Burning Road

Legacy- Part I

Warning: May contain language and depictions inappropriate for young readers. Discretion is advised.

Surprisingly there was little to clean up. Most of the muck evaporated within minutes.  The stains that remained were small, and none of Prince's cleaners could match their might.  He chanced an inspection of the halls.  Finding nothing he searched the street outside.  There were no signs of the late Wally, or the police.  Prince went back inside, and ran into David, his well meaning but overly friendly neighbor.

"Hey, Mr. Prince, is everything okay?" he asked innocently.  "Whatever movie you were watching sounded action packed, lots of screaming and tussling... When it was over I thought I heard you shouting at someone."

"Yeah, I have house guests... and they didn't know how to work the tv volume," Khouri lied.  "I lost my temper."

"Oh.  Was it Cali?"

"How do you know Cali," he asked, a hand resting on the knife in his back pocket.

"I met her last week when she was doing work for you.  She's pretty cool."  Khouri was keyed up and ready for action, but he allowed himself to relax a little.

"Yeah.  She can be cool sometimes, but other times she can be a real pain in the ass."

"I wonder what you say about me," David said jokingly.  He chuckled nervously when Khouri just stared at him.

"I don't talk about you, David," Prince said flatly.

"Oh.  Okay, Mr. Prince."  David looked down at his feet.  Khouri was already heading up the stairs when David called after him.  "You up for a few games of chess later tonight?  I've got a brand new board and set."

"Not today.  I owe you a game."

"That sounds cool.  Nice haircut."

"Thanks.  I'll tell Cali you said hi."

"Really!  Thanks, Mr. Prince.  That would be awesome."

"Have a good day, David.  Stay out of trouble."

"Same to you, sir."

When Prince returned to the apartment Cali was in the bathroom with the goblin and a bottle of peroxide.  They were both covered in blood, scratches, bruises and the demon's black ichor.  He watched them for a while, contemplating.  He had a few choice words for the two of them, but it could wait.  They looked miserable, and he felt like processed shit.  He snatched one of the surviving brews and went up to his bedroom.  He guzzled the contents of the bottle, and let blissful sleep swallow him whole.

He dreamed of his parents.  Their corpses lay on a heap of ruined cars dressed exactly the way they were the fateful night he lost them.  Sitting on a throne of bones was Shepherd Castle, but it wasn't Castle at all.  Looking out of his eyes was a raging blue fire.  Khouri challenged the demon Castle to a duel for the souls of his parents.

The details had changed but it was a common nightmare for the heir to the Prince line.  Always the same.  Fighting a demon for the fate of his parents.  Over the years the demon had taken many shapes, but Castle was one of its favorites.  The blue eyes were new.

The Guildmaster dove down from his perch, and drew a twisted version of Castle's custom german luger.  Khouri reached for his weapon, the variable that usually determined how horribly he would fail his parents, and to his surprise he was armed with a matching set of golden daggers.  The demon fired, grazing his cheek, and Khouri charged him with supernatural speed.  He struck at the monster's gut with precision.  For the first time in his life he was able to wound the demon that tormented his dream.  The monster's rage was palpable.  When it roared Khouri awoke in a cold sweat.