My Demon, My Love...: Changes of Heart

Reve swung his sword toward the guard’s right side, which he successfully parried. After which, Reve went for another quick attempt, swinging his sword high, coming down over the guard’s head. The guard swung his sword upwards quickly and blocked Reve’s move. Little did the guard know that this had been the response that Reve had wanted; these guards were not nearly as well trained as some of Reve’s more high-ranking soldiers.

In the blink of an eye, Reve swung his sword back the other way and thrust it forward. Driving it deep into the abdomen of the guard he had been sparring, blood began to flow out from the wound. The guard slumped to his knees and Reve kicked the guard’s shoulder with his foot, pulling his sword free of him. He wanted the other guards to think twice before advancing.

They did think twice; Reve, Kane, and Zareb watched as the guards exchanged looks amongst each other. Many of these guards worked a specific area of the king’s castle. They had their own signals and motions worked out to communicate with each other. Movements that Zareb was not privy to. However, being that Reve was the Minister of Defense, he knew every gesture well.

Without further warning, the group of guards advanced on the trio, turning away from Reve; knowing they would have more success and higher likelihood of survival if they had his wife as a bargaining tool. Blades began to swing wildly, as metal crashed against metal. Zareb and Kane kept the movements of their feet carefully calculated. They wished to continue shielding Azlyn at all costs.

Both Zareb and Kane fought valiantly, each taking on two guards at a time. As they would defend against one assailant; they would immediately be forced to parry against the other. Reve was certainly not going to stand by and allow them to fight this battle for him; it was his wife and children on the line after all.

Normally, Reve would not approve of attacking an opponent from behind; this was the move of a weaker being and it was much more satisfying to face an adversary head on in battle. However, these circumstances called for a different kind of warfare; these fool guards had turned their backs on him in an attempt to threaten his wife, knowing full-well that Reve would do what it took to protect her. Their slight against his family would not stand; they would all pay in blood.

Reve swiftly reached inside his jacket and revealed a dagger that he had been smuggling. He rushed upon the guard who stood closest to him, as fast as his feet could carry him, and shoved the dagger’s blade into the shoulder of the demon; causing him to crumble to the floor in pain. Reve swung his fists into the side of the guard’s head, landing several deafening blows; successfully, knocking the guard unconscious.

The next guard, smartly, turned to address Reve and managed to match his blade on several attacks, but Reve would not be bested so easily. He caught the guard’s sword with his own and began spinning it, wildly. He came out of the spin with such force that he pinned the demon’s blade. Reve reared back his fist and then released it against the guard’s cheek. The demon was knocked off balance for a moment, allowing Reve the time he needed. He lifted his sword and brought it crashing down between the armor and removed the guard’s arm. The guard dropped his weapon and clutched at the bloodied stump, screaming out. Reve could not stand the idea of leaving him in such pain, so he ended the guard’s life without hesitation.

Reve turned his attention to the two guards attacking Kane and he knew that he had to intervene, immediately. Kane was not well-trained in the art of combat and while he may have been able to take on one of the guards, fairly, sufficiently. It was unlikely that he would be able to handle two of them, not to mention, he had clearly already been badly injured.

Reve quickly lunged at the guards, ensuring that only one of them would have the ability to continue to challenge Kane. He drew his sword slowly across the calves of his opponent, effectively stopping his advance. The guard turned, slowly, to face Reve. Reve’s gaze met his and Reve regretted the necessity of the situation as he recalled this demon’s name.

“Ignatius.” Reve acknowledged, recognizing the demon as a good solider and a strong military asset. He was on the king’s guard only at the command of Gedeon who had been impressed with Ignatius’s skills during a presentation of the army for the king. Prior to his assignment to Gedeon; Reve had worked with him closely.

Ignatius fought the urge to fall to his knees caused by the pain that burned from his calves. Reve glared down at him bidding him to drop his sword. He could hear Kane’s grunts as he struggled through his wound against the guard that still threatened him. He could feel the fear building within Azlyn as she watched the demons battling each other mere feet from the unborn child that she feebly attempted to guard with her bare arms across her abdomen. Reve peered out of the corner of his eye and realized the Zareb was holding back two guards by himself; he would need assistance and he would need it soon.

