses Human bodies, won't show his true form either. He will possess you and use you as his next vessel to keep growing stronger, while corrupting your soul. You have a strong soul, just as strong as Lord Chastain's, so maybe there is a chance with my help to subdue the demon together. It is a fleeting chance..."
"Fleeting, but still a chance...the mere fact that we know what will happen will give us a head start, don't you think?"
"Maybe, but never, never underestimate a demon's strength," Al'Frjdian warned and Mason nodded honestly.
"Can you tell when he will wake up?"
"About half a day. I am truly sorry, but I cannot help you escape, his strength surpasses mine in my weakened state."
"Didn't you say, you could gather strength from helping souls. What if you helped me?"
"It is not as easy. If the souls are not possessed, I can act freely and choose to help whatever soul I want. But once I found a possessed soul and decide to help, I can only stick with this one. So the mere fact that I cannot help you, proves that there is still a fragment of Lord Chastain's true soul left. Only when the demon is subdued or the soul vanished can I help another soul. Maybe Al'Frjdian referred to me as a 'fallen god' because of this fact. It can weaken my powers and can become a danger, but I have not fallen..."
Mason sighed and didn't know what to answer for a while. After hearing all this he thought hard. Al'Frjdian, who was still sitting in front of Mason seemed to think a lot and even tried to pace around while thinking, but the room was too small for him to move freely. It looked almost comical if it wasn't such a serious situation.
"Our only last hope is...the moment he leaves Lord Chastain's body and possesses yours. He will attack you, bite you and transfer his own soul. I will support you and give you strength, but you still have to fight his soul with all your heart. If we're strong enough and endure his attempts to take over long enough, we can weaken him and subdue him eventually, but I don't know how long it will take..."
Mason listened carefully and nodded.
"But listen...always keep in mind, that you must not show any signs of weakness or wavering determination. You have to stay focused and endure any and all tries to manipulate you. If you lose your determination and clear thinking, we have lost. He will take over and then we will end up just like Lord Chastain," the god explained.
"I understood. Full determination and focus."
Mason thanked Al'Frjdian and bowed down deeply before him. Now that everything was said, the God disappeared and Mason found himself back in the candle lit room, where the blonde was still sleeping. The butler still couldn't believe what was happening. Al'Frjdian had said, he had about half a day left for him to wake up and considering all the insights he had given him, he could trust this estimation.
With a somewhat calmed mind and heart, he approached the sleeping body. Mason believed that he could see the Lord's real soul in his sleeping face. It was indeed the same, gentle and content face he had seen when he had first met Lord Chastain. He was sure that if he opened his eyes, he would also see the same beautiful hazelnut eyes. His heart ached when he remembered their first meeting. After talking to the god Mason was sure the demon used Lord Chastain's last soul fragment as bait, because he was Mason's weakness. He was still attracted to Lord Chastain and Mason realised how dangerous this actually was. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get Lord Chastain out of his head. Especially now that he knew there was still a trace of the original human left, of course he wanted to save him instead of forgetting him...even if that was impossible. Mason had never been caught in such a cruel dilemma. With all his might, he turned around and left the room. His heart ached, longed while his mind was trying to focus on what was to come. He used his time to mindlessly roam around the mansion. When he entered the main hall, the biting stench of blood and death hit his nose. He avoided looking down the staircase and stayed on the second floor, but entered the opposite hallway, to go into the library. He had loved to read books here in his free time or to take books outside to read while taking a stroll through the forest. He felt calm when he entered the library and breathed in the typical scent of old books. He sighed and went on to find his favourite book. Once he found it he settled in an armchair and read. For hours without end. He was able to be drawn in completely into the story and forget everything else. It wasn't until he heard a door falling into its lock that he raised his look and harked. It had come from the master's bedchamber. Even through three doors could Mason hear the heavy boots on the wooden floor, since there was no other noise in the whole mansion. The moment he heard the steps, he steeled his heart with all his willpower, telling himself over and over again that he only had a chance if he didn't fall into the trap. He laid the book on the small table next to the armchair, intertwined his fingers in his lap and harked. He looked at the door and waited until he heard the footsteps in the very same hallway. They stopped just before the door. He heard a knock. Mason braced himself, because he expected the demon to once again exploit Lord Chastain's soul to lure him.
Before he could answer the door, it opened and the blonde stepped into the room. The door shut closed and all of a sudden, outside of the mansion, the sky cleared and the whole library was put in a beautiful bright silver light by the moon that shone directly on the demon's human body. Contrary to his expectations, the blonde's eyes were back to their red glow, staring right into Mason's soul. The butler breathed deep. He stood up and bowed slightly.
"Milord. I hope you had a good rest," he said. He gave everything not to make his voice tremble.
"A very good rest, thank you."
The butler looked at the whole of the demon's appearance. He had dressed up in his whole outfit, but there were still the blood stains on the coat. When he approached Mason with firm steps, the butler eyed the black boots. A shiver ran down his spine. He averted his eyes and even turned around to walk over to the window. He looked at the silver moon that hung low in the sky.
"Is there something troubling Milord?" he asked.
"There is indeed. You may serve my dessert now," The blonde practically whispered in the butler's ear, but he could not quite reach it with his mouth when the butler didn't bow down. Mason inhaled a deep breath and exhaled with a sigh.
"Milord, the dessert is served, I don't know what you are waiting for."
