University of Exorcists

Chapter 5: Through the window

Todd checked on Riku in the middle of the next night. A small puddle of blood surrounded him due to his head wound, but luckily, it was healing, and stopped bleeding. Todd kneeled down to him, and checked his pulse. Todd instantly drew his hand back because of how cold his skin was. Todd dragged him down the hall, and next to the raging fire.
For the next hour or so, Riku didn't move or talked in his sleep, and Todd was getting concerned. He wondered if the cold and the head wound killed him. The room was completely silent except for the crackling fire. Fred sat up in his sleeping bag, rubbing his eyes and yawning.
"Random question, but do demons hibernate?" Todd asked.
"Most do. Not all." Fred responded, to tired to wonder why he was asking.
"What's their reaction to the cold?"
"Scientists haven't been able to catch a demon strong enough that doesn't hibernate." Fred answered, laying back down. Todd was left thinking, putting the pieces together.
"So he is the demon helping the military." Todd thought. "And he said something about satans nephew. So he's satans nephew." Todd cupped his hand over his mouth in shock. "How could no one feel his presence earlier? And are their more like him in our school?" Todd stared at Riku, everything making sense now.
"Did I kill him?" He wondered aloud, waiting to see any movement, but found none. Todd nudged him. "Wake up." He whispered. "Wake up." Todd checked his pulse and waited 40 long seconds before he felt something. Riku's skin was still unbelievably cold.
Todd waited a little longer before Riku's eyes slowly flickered open. "Oh thank god." Todd signed in relief. Riku started breathing heavily. "It was just a night terror. Relax." Todd whispered. Riku slowly sat up and put his hand on his head.
"Why does my head hurt?" He asked, not knowing anyone was there.
"My fault." Todd admitted. Riku's eyes widened.
"You know." He said. Todd nodded, even though it wasn't a question. "Does anyone else?" Todd shook his head, and Riku sighed in relieve. "Don't. Tell. Anyone."
"You got my word." Todd promised. Riku took his tail out of his sweatshirt and laid it on the ground.
"Where is it?" Riku asked.
"What?"
"My mask. I need it." Riku answered, digging through his backpack.
"Oh... Yeah... That..." Todd mumbled. "It's in the forest..." Riku stood up and walked out the door. "You need to rest. At least get it in the morning." Todd told him.
"You don't understand how much I need that... And thanks for hiding my tail..." Riku said, bolting in the forest. Todd closed the door and went back inside his sleeping bag.
About another hour passed when there was a scraping on the wall. Todd stood up and turned on the light. Everyone woke up.
"What's the deal?" Wendy asked.
"Test." Todd yawned, kind of disappointed Riku wasn't there. Faceless creatures were staring in the windows. Fred put his glasses on and stared at them.
"Five level 90 demons. I don't think this is a test. The directors don't really think we can kill of them, right?" He said, he was by far the smartest out of all of them. Everyone summoned their familiars, but they hid behind their owners in fear.
"Five?!" Lucy yelled. "We're going to die!"
"Riku, please tell me these are your friends." Todd muttered under his breath. One of the demons was trying to break the glass.
"Under gods name, we command you to disappear into the hell you and your species came from and never return..." Craig and Kevin started.
"That is 12 chapters long!" Wendy yelled. The twins continued to chant, trying to ignore them. There was a whistle, and all the demons attention was changed to a dark figure in the snowy field.
"More?!" Lucy yelled.
"No." Todd said happily. "Just watch. Craig, Kevin, stop. Just watch this." Kevin and Craig stopped chanting and started at was happening.
"We need to get out of here!" Wendy yelled.
"Just shut up and watch." Todd hissed.
"What's going on?" Lucy asked.
"Shut up and watch." Todd repeated.
"Looking for me?" The dark figure said in a demotic voice. The demons ran away from the window and towards the figure, and the figure burst into flames.
"Woah." Lisa said.
All five demons attacked the figure, but the figure dodged every attack. The figure punched one of the demons to the ground and ripped another's head off. The blood splattered across the snow, and started to steam, than every blood spot grew into another demon.
"Wendigo's" Fred said. "Practically impossible to kill." The figure dropped the body, spilling more blood.