“Stand down.” Reve growled at Ignatius in a feeble attempt to avoid killing a good soldier.

“I cannot do that, your majesty. She is a traitor to the kingdom, and I must follow the orders of the crown.” Ignatius asserted.

“I do not want to kill you, but I will.”

“Then we both must do what we must.”

Reve raised his sword and Ignatius followed suit. Ignatius stumbled as the pain coursing through his legs cried out on the increased tension in his muscles from the weight of the lifted sword. Reve did not allow this to cause him pause; Ignatius had made it clear that he was a threat to Azlyn and their child that she carried. Reve could not allow this to go unanswered.

Reve began his attack against Ignatius; knowing that due to Ignatius’s wounds, the battle should not last long. Reve swung his sword high towards Ignatius’s head, which he quickly managed to counter. Reve then proceeded to swing low, twice; encouraging Ignatius to parry. He was aware that the pain in Ignatius’s legs would make it hard for him to raise his sword to the proper height again, swiftly. Reve took advantage of this lag in Ignatius’s movement and swung his blade upwards with a rapid, fluid motion. Without hesitation, Reve drove the edge of his sword down, deep into Ignatius’s neck.

Reve withdrew his blade, slowly, dragging it through the wound and blood began to spray wildly. However, Reve was in combat-mode now; he needed to be certain that his prey was dead. So, before Ignatius’s body began to drop towards the floor; Reve took another forceful swing, landing his blade directly inside the already open wound, skillfully finding his mark. There was a sickening sound as Reve’s sword made contact with the muscle and bone inside of Ignatius; as the side of Ignatius’s throat opened up, revealing that Reve had partially decapitated him. Azlyn could not take any more of the gore; as she knelt over to vomit on the floor. The sounds, the smells, the sights; they were all too much for her, especially given her heightened sensitivity from the pregnancy.

As Kane, successfully, thwarted his own opponent; he was filled with a sense of satisfaction unlike one that he had known before. Most demons had killed, at least, one being by the time they reached Kane’s age. But Kane had shied away from this rite of passage as he had not been eager to end the life of another. There was a very primal part of him that desired to relish in his first kill. However, he denied himself the opportunity to celebrate as he realized that Azlyn was in need of immediate care. He turned to tend to her; knowing that Reve and Zareb would have the ability to handle the rest of the guards much more successfully than he would.

Reve had also noticed Azlyn’s plight and longed to be the one to offer her comfort; as he had consistently been denied this opportunity over the last several weeks, not to mention, the entire pregnancy of his first child. Despite his inclinations towards running to Azlyn’s side, he did what he knew needed to be done. Kane was offering Azlyn his assistance, so she would be well-cared for. Zareb, on the other hand, was still struggling to battle two guards on his own. This is where Reve’s particular skills were required.

Reve sheathed his sword, tired of the weight of it; he had grown weary of this fight, he wanted it ended and for Azlyn’s sake, he wanted it done cleanly. He rushed towards the demons whom Zareb had been shielding Azlyn from. He jumped onto the back of the one closest to him; taking the guard by surprise. The demon began to swing his sword without direction; causing Reve to worry about his safety and that of those around him. Kane and Zareb were currently blocking Azlyn’s view of the battle, so Reve did the only thing that he could think to do to end this quickly.

Reve wrapped his arms around the guard’s neck and positioned his hands, neatly, on either side of his head. Despite the guard bucking against him, Reve maintained his composure, focused on his task. At this moment, he likened himself to a wild animal, desperate for its next meal. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then with a quick shift of his muscles, the guard’s head had twisted violently to the side, Reve having successfully snapped his neck.

“Oh my…” Azlyn heaved, fighting back the vomit, having been forced to listen to the sound of the splintering of bones, once again.

Whilst Reve finished his assault; Zareb had successfully disarmed his rival and had used his own head to knock the guard unconscious; leaving matching bloodied marks dripping from both heads. Zareb sighed with relief, now that they had subdued the guards, they were much more likely to make it to the stables without further incident. Reve took in a deep breath and released it slowly; allowing himself a moment to breathe. Zareb took in the scene before him and began to relax, as he did so, his primal-self relented as he began to transform back to normal. He turned towards Reve to flash him a toothy grin.

