Chapter 13: You’re special.

 The demon uttered his guttural cackle, restraining it as best he could.

“GA HA Ha hee!”

It wiped drool from its toothy grin, twitching and itching, holding something back.

“You’ll have to excuse my baser urges, it’s been a while since I’ve had such fresh meat to myself.”

The demon halted, darting its head around, searching. 

It rattled the lantern.

“HEY! Obscure us before I tear off those juicy little wings of yours again!” It sucked its tongue to his pointed fangs with a snarl.

A tiny high pitched whistle moaned and clattered against the frosted glass.

The demons twitchy face sank, then it violently shook the lantern back and forth, up and down.

The faint whistle increased in pressure, hitching at each thud of the glass.

Archibald edged his fingers ever closer to the morning star, pausing at the realization of what the lantern contained. 

‘An angel? Heavens, that’s sickening!’

The twitchy robed demon jerked his head around, eyes darting to the tree lines.

“GEH, AAAHGH! Stupid imp!” The demon coughed a throaty frustrated cry, tossing the lantern carelessly out of sight.

Archibald, whose fingers now gripped the morning star, incredulously tracked the lantern with his eyes.

Quicker than he could act, he heard the ringing of metal before seeing the demon lurch forward.

He jerked his the weapon up, but a horrendously serrated knife glinted in his vision, before it sank into his hand, catching its teeth between a few sections on his fingers, and before he knew it.

“AAAAAHHHH-“

His hand was gushing blood, three of his fingers fell limp onto the grass.

“PRIEST, DON’T TEST MY-

*ahem*

Kid. Kiddo…” The demon forcibly stopped itself and took a few deep breaths, not forgetting to press its heel into Archibald’s chest.

“Just tell me what I need, and I’ll make it quick and easy, this is your one and only bargain.”

The demon brought the knife up to his face, sniffing it deeply, seemingly calming down for the moment.

‘Fingers—grip—the weapon—they’re gone!’ A clash of thoughts muddled through the pain flooding his mind.

The demon stared down into the pale shaking face of the young priest clutching his bleeding hand, releasing a sigh.

*CRACK!*

Archibald suddenly inhaled sharply, but it felt like the air had nowhere to go, the demon’s heel had cracked his ribs. Probably puncturing a lung!

‘JADE PLEASE—JADE-!

IM SORRY—HEAL ME-!

I’M GONNA-‘

A trembling hand gripped the bloody serrated knife. “J-just tell me where the passage is, or next I’ll gut you like- well, like a priest.”

Archibald in all his bravado and fear shrugged and shook his head, eyes wide and focused on the knife.

“Wrong ***king answer kid!” Whatever the demon had been holding back seemed to be breaking through!

“GA-

*ahem*

GA HA-“

The demon forcibly sank its teeth into its bottom lip, its cheeks filling, lips curling up into a grin.

‘Move! 

Why-I can’t-

No-get up-Run!’ 

Archibald was paralyzed with fear, flashes of Aurelia barged into his mind, but even she had a code, this was a true wild demon!

Something far too faint licked at his fragmented thoughts, trying but failing to soothe him like it usually did.

All its emotion had seemingly built to bursting point, the demon's eyes darting from the tree line back down to Archibald.

“-GAAA HAAAAA!!” Its loud belly laugh echoed like a war cry.

The demon looked around, wide eyed as the serrated knife swung down, startling Archibald from his frozen state.

He shuddered trying to coordinate his body into some sort of evasion but-

*SQUELCH*

A wheezing breath escaped Archibald's mouth, as the knife sank into his stomach, tearing at his innards.

“HAAAA, HA HEEEEEEeeee!”

Pummeled, wheezing, bloody.

Archibald only clung to life by the twisted machinations of the Demon stood over him.

“So kiddo, quickly now!

 I’ll ask one more time before I rip your guts out. 

Where’s the passage?”

Archibald sucked in a whistled breath and shook his head in utter confusion.

“Wrong answer kiddo!”

The serrated edge cut deeper into his stomach, spilling blood he was coming to realize he couldn’t spare.

Archibald leaned on his experience with Aurelia, pushing his mind away from the pain, he focused on the shaking lantern  that lay by the tree.

He couldn’t help but imagine Jade in there instead.

‘Jade-save yourself-go.’

He hadn’t heard a peep from her for so long now that he was starting to fear the worst had already happened.

‘DAMN IT JADE!

Please.

It’s you-you’re special.

It’s never-has it?-it hasn’t been me.

Saving people!?—What can I do!?

I’ve- Ive been sent—sent here to help you!

Jade.

I get it—I’m sorry.

I failed—so go—and-

I’ll see you up there.’

“GA HA HA HA! 

Oops! Ah well!

Watch it squirm! 

Look at it go! 

HA HA!”

The demon had fully relinquished control of its emotions at this point, indulging in joyously watching the priest die beneath its foot!

Faint, pale and sick of the maniacal laughter, Archibald used his new found lack of self belief and grabbed the demon's arm that was rummaging through his entrails.

His grip failed, slipping, but he caught the elbow and pulled him closer, tearing a deeper wedge across his waist with his own jerky movements!

The demons laughter caught, its smile inquisitive, a calm flickered in its eyes.

Archibald managed to whine out a slow sentence.

 “I…

*wheeze*

will die…

*wheeze*

on my own…

*wheeze*

terms.

*wheeze*

Hell spawn.”  

His face twisted with agony, tears and regret.

The demon latched on to its fleeting moment of calm to dart its eyes to the treeline again, then its joy faded, and its expression sank.

A new persons voice cut in. 

A man’s voice.

Casual, measured, out of sight.

“By heavens light, 

with human hope.

On Saint Sangra’s name,

I bid to thee,

Begone carnage,

help us cope.

Tare its flesh,

from nape to knee!”

Archibald watched the demon drop the knife during the first verse, recoil in panic on the second, and start fleeing by the third!

A flash of bronze light blinded him!

For a brief moment, he felt the white void graze past his soul, and dart towards the fleeing demon.

But before he could turn to look.

“AGH-” *BOOM*

He saw the demon, what was left of him, torn to shredded chunks! 

A bronze aura fading around it.

He tossed his head around, looking for the source.

Green floating specs began to swim in his vision and a faint spark of warmth tugged his mind.

‘Jade-‘

He couldn’t finish the thought.

His vision began to blur and fade in and out.

His eyes landed on a dark-skinned hand—picking up the lantern—setting the angel inside free—cobalt wings fluttering—an angel’s tiny hands on his face.

His pain soothed and his mind began to clear.

The adrenaline had finally ran its course.

He passed out.

— — —

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