Dance of the Death Prince

Chapter 4; Fire

Josh woke up to screaming, and he instantly darted up under the covers of his bed. He looked down at a weight on his arm, and seen that Micheal was laying next to him, but with his eyes open and staring at the far wall. He didn't look like much of a demon with his hands under his head, curled up in thick winter blankets.

"FIRE!" someone screamed from outside. Josh's eyes widened, and he had nearly jumped from his bed when a hand gripped onto his wrist.

"No matter what you do," Micheal said slowly, "it is time for that man to die. It has been scheduled since the beginning of everything. The Queen of Life has giving him his life, and has given me the job to take it away when the time comes. This is how he is suppose to go."

Josh was frozen, but soon he slowly sank back into his bed. The Prince was right. He couldn't change how the world worked, even if it did work in a cruel way. "...How many people has that man killed?"

"14 in his entire life. He killed another man last night."

Josh winced at the bluntness of Micheal's voice, the smaller finally sitting up in the bed. He rubbed the sleep from his now human eyes, and yawned. The side of the Prince's face was red from where he had been laying, soft freckles slightly hidden behind the soft crimson.

Another scream sounded from outside, making Josh jump. "W-Will anyone else die?" he asked quietly.

Micheal sighed, these questions were not in his knowledge of the world. "No, but the other guard that was with him will get slightly injured when trying to help him- and I do not recommend you leave this room for at least three hours. If you do, you will get hurt."

Josh looked down. He had to get his mind off of the pointless screaming outside, nothing he did was going to help. He glanced at Micheal, who was brushing some ashes away from his collarbone that had gathered there. "C-Can I brush through your hair?"

Micheal gave a crossed look, and Josh immediately regretted asking the question. "I-I mean, i-it's still messy, a-and I'm sure my mother will say something about it when we eventually go down to greet her so..."

The Prince stared for a moment, then nodded. He watched as the younger quickly got up, grabbing a wire brush from his shelf and then sitting down behind him. "If this is what you want to do to pass time, I guess," Micheal stated, tilting his head into Josh's hand when he tried to run it through the smaller's tangled hair, "I would much rather have you do it than your mother. She is a kind woman but is to persistent for my own well being."

Josh just took a few deep breaths, giving a nod as more curses and screaming rang in from his window. He forced himself to watch the back of Micheal's head as he struggled to brush through the matted locks of sandy blonde, furrowing his eyebrows when he pulled up the hair that was pressed against the older's neck. "You have black spots on your neck," he said slowly, gently running his thumb over the marks. They felt like leather against his rough skin, nothing like the soft pale of the rest of Micheal's body.

"Those marks along with the fangs on my upper jaw are the only things that remain from my other form. No one is allowed to touch them except if I comply."

Josh quickly tugged his hand back. Does that mean he was allowed to look at the marks? He wasn't told anything until he asked, so it's not like he was doing any harm... "Does that mean I'm allowed? Er, or would you rather have me avoid them?"

Micheal shrugged. "I do not mind when you come in contact with them, for it does not cause any discomfort as it has in the past. The spots run all the way down my back, but that is all I have. My human form can not be completely pure."

Josh stared, hesitating before touching the marks with his fingers again. They all felt rough, but when he looked at his own hand no ashes had been left there. "This is interesting..."

Both Micheal and Josh jumped at another- louder scream that rattled the house. "Y-You are not scheduled to die," Micheal murmured, jumping from his spot. He ran to the window, the larger clothes hanging from his small frame. Josh jumped up after him, placing his hands on the older's shoulders and standing on his tiptoes in order to see over.

His eyes focused to the light just in time to see a large section of the burning house crumble, splinters of wood buckling and flying everywhere. A large piece snapped, and a few large splinters bounced off the side of Josh's house. One piece flew through his window.

Micheal cried out as the wood struck his shoulder, stumbling back and causing both males to fall backwards onto the ground. "Bloody hell!" he shrieked, grasping his wound as tight as he could, "this body is so weak!" Josh could see the tears forming in the smaller males eyes, eventually streaming down his face and off of his chin. The splinter was too deep to pull out, and too big to just leave for a while. "Joshua, b-back up."

Even though Micheal stuttered through his words, Josh did as told. He scooted back on his rear just in time for Micheal to swap forms and grow to tall for the ceiling. The sickening sound of ripping flesh filled the room, and Josh watched as the once beautiful young boy changed to the Prince of Death once again. It was everything in reverse. His skin grew black and rough, tall ears sprouting from the sides of his head as his face contorted. His eyes burned red and the angry wound on his shoulder seemed to shrink.

Micheal had to shrink to his knees to avoid breaking the supports of the ceiling. He was still towering over a now standing Josh even when he fixed himself into a crisscrossed position.

"In this form I am so much stronger,"  the Prince effortlessly pulled the now tiny splinter from his shoulder and flicked it out of the window, "but even I have the take care of myself somehow."

The sight of Micheal's now razor sharp teeth sent shivers down Josh's spine, and he could practically feel his scar begin to ache. "I-I'm guessing you're okay then... May I look at it..?"

Micheal raised a muscle that looked like an eyebrow, but silently shifted to his- claws- and mangled knees. It was just the right height for Josh to look at the blood slowly dripping from the wound. It was not as bad as when Micheal had been human, and would probably heal relatively quick. Pain didn't seem to be a problem.

((1175 words))

~Al3x