Demonslayer J, Chapter 3 - Furious waves of burning desire. -by Jex Jared held up a open-palmed hand, signalling Angie to stay. Angie obeyed, trying to peek ahead. Jared folded one finger over, Angie silently mouthing the 'Four' associated with it. Then three, then two, then one, then a silently mouthed 'Move,' with a finger pointed. ----------- Leaves and brush and trees and leaves bushes rushed by Jared, who was running as fast as his legs would take him. His sword was out before him, moving unnervingly swiftly to remove the larger obstacles from his path, his face was eager with anticipation, his eyes lit up like a cat at night. The demon came into sight. Black. Usually they were brown or red or some other dark color. But rarely black. Black usually wasn't a good thing. Humanoid, with curved, clawed feet, and similar hands, the surface of it a shiny inky black that seeped into the air around it. Jared didn't get to see its eyes just yet, as it was still turning to face him, as he yelled, "Yaaaaahhhhhhh!", jumping up, and bringing his sword down in a vicious overhead strike. The sword cut deep into the ground, the demon hissing, moving with frightening speed out of the way. Its eyes were shining. Not red, or black, or grey, but blue. Like human eyes. Jared didn't think about that fact, jumping again with the momentum of his missed strike carrying him, flipping and removing his sword with that momentum, landing easily on his feet, sword raised. "Just die," said Jared flatly. "sss... not yetsszzsz.... Still zneed to bzzeecomz freed," it responded, the hissing hoarse voice somehow communicating sadness. "The only freedom for you or anyone is death!" Jared cried desperately, running at the demon, changing stances. ------------- Angie cringed, hearing the demonic cries of pain, and assorted yells from Jared. She finally got into sight of the battle. Razer-claws met armor met black met black met pommel met.... She blinked, her eyes unable to keep up the with the rate of exchange. They were just moving too fast. 'How can Jared move that fast? Or even move his sword that fast?', she wondered. The combatants paused, sensing the new arrival, and Angie finally got a good look at the two. Jared seemed different, his aura visible to her (highly) trained eye. It was overwhelming and dark, and surprisingly strong. Totally different from her initial impression of him. She gasped, turning her visual awareness to the demon. It was.... it couldn't be! Her brain froze upon realizing it was indeed the twisted visage of her father, and thusly did not acknowledge Jared's shouts of warning, or the demon advancing upon her. ---------- Reality restarted for Angie, as a hideously painful headache. Her eyes opened, red tinted. The tinting brought awareness of the wetness on her forehead. In response, she touched her forehead, the feeling of wetness confirmed by her fingertips, and coming away with blood. ...her blood? "Stupid. And you said you could fight," said Jared, out of sight, his tone of voice not carrying the usual brashness associated with his words. She could swear he almost said that nicely. "What ...happened?" Her throat felt dry, like she had been screaming and screaming and screaming and screaming and screaming. "You froze. It went after you, I distracted it, protected you, and it got away." "I'm sorry," said Angie, demurely. "Do you still want to come with me?" he suddenly asked, still out of sight. Angie rubbed her head, sitting up. She was in a building. No windows. "I... uh...." Angie fell silent, not sure. "That's what they're really like. I don't know what your pops told you." Jared was now visible, near the opposite wall, his back turned to her. She could see his sword and armor partially in front of him. "My spells would have....." she started to say. "If you hadn't locked up, and had actually been able to react fast enough to hit it, without getting mauled in return. Dream on." "But....." "Be quiet. Rest," finished Jared softly, turning around to face her. "You're not well yet. Don't worry, I'll take care of you until you are." He approached while saying this, and laid a hand upon her forehead. Angie noticed several of his knuckles were pitch-black before eyes got heavy and tired and drea.... Jared sighed. That girl had been lucky. As lucky as he had been, his first time. He looked over her sleeping form, the bloody robes and bloodstained face and the gash in her forehead. Damned lucky. "Sleep well," he said softly, returning to repairing his armor. He'd worry about the tainting later, he could handle it for now. ------------- A loud scream awoke Angie again, this time it was Jared. Hey eyes focused blearily, and she could see Jared... cutting off his hand? As her awareness became more acute, she realized he was skinning his hand, just barely, little wisps of black flowing into the blade. Jared screamed again, flinging his sword away, embedding it into a wall, clutching his hand with the other one. "Dammit," he said softly, his breath tight, being forciblly controlled. Angie gathered enough courage to speak. "What... what was that?" Jared turned, slowly. "Well, I'd be a fool to think that you could sleep through that." Jared