"What's a wendigo?" Lucy asked.
"Spirits that take the bodies of people driven to cannibalism." Fred explained.
"Jeez" Kevin added, peering out the window. Within seconds, the five demons spread to at least 300. Wendy and Lucy were starting to shake.
"I've never seen so many demons in one place..." Lucy mumbled.
"Me neither." Craig admitted. Everyone else agreed.
"We have to go while their distracted." Lisa said.
"You can go. I'm not leaving." Todd said, not looking away from the battle.
"What's going on with you?" Kevin asked.
"I've been sworn to secrecy." Todd hissed. "We will be fine. Just wait." No one argued. The figure had pushed his way through the mob of demons, showing a creepy, bloody mask.
"Holy shit!" Wendy cried. "What is that?!" Riku sliced another demon in half, causing at least 50 more demons to form.
"How can they be killed?" Todd asked.
"When the soul is put to rest." Fred said frantically. "You can't get out there. There are too many, and there is that killing machine too." Todd ignored him and rushed out the door, slamming it behind him.
"Put the souls to rest!" Todd yelled to Riku.
"What do you think I'm doing?!" Riku yelled back. "I've fought these things before!" Riku stabbed three more. "Get back inside! I know what I'm doing!" Todd noticed that his sleeve was ripped, showing a large gash.
"What about you arm?!" Todd yelled.
"Get back inside!" Riku repeated, not stopping the fighting. Todd ran back inside.
"What was that?" Kevin asked.
"Long story." Todd answered.
"I've never seen a demon fighting against demons. Not even familiars do that. This is an abnormal. And apparently it speaks English. Very rare." Fred mumbled to himself. "What is it?" A wendigo dug it's fangs into Riku's shoulder without him looking. Kevin and Craig started to chant again.
"Don't you dare." Todd warned.
"We're all going to die if they don't. Nows the best time anyway." Wendy argued.
A wendigo pinned Riku against the glass door, Lucy screamed.
"We were born for the skies, with these wings of freedom. No soul can say they've died in vain, not until the end." Riku started.
"It knows the wings of freedom. It has intelligence." Fred announced. "How does it know?"
"In our hearts we have carved an oath, beating in unity. With these blades of Gloria, we form the battle cry of the free. Finally we march in victory, no one dares to bear these wings on their backs..." The wendigo was choking Riku, unfazed by his spell. "How can we win? Our foe is gigantic, but deep within were just as barbaric..." Riku wheezed. "We were born for the skies with these wings of freedom..." Riku began to glow yellow, and the thousands of Wendigo's that had formed ran into the shadows. Riku fell to the ground, panting.
"How can a demon survive reciting that?" Fred asked himself. Everyone went quiet as Riku caught his breath, only Todd knew his identity.
"What do we do?" Wendy whispered. "It's going to kill us any minute now." Todd noticed the blood dripping down his arms, back, shoulders, and legs.
"Is that Riku's scarf?" Kevin asked. "He's been possessed. I knew we should have had him near the fire." Riku leaded against the glass, continuing to breathe heavily. Todd rushed outside and dragged Riku into the forest.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Yeah..." Riku wheezed. "I'm fine..."
"Get away. Now. Their going to kill you." Todd said. Riku saluted.
"I have been sent here by the head of the Royal Army to investigate and kill a demon who has been terrorizing the students. I can't go back now. Not until my mission is complete. I need to serve my country and protect it with my life." Todd sighed. Riku put his hand on his bloody shoulder, wincing in pain.
"Why did those demons want you?" Todd asked.
"Satan wants me to join him. He's to afraid to get me myself, so he sends demons that can easily be disposed." Riku said, sitting down against a tree.
"How many times has he tried?" Todd asked. A wendigo was behind Todd, and Riku stabbed it.
"27. Now get back inside." Riku commanded.
"But your shoulder-" Todd protested.
Riku just looked at him.
"This is my job." He said blankly. "It doesn't matter."
"Do you even get paid?" Todd asked.
"No. But that's besides the point." Riku answered, tackling a third Wendigo. Todd started to get back to the cabin. Everyone was silent.
"How can we go back to sleep knowing there's something that powerful and merciless in the forest?" Lisa asked.
