Black Crystal Part 1 - The Origin

Chapter Seven ~ The Demon

 The cobblestone roads of the village grew less busy as nighttime came. For a wanderer like Garen, evenings in the village were both lonely and calming. He felt a bit sadder that night as he walked around the village alone. I can't be missing Lenora, he thought to himself. I've known her for literally one day...

"Hey, Garen."

The sudden sound of Peter's voice startled Garen. Peter caught up to him (which didn't take long), and they walked through the village in silence. Only the sound of the river that split the village into two could be heard from the distance. Finally, Peter broke the silence.

"You seem upset tonight," said Peter. "Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know," Garen sighed. "I feel oddly depressed. Hell if I should know why." A grin spread across Peter's face.

"I think I know." He gently nudged Garen. "You're thinking of the Princess, aren't you?"

"Shut up," Garen chuckled.

"You see, the fact that you didn't deny it leads me to believe that I'm right, right?"

Garen shoved Peter away and crossed his arms, trying not to smile. "Whatever."

"No need to hide anything from me," said Peter. "I'm the best secret-keeper out of all our friends."

"But you're also the first person who would go off telling Lenora," Garen chuckled. "That's just the kind of person you are." The two of them chuckled and continued walking, but in silence this time. The sky was dark, aside from the moon illuminating the land below. Garen listened to the river as they neared it. The river's rushing rapids in the distance made Garen feel at peace, and almost made him forget the concern he felt earlier.

"Wait a minute."

Peter's voice stopped Garen dead in his tracks. He glanced at Peter, who stared into the darkness with fear in his eyes. "Peter?" he asked with concern. "Are you okay?"

"It's there..." Peter whispered, his voice trembling as if he were about to cry. "Garen, it's there... it exists..." A shiver went down Garen's spine as he heard a low growling coming from the distance. He turned slowly towards where Peter was facing, and as soon as he looked forward, he immediately regretted it. There in the darkness were two blood red eyes. They were staring daggers into both of them. Garen opened his mouth to speak, but he was too petrified with fear. Peter placed a hand on Garen's shoulder and slowly began to back up. He stumbled with each step, however, but Garen helped keep him up. They didn't break eye contact with whatever hid within that forest. They were too afraid of what might happen if they turned their backs on it.

"W-We've got to tell the Bishop," Garen whispered. "Do you think it's here for the Princess?" But Peter didn't respond. Garen's heart sank. What if the creature really did seek Lenora? And if so, what for?

"Run," Peter whispered. Neither of the boys hesitated. They quickly turned around and began running back the way they came, neither of them daring enough to turn around and see if the creature was following them. Their lives were potentially at risk, and it was not a human foe. It was unknown to the boys, which made it that much more worse for them as they ran. After a fair amount of time, Garen's curiosity finally took over, and he turned around to see if it was behind them, and sure enough, there it was; a shapeless form made of black smoke that almost took on the appearance of a four-legged monster. Garen's heart quickened. But as he tried to turn his focus forward, he tripped and fell down. "Garen!" Peter exclaimed, finally turning around, and when he saw the creature, he panicked.

"We can't let it get to the church!" exclaimed Garen. "I think it's after Lenora! We can't let it get her!"

"How do you propose we stop it!?" Peter replied. "We're not exactly equipped to fight whatever this thing is!" Garen quickly got up to his feet and stood face-to-face with the demon as it went charging their way.

I don't know how we can defeat it, he thought to himself, but I am not letting it lay a finger on Lenora.

Almost as if by miracle, a dagger went flying out of nowhere and stabbed through the demon. It growed, assumably from pain, and tried to grasp at the dagger, but it couldn't touch it without getting into even more pain. "Cursed hellbeast!" a familiar voice shouted. Garen and Peter turned around to see Lucius and the Bishop standing there, Lucius carrying a dagger in his hand and the Bishop holding a silver-bladed sword using both hands. Lucius looked at Garen and Peter. "Back up!" he exclaimed. "Let the Bishop and I handle this!"

"The Princess warned us about these things," said the Bishop while Garen and Peter backed away from the demon. "They might be the reason she appeared here in the first place."

"B-but..." Garen stammered, staring at the demon as it hesitantly walked towards Lucius and the Bishop. "Why are they after her?"

"Your guess is as good as ours." The Bishop started walking towards the demon, his blade fixed on it. The demon glared at the Bishop.

"Alleged Man of God..." its weak voice hissed. "Surrender the princess or die here..."

"I'd rather take my chances," the Bishop replied, slashing at the demon. The tip of the blade slightly connected with the demon as it jumped back. The demon grasped at what Garen assumed was its shoulder while the Bishop stabbed forward through the smoky figure. Lucius jumped to the side and tossed his other dagger in a spiral, the blade sticking through one of the red eyes of the beast. The Bishop removed his sword from the demon's body and slashed across its torso, the silver blade dispelling the smoke as if it was a flamelight in freezing fog. It faded away to the sky, and Lucius's two daggers clattered to the ground. The four of them were silent as they exchanged glances.

"Boys," Lucius said, turning towards Garen and Peter. "Looks like we have quite a bit to talk about, huh?"