As Zareb looked towards Reve, he noticed a horrifying sight, causing his grin to immediately drop. The guard that Reve had stabbed in the shoulder had awoken and regained his composure. He was furious and his primal-side had begun take form; as it did so the adrenaline that coursed through his veins dulled the pain that he felt as he yanked the dagger free from his shoulder.

Azlyn recovered from her nausea in time to look up and notice the terrified look that had fallen upon Zareb’s face. She glanced in the direction of Zareb’s gaze and was horrified by what she was seeing as well.

“No!!!!” Azlyn cried, as she saw the demon setting his sights on Reve, rushing towards him.

Reve turned to look at Azlyn, falsely assuming that she was the one in need of protection; not even considering the idea that he should be looking out for himself. Zareb knew that he could not allow this to happen; he looked at the fear in Azlyn’s eyes and he noted the concern on Reve’s face. These two were mates and they belonged together, they had one beautiful child already and another was on the way. Zareb would not let Reve die, not when there was something that he could do about it.

Zareb sprinted towards Reve as fast as his legs would allow him to move. Just as the guard would have reached Reve’s backside, Zareb reached Reve’s shoulder. Zareb shoved Reve out of the way as forcefully as he could. Reve flew to the side, as the dagger meant for him, found its way into Zareb’s chest instead. Zareb’s body lurched and he coughed hard from the impact. He wavered for a moment, but never allowed himself to completely falter.

“Zareb, no!!!! This can’t be happening!!!! No!!!!” Azlyn cried.

Zareb grappled with the guard, reaching for his throat and wrapping his hands firmly around it. He began to strangle the guard as the demon in his grip, desperately, flailed against him. This did the guard no good; Zareb was running on pure adrenaline now. He had one goal before the light faded from view and that was to see that Azlyn got out of this castle; the last mission that he would be honored to receive from his sworn leader, Prince Reve. Zareb squeezed tighter and tighter until the guard did not fight back anymore; his head slumping over to the side as drool fell from his purple lips.

“Your majesty…” Zareb coughed.

Reve rushed to Zareb’s side; tossing the body of the newly deceased guard out of his way.

“Zareb! Do not worry, old friend! We will get you out of here and find medical treatment.” Reve assured him.

“No, sire, you must get Azlyn and get far away from here, as quickly as possible. I will only slow you down.” Zareb strained.

“No, Zareb. We will not leave you. Not after what you have done for us.”

“I am not important. You need to get your wife out of here and protect your children. Your duty is to them…as was mine.” Zareb stated, clutching at the open wound in his chest.

“You served your duty, nobly.” Reve affirmed. “It has been an honor to serve with you, Major Zareb.”

Zareb’s eyes filled with tears at these last words.

“No, my liege, it has been an honor and privilege to serve with you. You are truly one of the brilliant military leaders of all time, Prince Reve.”

“Just Reve.”

“What?” Zareb coughed out, confused.

“Please…call me Reve. It is how all my friends speak to me and we have been friends for far too long to continue with such formalities.”

“I am blessed to have friends such as you, Reve and Azlyn.” Zareb smiled as he struggled to take in a deep breath.

“We are blessed to have known you.” Azlyn promised Zareb as she made her way towards him, reaching out for her friend.

The unconscious guard behind Zareb began to stir. He rolled on the floor, holding his head with his hands. He began to struggle in an attempt to push himself off of the floor.

“There is not much time!” Zareb exclaimed. “You must go! I will hold them off for as long as I can!”

“But Zareb…” Azlyn began to protest.

“No, Azlyn. This is what I am meant to do. My fate has been sealed, but you all still have a chance. Protect your children and be strong for your husband.”

“Thank you, Zareb.” Reve whispered.

Reve walked over to Azlyn and scooped her up into his arms. Footsteps could be heard in the distance, moving at a hurried pace, likely headed in their direction. Zareb was correct, they were running very short on time. They had to escape now or Zareb’s sacrifice will have been in vain.

