Unlikely Friends: Volume Two

Chapter Twenty Seven

Before

Pando tried his best to maintain peace in his blossoming community though at the sake of his own sanity. It had seemed as if the devoted followers weren't ever going to mellow out; they'd even gone as far to place offerings on his front porch each day. Pando would wearily step outside every morning to stretch his large, black wings in the bright sun. He'd sigh as he flew over the various dishes, assorted flowers, and letters full of desperate prayers waiting outside his door. One late night just as the boy was falling asleep, he had been startled awake by the sounds of nearby screaming. The terrified voices prayed out for their savior followed by the sound of shattering glass. The small girl pounced first, leaping from the foot of his bed and racing towards the chaos.

Pando tried to control his breathing as images of the dead child and broken woman flashed through his panicked mind. What if there was a new side effect to his powers he wasn't aware of? What if he had turned his obsessive stalkers into violent zombies now? Pando forced himself out of bed and looked out a window, peeking towards the commotion. He gasped the moment his eyes landed on the horrifying scene playing outside. The demon watched as the opposite end of his street was set ablaze. Bodies were littered across the road and lawns; some of his followers laid dead or severely wounded in the street while others fell to their knees and prayed for their savior. He watched a large group of grotesque mutants running from house to house, carelessly ransacking the neighborhood for supplies before burning the now vandalized homes to the ground.How could he continue repairing the world if vicious gangs wrecked havoc on his work? Pando grinded his teeth as the fire within him burned brighter than the blazing neighborhood. The spreading fires casted an orange glow on Pando as he watched angrily from his home, the rising flames flickered in the reflection of his deep red eyes.

The raiding mutants had satisfied themselves with their arson and turned their attention on the still screaming humans. Their deformed faces stretched into eerie smiles as they taunted the followers still praying. Pando counted the mutants as they preyed, noticing the worst of the bunch near the center of the neighborhood. He spotted more of the disgusting eyesores standing horrified from the outskirts of his street, anxiously watching the blood bath.

How could he rid the earth of all mutants? The toxic smoke hadn't returned in a long while, the demon was positive no more deformities would spring up. He could blink them out of existence but were they still people underneath? Could he heal them too? Did they even deserve to be healed? Pando quickly looked back towards the idle, nervous crowd and spotted families huddled close, some even with unfortunate looking children. What if his family had been mutated? Would he erase them?

The demon's gaze traveled back to the center of the road and he narrowed his blazing eyes as they landed on a large man covered head to toe in bright red boils. Pando scanned the blistering man's lumpy face before noticing a single ape-like fist clenched tightly around a small girl with orange hair. Enough was enough, Pando decided as he stormed out the front door and spread his large, dark wings out behind him. He marched, determined, down the front steps with his large fists clenched at his sides. He was tired of his stalkers interrupting him at all waking hours, monsters carelessly destroying his hardwork, and now rudely dragging away the only real friend he ever had. Pando glared down the mutated gang as he took flight.

The horned demon rose from the ashes into the night sky as his ink-black feathers carried him above the roaring flames. Devoted followers screamed their prayers towards the heavens as their savior floated above their outstretched hands. The dark winged lord hovered menacingly upon the cursed sinners, the blazing fire reflected in his dark red eyes burned through their resolve and struck fear in their infected hearts.

One by one, the unsightly mutants fell to their knees, begging for forgiveness. Pando's burning gaze eventually landed on the small girl, ensuring her safety. Her green eyes glowed back at him as she held his stare from the street.

"Embrace it," the dark voice said.

The demon took a deep breath as he flew above his people and closed his fiery eyes. He would save the world, he would save everyone. The small girl believed he could change everything.

Pando was finally ready to fully embrace his destiny. He would lead these people. All who followed him and contributed to society would be safe under his wings. The mutants would work off their debt, paying for the sins they had committed upon his home. Their beloved leader would heal them, returning them to their human form, should they complete a simple quest. However, until they fully paid off their debt and had been healed, they were to be banished to the other half of the still crumbling city.

Pando just wanted to have peace as he quietly worked on his mission. Was that really too much to ask? He was tired of constantly helping everyone around him only to be awakened by a giant mess. From now on his street was to remain pristine. Anything out of place was strictly banned. Should they have a problem with it they were welcome to leave, go find a new savior. He would generously have weekly meetings with his devoted followers, keep them up to date and healthy. But if anyone dared to disturb him unless it was an absolute emergency, he'd threaten to erase them from existence.

The demon lord slowly smiled before opening his dark eyes, completely blinking away the flames and destruction.