Song of Shadow and Light (BxB)

Chapter 15

Kaelan felt the blood well up in his mouth after the high demon knocked him to the ground. The cleric had been hit and felt pain before, but this was the first time that he was ever punched in the face. It left him slightly dazed, but he tried to get back on his feet. He wiped the blood from his lips and raised his sword once more. 

This fight lasted for a few minutes and Kaelan was already tired. All his attacks were dodged or blocked by the demon. It was almost as if the fire demon wasn't even trying. He could easily maneuver around him and knock Kaelan off his feet. The small demons around them seemed to be enjoying the show as the cleric was beaten by their lord. Any injury that Kaelan received, his divine energy was able to heal naturally, only for him to get another cut or bruise.

The fire demon, who Kaelan learned was named Xaphan, yawned. "Is this really all that you can do? Every century, you become weaker."

"Stop talking as if you know me!" Kaelan swung his sword once more, only for the demon to grab him by the wrist.

Xaphan chuckled. "I forgot you lose your memories every time. Sweetheart, we've been through this many times in the past. Whenever we meet, we fight, and you're victorious in the end. However, this time, I will not let you continue your journey. You'll stay here with me and become my wife. You won't have to die this time."

"You're just trying to confuse me to stray me from the path, but I will not fall for your lies and I refuse to stay with you. If you try to keep me here, then I will keep trying to kill you and destroy this place." The demon was attempting to entice him with the idea of living, but Kaelan would never give in to a demon. He had honor, and he wouldn't let this monster stop him from doing what he needed to do. He accepted his fate a long time ago.

"What if I offered to allow you to live with your warrior? I will keep him alive, and I don't mind sharing you with him," Xaphan said.

"Kiss my ass, demon scum," Kaelan spat back.

Xaphan only laughed, and then his hand holding Kaelan's wrist became hot to the touch. He kept a hold of Kaelan, increasing the heat until Kaelan let out a cry of pain and dropped his sword. He let the cleric go. Kaelan's wrist was bright red where he had been burned, and the pain was almost unbearable. This burning sensation was nothing like when he was poisoned. This felt so much worse.

Xaphan grabbed the back of Kaelan's head and forced him forward. He brought the cleric too close to his body. Kaelan had to place his hands against the demon's bare chest, and he could feel how hot the demon's skin was. Xaphan forced Kaelan to look up at him.

"Such hatred in those eyes. You're feisty, just like I remember." Xaphan's fingers traced along Kaelan's jaw, then he took his chin and held him in place.

Kaelan wasn't prepared when he felt the demon's lips on his. The kiss burned and the demon's saliva felt like lava. He tried to pull away, but Xaphan held him firmly in place and deepened the kiss. A tear rolled down his face from the pain that this kiss was putting him in. It was torture.

It was a relief when Xaphan finally released him from the kiss, but the demon still held onto him to keep him standing there. Xaphan smirked at him, then said, "I apologize if that was painful for you. I should have lowered my temperature, but it is hard for me to suppress this burning desire that I feel for you. Chosen One, because you can't remember, there is something that you should know. All of us high demon's lust for you. There is something inside of us that makes us want to have you, especially the demon lord. If you would like, I can restore some of your memories. I can show you our time together in the past. All it would take is another kiss, and I promise not to hurt you this time."

Xaphan gently caressed Kaelan's face; as promised, no pain accompanied his touch. His hand didn't feel like it would burn Kaelan's skin off.

Kaelan wasn't sure how to respond or react to the things Xaphan said to him. He couldn't believe that these monsters desired more than to just kill him. The thought of them lusting after him made a shudder run down his spine. Xaphan had to be lying. Everything that these demons said was a lie. Or was it?

He didn't know what to believe in. After what Azai said to him and now Xaphan, he felt confused. The idea of this demon craving him made Kaelan want to refuse the kiss even more, but he also wanted to know the truth. Perhaps he could learn something from this demon.

Kaelan bit his lip, then said, "Fine, but make it quick."

The cleric closed his eyes and braced for impact. This time when the demon kissed him, it didn't feel as though his insides would burn up. The kiss was soft and Xaphan wasn't forceful like he was the first time. Kaelan felt his mind become fuzzy as he lost himself in Xaphan's embrace.

Then the visions began to pour in.

They happened so fast; it was hard for Kaelan to comprehend everything that he saw. He saw Xaphan, who looked the same in every vision, in every century that passed. The demon was always a hulking beast over the cleric, who always appeared differently but had a resemblance to Kaelan. The cleric was always blond with green eyes, but their gender changed with each vision.

In one vision, Kaelan saw a male cleric fighting Xaphan. The battle was fierce, but the cleric appeared to have the upper hand. His divine powers were unlike any that Kaelan had ever seen before. His immense power was evident as he fought the fire lord, but the battle wasn't hostile. In fact, it seemed to be a battle between two friends instead of enemies.

A few more visions flashed by, ones of a similar nature, but the cleric seemed to become weaker with each vision. Eventually, the final vision came; this one of a female cleric. She didn't fight Xaphan, though. Instead, Kaelan saw something; something that made him feel as though he was intruding on their moment. The cleric and Xaphan's relationship was unlike all of the visions before. This relationship was intimate. She stayed with Xaphan for years, ignoring her duties until she was forced to continue with her quest. Kaelan could feel the heartbreak as she departed, never to see the fire lord again.

The kiss ended, and along with it the visions.

Silence fell between them. Even the smaller demons in the room seemed to go quiet. Kaelan felt a pain in his heart that wasn't his. This loss that Xaphan and the female cleric felt didn't belong to Kaelan, even if she truly was his past self.

"Please . . . stay with me this time," Xaphan pleaded. There was pain in his eyes, which made Kaelan look away.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not her. I'm not the person that you love. I'm me, and I never met you before today. If what you have shown is true, then I am sorry for what happened to you. But . . . it doesn't change anything. I came here to kill you and close this realm. I will save my home." He had to. Kaelan would complete his mission despite the fog that was clouding his head. He was having trouble processing the visions, and what they ultimately meant for him and his fate.

Xaphan stayed silent for a moment, the pain still written in his expression. He sighed, then said, "You've never killed me before. Even if you attempted to a couple of times, you always walked away without ending my life. However, I do not intend on letting you leave. I am tired of this never-ending cycle, and I won't let you die this time. This is the last time I'm going through this."

The fire demon was no longer gentle with Kaelan as he roughly pushed him away. His demeanor changed, finally becoming serious about the battle that would ensue. The sword he unsheathed was massive and in an instant was coated in flames. If he needed to fight to keep Kaelan with him, then so be it.

If the visions were real and the clerics became weaker each time, then Kaelan would need to step up his game. Kaelan was ready when Xaphan charged at him, raising his sword to strike him down.