winced, grinning wryly. "Removing the taint of demon from me," he explained. "You don't have to do it so painfully. I could have done it....." offered Angie. "I'll be fine by myself," shrugged Jared. "So, are you feeling better?" "Yeah." She could feel the dry blood on her face still, but it wasn't fresh. "Good enough to get back on the hunt?" "... yeah," Angie said, her voice faltering. ---------- After paying the innkeeper, they set out again, Jared leading the way, occasionally glancing at his sword. "We lost 3 days taking time for you to recover. It could have gotten pretty far...." he mused to himself. Angie stayed silent, staring at the ground. "You gonna be able to fight?" asked Jared, stopping. Angie didn't register this, and walked into his legs. "Brat," said Jared brashly, addressing Angie. "Huh-wha?" Angie shook her head, her mind returning from wherever it was. "I said, can you fight. Or do you want me to show you?" "I.. uh.. I'll be okay," responded Angie hesitantly. Jared frowned. "Get your spine back, brat. Let's go." ----------- A while down the path Jared was leading them, Jared stopped. The thin, grown over path widened out at this point, to where several wagons could go wheel to wheel and not go off the road. Angie stopped as well, eyes glancing around nervously. "What's wrong? Is it near?" she asked, quietly. Jared regarded her impassively. "Do you think it's here? You've got some senses of your own." Angie looked around, more cautiously, more thouroughly. "....no." "Then it's not." Jared crossed his arms, looking irate. Angie looked up at Jared. "Then why did we stop?" Despite the fact she was looking right at him, and they were at least 7 feet apart, she never saw him move until she was quite forcibly pushed back. She skid in the dusty road a good 3 feet, before friction took it's toll on her clothes, and her velocity. Jared was standing where she had just been, dust still kicked up in the air from his rapid movement. "Wha... what happened?" she asked, confused. "You said you could fight. Pathetic," sneered Jared. "How... how did you move so fast?" Angie didn't dare to get up, for fear of another example. She could sense his aura. It was the same... as before, when he was fighting. "Open your eyes. All of them," she heard. A cold voice. So frighteningly cold. The clunk of a sword hitting the road, and another following clunk as Jared's armor followed suite. Angie stood up, slowly, glaring at Jared. "What do you think you're trying to do?" her angry voice demanded, bolstered by her hands on her hips. "Teaching you to see. You must be able to see before you can fight," said Jared, impassively, eyes half-lidded. Angie shuddered. That voice... so cold. Like an iceberg. "Now watch. And try to see." Angie had scant few seconds, before she saw his aura flaring briefly, and then he came at her again. She frantically dived out of the way, almost avoiding him. But it was for naught, Jared kicking her in the stomach as she dived away. She rose a foot higher from the kick, then crashed into the ground, painfully. When Angie had gotten back to her feet, glaring slow painful death at Jared, he was tapping his foot impatiently. "Not fast enough. You saw, but you failed to react in time." What did she do different? Why had she seen him that time? She didn't understand, her head hurt, her ribs hurt. "Enough. Rest. We'll continue once you've recovered." The sheer malevolence in Jared's eyes made Angie feel quite scared, but she didn't dare disobey. "But... ...we've got to catch up with the demon!" Her earlier bravado and anger was nowhere in sight. "I'm not going to bring you when you're just cannon fodder. Do you know just how damned lucky you are to even be alive right now!? You'll learn, or you'll die. I'm not going to let you back out." Jared paused, his voice softening. "You can't run away now, you've been cursed, like me. You'll never be free, but in death." Jared looked at Angie sorrowfully. "I'm sorry you had to get dragged into this. Now rest, you'll need it before I'm done with you." That said, Jared dissapeared into the woods. Angie waited until she was sure he was gone, then started crying. She didn't stop crying until she fell asleep. ------------- The sun was shining happily above, and birds were chirping left and right. A butterfly even dared to land on her nose. On any other day, Angie would have cause for celebration. Her eyes turned inwards, looking at the butterfly. So pretty, so nice. She clapped a hand over her nose, crushing it, and tossed it away. God, what had she dreamed, what had she done, what had happened to her? Angie was very afraid of the answer, and glad she didn't remember her dreams during last night. She was pretty sure she knew why Jared awoke screaming, now. Jared observed silently, from within the wall of trees that marked the edge of the road, unseen. 'Innocence lost.' ----------- Angie: I hate you. I HATEHATEHATE YOU! Jared: Tough. It's been a while since the last chapter, the author was braindead. Standard 'annoy the little girl' stuff seemed a nice spot to pick up at. Jared: ....and, it's fun for me! Angie: ....... Angie: This was way beyond 'standard.' And, fuck you, author.