“I will never forget you, Zareb!” Azlyn called out to him as Reve began to carry her away.

“I know you won’t, your majesty. I know you won’t.” Zareb flashed his toothy grin at Azlyn one last time and her eyes began to well with tears.

Zareb then turned his back on her to face the guard as he rose to his feet. Zareb held his chest wound with one hand and wielded his sword with the other. He dashed headlong into the duel without a second thought. If he was going to die, then he would be certain to take this guard with him.

Reve turned on his heels and carried Azlyn down the long corridors that led towards the outer doors. He and Kane sped along as fast as they could towards the stables. He was not certain how long Zareb would be able to hold out for. He did not know if the guard would best Zareb in his weakened state and did not want to risk that others would catch up to them. Azlyn had seen enough death for one day and Reve had killed several of his own men, not to mention, one of his brothers; he hoped to not have to murder anyone else today.

Once Reve and Azlyn reached the stables; Reve was relieved to see that Blaz had followed his instructions exactly. He had saddled five horses and loaded each horse with as much equipment as they could carry. Nissa already sat atop the horse that she and Blaz would ride. As well as, Dalair whom still held tightly to Hunter, prepared to take off on their horse, with a second’s notice.

Blaz had instructed Nissa to keep an eye out and alert him the moment that she saw Reve coming. She called out to him and he rushed over. He looked up the hill towards the castle and was surprised to see that Zareb was not with them.

“Load up the fifth horse with supplies! Quickly!” Reve called out as he ran.

Blaz shook his head, shocked by Zareb’s absence, but did as he was told. He rushed back inside the stable and grabbed a couple of the sacks that he was going to leave behind in favor of not forcing the horses to carry too much weight. He shuffled back out to the horses and tossed them onto the back of the horse that had been meant for Zareb.

Reve reached up and gently placed Azlyn onto his horse; then hurried to assist Blaz with strapping down the additional bags, securing them in place.

“Where is Zareb?!” Blaz asked, eagerly, as he tossed the straps over the horse towards Reve.

“I am sorry, Blaz.” Reve sighed. “He was the bravest demon that I have ever known.”

Blaz’s mouth hung open. He could hardly believe the words that Reve was speaking. Could it be possible that Zareb had not survived the battle? This had not even been something that Blaz would have ever considered. Zareb could not be dead; he had taken for granted that Zareb would come out of this alright. Reve looked over and noticed Blaz’s sudden pause. He walked over to him and placed his hand on Blaz’s shoulder.

“Blaz…I know that you are upset. I know that Zareb had been a good friend to you for many years. But this is not the time or place for your grief. We have two women and a child over there who are counting on us to get them out of here.” Reve reminded him. “We will honor Zareb once we are safe, you have my word.”

Blaz shook his head in agreement as he blinked back the tears that threatened to spill forth from his eyes. For all their bickering, for all of Blaz’s insistence that all demons were untrustworthy, Zareb had been Blaz’s best and truest friend. He had been by his side for a long time and Blaz could barely conceive of a world without Zareb in it. However, he knew the seriousness of the situation that they were in and decided to focus on the task at hand.

Reve hopped atop his horse and Azlyn clung to him, tightly. She buried her face into the back of his jacket; partially to protect it from the wind and partially so she could cry. Zareb had meant a lot to her; she trusted him as much as she trusted Reve. They had been close during her time in the castle before, but they had grown especially close during these past few months. He had protected her when no one else could. He had taken a temporary demotion to see that she was safe. He cleaned her up when she was sick, even though this went beyond the realm of his normal responsibilities. He had given up his food, so that she would not starve. He had given his life to save her husband. She was devastated by his loss.

Azlyn wanted to see Hunter, but she knew that she was safe with Dalair and, as selfish as it may have been, she needed a moment to grieve. Azlyn knew that Hunter was comfortable with Dalair. Dalair had very much stepped in to fill the father role in Reve’s absence. He had been a part of Hunter’s life since the very moment that she was born; having stood by Azlyn’s side and held her hand while Penelope, acted as midwife, helping her to give birth. If there was any demon in all of this world that Azlyn knew would give his life for her child without hesitation, it was Dalair.