Mason turned around but avoided to look at the demon directly. He turned his head to the side and invited the other to bite him. The invitation couldn't be any more direct, yet the demon still hesitated. He actually seemed to be caught off-guard by the butler's willingness.
"You know a soul tastes best when it's aroused and in fear. It tastes like...I can't describe it in terms of human food, but it tastes really good."
"Right now, I am neither Milord, please apologise. I am sure though you will still like my taste," the butler said and took a step towards the blonde, who smiled smugly.
"I'll be the judge of that."
With these words, the blonde grabbed the butler's shoulders and pushed him back against the window sill, which dug into the other's thighs. He leaned closer and breathed in Mason's scent on his neck. He moved higher and initiated one last kiss, but the butler refused to give in. He didn't move a single muscle of his body. The demon didn't show it, but he was fed up with not getting what he wanted. He was not only a stupid demon, but also a very impatient one. Not only did the demon almost starve to death, he had insisted on taking a nap after feasting which also had actually threatened his life. Instead of devouring Mason when he had wanted him the most, he had waited too long and now he wouldn't have another chance, because Mason didn't fear him and he would never fear him again. This was because Mason had long accepted his destiny to be possessed, but also because of his last hope. The demon knew this fact. He gripped the butler's scalp at the back of his had and pulled it back. He bared his fangs and buried them in Mason's neck. It was a very strange sensation. He felt his blood rush into the other's mouth, but he didn't drown him empty. Instead he devoured him slowly, as if to taste every gulp. The butler heard the blonde swallow and suck and felt himself getting weaker. At some point his legs gave in and his brain didn't get enough blood, so he was on the brink of losing his consciousness. He collapsed onto his knees and the demon followed the movement, never losing the grip on his shoulders nor having his fangs removed. Just short of losing his consciousness completely, the butler felt something else enter his body through his veins which electrified his whole body. Instead of draining his energy, it gave him too much. After a short moment already he felt like he had superhuman strength but at the same time he felt the demon's presence within him. It filled every corner of Mason's body and consciousness. He could feel it taking over his legs, arms, every single part until it settled in his mind and soul. It didn't hurt, but rather felt warm. He felt surprisingly safe and engulfed by this comfortable warmth instead of panicking.
"Good! You have stayed focused and didn't let him overwhelm you. We can use his power against him and subdue him," the butler suddenly heard a voice. It was Al'Frjdian's voice. He had sounded happy and confident and this feeling transferred to Mason, making him even stronger against the demon. He felt euphoria rushing through his veins. The demon hadn't showed up until now, Mason didn't know where he was, but he had definitely possessed him. Suddenly, he felt the blonde's hands sliding down his upper arms. He opened his eyes finally and saw the blonde kneeling before him, his head low. Now Mason was the one grabbing the other's shoulders and he shook him gently.
"Lord Chastain...! You're free!" The butler rejoiced. It took a long moment for Lord Chastain to finally move. His fingers twitched and then he straightened his back, raising his head. He had raised his look to the window,  as if longing for the moon. It was almost blank, as if in trance and yet filled with strong emotions. On the first look it seemed neutral, but Mason saw and felt so much more than that. This very look on his face spoke more than a thousand words. Lord Chastain longed for his life, pained and weakened by the demon. It was a wonder there was anything left at all of his soul. Mason was absolutely captivated by this expression. Even if the blonde couldn't speak, Mason knew what he conveyed, he felt it.
We have been to heaven before, please don't let me descend to hell. Save me...Is there still hope? I don't know the meaning of it all...I saw a light and followed it...Can you save me?
Mason's eyes teared up the longer he was captured by this expression. It was so subtle but filled to the brim with all the more will to live. He embraced Lord Chastain in his right arm and stroked his hair with his left one.
"I'm here...it will be alright." Tears flowed down his cheeks and Mason started to sob. The empty hazelnut brown eyes moved to look at Mason.
"Mason..." Lord Chastain breathed out. It was his last breath. His eyes closed and his body grew heavy and limp in Mason's arms. A single tear flowed from his closed eyes. Mason would never again see this beautiful hazelnut colour. He clutched the blonde in his arms and started wailing, his whole body shaking.
"Mason, stop crying! He will devour you in an ins-"
Oh what sweet, sweet drama! Marvellous!
Mason heard the demon's voice echo in his head. He shivered and froze in his movements. He felt something pulling at is consciousness.
"Stay strong...!" Al'Frjdian once again ushered, but Mason couldn't. He just had had a last glimpse of Lord Chastain's real soul and now he hugged his dead body tightly. He could feel the soul had already left, but his grief was just so strong. The memories of their time together overwhelmed him, the times he had experienced the real being of Lord Chastain and not just the demon. The butler lost himself in those memories, he had no way of suppressing it and so his soul had been served to him on a plate. The demon dug in and devoured it agonisingly slow. For Mason it felt like all his memories were being erased one after another. He couldn't move at all and just watched his body and consciousness being taken over. Deep within his heart though, there was one ever so little part that couldn't be touched. That was the strong rage he felt towards the demon and what he had done.
"Mason, I'm with you now. Lord Chastain's soul is at peace finally," he heard Al'Frjdian speak to him. He realised that he was now in the same situation as Lord Chastain had been. He would lose his consciousness more and more and eventually devour other humans.

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Thanks for reading! I got the inspiration for this ending scene from a song: Popeska - on fire and one picture of Alucard (Castlevania) I found online. I was so captivated by these two things that it gave me almost enough inspiration for the whole story.