"Test?" Craig said, trying to lighten the mood. Todd started looking through Riku's bag, he found multiple weapons and a military uniform. He took out the cap. It was black, while the rest was camo.  A small emblem was on the front. It was a single flame, surrounded by dark blue. He had seen this once before.
There was an ear shattering, high pitched scream, that shook the ground. Than, the shrieks of the Wendigo's.
"Do you think it's still out there?" Wendy asked.
"Yeah." Fred mumbled. "That scream. It's a territorial mark. Only three species have been known to do it. All are extinct. It scares other demons away."
"Shit must have really hit the fan if it needed to do that." Kevin said.
"What exactly is it?" Lisa asked.
"Shapeshifter. At least level 1 million." Fred started. Everyone gasped.
"How has a demon that powerful gone unnoticed for so long?" Wendy asked.
"Beats me." Fred sighed.
"And what would it need with Riku's scarf?" Craig added. Todd was looking around Riku bag a little more. He saw some pictures of him and some other soldiers in combat. On the back it read:
I'm sorry. Peter, Mark, and Todd.
Your deaths were not in vain. I will stop at nothing to make sure you will rest in peace. I'm sorry for letting you die...
-Riku
It was heart breaking to see the people he cared about and their story. Deeper in the bag was three more dog tags and a bloody knife. Todd stared at it. It had a leather handle that looked very used, and a sharp blade that could cut anything. The numbers : 666 were carved in the blade. The whole room was silent. Everyone was scared, but didn't want to admit it.
"That scream... It first appeared 200 years ago, when Satan got into our world. Only he, Satans brother, and Satans nephew were able to do it. Satans nephew was just a child, and was left with a mad scientist after Satan killed his own brother. Satan than disappeared from the face of the earth. So this has to be one of the two, but by its behavior, it's most likely a new breed gone rouge." Fred said.
"We need to get out of here." Lucy said.
"But," Fred continued. "Todd spoke with it. So I'm clueless." They all looked into the window as a dead wendigo was thrown against the glass door.
"Nobody. Move." Fred said. The wendigo slid to the ground, showing a figure, falling to its knee, and coughing up blood. Todd wanted to help, but knew he couldn't reveal Riku's identity.
"Who's the good guy here?" Lisa asked shakily. Nobody said anything. Riku fell on his side, trying to focus.
"What is that?" Kevin asked Todd. Todd ignored him and ran into the night.
"What's more important? His identity? Or his life?" Todd asked himself. Todd stood about 5 meters away from Riku, the shadows danced across the bloody snow.  Todd drew his attention to the multiple bite marks in Riku's body, wondering if they were contagious.
"Don't touch it!" Craig yelled out to him. "It's probably playing dead so it can kill you!" Todd took a step backwards to the cabin.
"Is it dead?" Wendy asked.
"I don't know." Todd admitted.
"We need to make sure. Does anyone have a weapon?" Fred asked, looking around the room. He eyes fixed to a fire poker.
"Who's going to do it?" Lucy asked. Nobody said anything.
"Todd should. Show betrayal. Show it that you can't trust anyone. Show it your more powerful than it." Kevin mumbled.
"I won't do it." Todd said. "He's suffering to keep us safe. Don't you see that?"
"He?" Fred asked, giving a nervous laugh. "It's not like it has feelings."
"Wrong. They have feelings." Todd said, remembering the photo he found. "They are just like humans." They watched as Riku struggled to get up.
"Someone kill it please." Lucy begged. Todd walked back out and kneeled next to Riku.
"How you feeling?" Todd asked. Riku didn't answer, he was too out of breath. "How many did you kill?" Still no answer.
"Kill it!" Wendy shrieked. Todd slung Riku's arm around his shoulder and helped him towards the cabin. Lucy slammed to door.
"Keep it away from us!" She yelled.
"Is it okay if I show them?" Todd asked, Riku didn't answer. "Ok. Great." Todd took Riku's mask off. "See? Nothing to be afraid of."
"I told you he was possessed." Craig said, grabbing the fire poker.
"Do you really think a human could survive being possessed by Satans nephew?" Todd asked rhetorically. Riku fell to the ground as he became unconscious.
"Too many..." Riku murmured. "Too many..."