Azlyn clung to Reve and continued to allow herself to quietly sob; knowing that it was best for both, her and Hunter, if she had herself pulled back together for their reunion. She had always attempted to maintain a strong persona for Hunter; she desired to be a role model that Hunter could look up to. She wanted Hunter to know that her half-human side was not a weakness; there was just a different kind of strength that existed within it.

Blaz climbed on top of his and Nissa’s horse. Nissa wondered about Zareb, but by the tone of everyone else, she assumed that it was not good. Nissa was not always the best at reading a moment, but this time she knew that now was not appropriate to begin questioning everyone. She would ask later when they were safe and could afford for their attentions to be diverted. She knew that she would be brought up to speed on the situation at a more appropriate time. Despite her instincts, she bit her tongue and wrapped her arms around Blaz; feeling the jolt of the horse as they took off.

Reve and Azlyn led the way, followed closely by Dalair with Hunter. Blaz and Nissa stayed close to the middle of the pack. They were under more of a threat, should the group be confronted, as they were merely two slaves in the eyes of the rest of demonkind. Kane brought up the rear of the pack; despite his injury, he wanted to feel useful, so he argued that he should protect the group from any attacks from behind. Reve was far too exhausted to argue the situation with anyone; knowing that someone had to be the one to bring up the back of the group and he certainly would not have the demon carrying his child with him to be the one to do it.

Meanwhile, back at the castle, Gedeon had heard about the escape from his dungeon, facilitated by his brothers. He had made his way down to assess the damages. Six of his guards lay dead, another severely wounded, and the traitor, Zareb, clung to his last moments of life on the floor in front of him. Gedeon stared down at the dying demon; grimacing at what was a pitiful sight, indeed.

“So, I see that you were conspiring with my brother this entire time.” Gedeon commented, casually. “Tell me…how long has he been intending to betray me?”

“He did not betray you…” Zareb coughed, choking on the blood. “You betrayed him the moment that you threatened his wife and children. You brought this on yourself.”

“Do not accuse me of being the one at fault here!” Gedeon snarled. “Reve has never been trustworthy; he’s a sad excuse for a royal demon.”

“His royal highness is ten times the demon that you will ever be.” Zareb asserted as boldly as he could manage.

Gedeon lifted his foot and stomped down hard on the wound in Zareb’s chest. Zareb cried out as his body attempted to recoil from the pain. Gedeon lifted his boot, releasing the pressure, and placed it back down on the floor next to Zareb. Zareb clutched at his chest; hoping that, somehow, his touch could soothe the pain.

“So…I take it that the abomination that the slave carries actually belongs to my brother then?” Gedeon inquired, wanting confirmation on his suspicion.

Zareb, however, knew better than to answer. He would not incriminate Reve, Azlyn, or their unborn child any further.

“It does not matter whether you answer me or not. I know that the child is his. I had always suspected as much.” Gedeon sneered, lowering himself down closer to Zareb. “Now, you can die knowing that you did nothing to help their cause. I will hunt down Reve and Azlyn. I will torture her to death in front of him. He will watch as his beloved wife and his progeny die. I will send assassins to take out Hunter, along with any who harbor her. Your sacrifice is for naught.”

Zareb gathered every bit of strength that he had left inside of his rapidly, weakening body. He lifted his head and spit directly towards Gedeon’s face. It landed on his chin and Gedeon was absolutely mortified as he hurried to wipe the mucus from his skin. Zareb lowered his head back to the floor and smiled, pleased with himself.

“Prince Reve would make a brilliant King. It is a shame that the late-King Chesed did not pass the throne to him.” Zareb spoke, dreamily, to no on in particular, as he began to stare into space.

“You are taking far too long to die!” Gedeon growled.

Gedeon leaned over Zareb and lifted the bloody dagger that lay on the floor next to him. Then slowly dragged it across Zareb’s neck, slicing throat. Zareb’s blood gurgled from the wound as his body struggled to remain alive.

“Do not worry.” Gedeon hissed as he stared into Zareb’s eyes, watching the light fade from them. “Reve and Azlyn will be joining you soon.”