@Jiaolong Join me in the forest, my friends.A flute could be heard from miles off in the Niahi. It was a beautiful melody with an eerie undertone. It pierced through the woods on what otherwise was a calm, still night. With the enchanting sounds of the flute came the wind. The tree limbs and leaves tossed about as the air circled through the surrounding green as if a storm were approaching.
In the middle of this curious scene stood a mysterious figure. It was a man - the proprietor of the sound. He continued to play the melody with calm demeanor and closed eyes.
Just then, additional figures began filing into the opening where the man stood. Some men, some women. They walked toward him at a slow, lifeless pace. Each one had the same look on their face. They were all carrying gentle smiles, but their eyes were empty. Were they just mesmerized by the music? No, this was the work of enchantment - the work of a curse.
As they drew near, the man opened his eyes.
They were blood red. He ended his tune and moved the flute away from his lips before scanning the crowd around him.
"Welcome, my friends," he said softly. "I do apologize for what I must do, but do not worry. I will look after your souls when the time has come."
Daniel had been flying over what the mortals had called the Niahi woods when he heard what sounded like music. And what a strange tune it was—as he continued listening he felt a faint tug in his chest, but the feeling stopped there. Feeling curious, he drifted down towards the trees, landing in the lush undergrowth.
A twig snapped behind him, and the angel turned. It was a man; Daniel quickly concealed his wings, having learned that they often scared humans. But the person didn't seem to have noticed; instead, he walked steadily forward, a dull look in his eyes.
Very strange.
Daniel followed the man and was joined by various other creatures who once again took no notice of his presence. They seemed to be walking towards the source of the music, and Daniel stopped when he saw the small clearing where the people had converged. At the center of it all was an extremely tall man playing a flute from which the mysterious music came.
Epirus felt the presence of another - someone more powerful than the average folk he lured out into the forest. He took note of his attendance, yet he showed no indiciation that he was aware of him. He was of no concern. The flutist had no quarrel with this outsider, yet. By all means, he was welcome to stay and watch - though he found it curious as to why anyone would want to watch such a dreadful affair.
The hand that held his flute relaxed, dropping by his side. As his hand sat parallel to his hip, the instrument seemingly transformed into what appeared to be a whip made up of wooden thorns - though it emitted a force much deadlier than anything pricked from this forest.
"Let us begin," he said with soft calmness. The crimson shot of his eyes faded, returning to his natural hallow, steely-blue gaze.
He lifted his free hand and firmly snapped his fingers.
Thud.
The sound of weight hitting the soil grazed the clearing as all of the would-be victims dropped to their knees simultaneously.
Daniel watched in wonder at the transformation of the flute into a strange looking whip. He stepped a bit closer to observe when those that had gathered abruptly dropped to their knees.
The angel tilted his head at their strange behavior. Had the man compelled them all to do so? A tingling sensation went down his back; someone...was about to die.
The young demon's eyes focused in on a helpless man closest to him. His eyes flashed red once more as he stepped toward him. "You will be first," he said motionlessly. "You, Edwin Lanchet, have been found guilty of thievery, rape, and murder. What is more is you let all those who cared about you down with your heinous acts. By order of your once beloved, I sentence you to death."
He lashed his arm out and the whip wrapped around the man's throat in a split instant like a snake trapping its prey. With a gentle tug of his wrist, Epirus' whip snapped the man's neck like shattering glass. Upon release, the victim's lifeless body toppled to the ground.
There was no pain involved. No torture. Just the quick release of death while under the his control. It was like a drug. It was not something he particularly enjoyed doing, nor was it something he dreaded. He was just doing his job.
---
(OOC: Hope this type of violence is okay! I couldn't find your Wants and Limits, so if this isn't something you're cool with I can modify this post or ease up going forward.)
Daniel felt the very life force of the man end as if it was cut by a knife, but for some reason, he could not sense the soul anywhere. Had it disappeared? But as far as he knew, that was impossible.
He finally decided to approach the man, stepping out into the moonlight which only enhanced the glow that already surrounded him. He sidestepped around the people on their knees until he came face to face with the strange man, oblivious to any possible danger.
"Where did his soul go?"
((OOC: Yup, I'm fine with any types of violence/mature themes. I should probably make a character catalogue and wants and limits page soon...))
Brave.
The man's eyes had locked onto a woman, his next would-be victim, when the boyish entity approached him. He did not normally break concentration for such a matter, but he would allow it. He was intrigued.
He shifted his gaze over to the youngish-appearing man before him. "I have it," he said simply but with calm authority. "Who are you, or what are you? You are no ordinary human. And more importantly, do you plan to interfere with my work any longer? I have no problem with you, young traveler, unless you give me a reason to have one."
Daniel tilted his head. "I've never seen someone take another's soul. And you're right, I'm not human; I'm an angel. Unfortunately, my memories are a bit scrambled, so I can't tell you any more than that." He sat in the grass besides the man, bringing his knees to his chest. The stranger's threat didn't seem to scare him as he continued.
"Well, go on. I won't disturb you. This is quite fascinating...do you only take the souls of bad people?"
The demon formed a small smile and nodded. "I am a soul piper," he replied. "It's what I do. I collect the souls of the dead and guide them from this plane to the next, wherever that may be."
His attention turned back toward the woman he stood over, looking into her lifeless face for a few moments as he considered his next response. "It depends on what you mean by bad," he admitted with a soft undertone. "By human standards, this woman has done nothing bad in her life. Victoria Lasso. She is a loving wife and mother and has worked hard for the mediocre life she has lived up to this point. Unfortunately for her, in my human form, I find things such as hunger unavoidable so I take on these jobs to keep myself going."
His eyes lightened on the woman as he continued to study her. "So, by human standards, no," he repeated. "She is not a bad person. She has done nothing to deserve death today, and she still has many years until old age would catch up to her. But it cannot be helped. Someone wants her gone and I must oblige, else I would be going against my word. I will take good care of her soul once I take her from this world."
He knelt down in front of her, cupping her face with his free hand. "Humans are such fascinating, beautiful creatures, don't you think?"
Daniel remained where he was sitting, watching the man caress the woman's face. "They are indeed beautiful. I love them. That was my job, I think."
He sat silent for a moment. "Her family will be sad for a while. I've seen that humans always mourn when their loved ones die. But they should be happy her soul doesn't have to experience the physical pain of the mortal world."
"It's kind of you to take their souls so gently. Some like to torture before they kill," he added, his expressionless face finally frowning.
"You are... curious," the man concluded.
He stood, re-positioning himself in front of the woman. His grip firmed on the whip's handle, but he hesitated. He glanced back at the the young angel.
"Most would not find it kind," he said collectively. "To take the life of one so innocent such as hers. And coming from you, an angel, is intriguing. It's long been said that the Angels and Demons of this world would go against each other - our kind has been enemies for some time. But you are different. You speak contently toward the violence. Furthermore, you speak in a way that you do not know who you are. Have you lost your way?"
He studied the boy a bit more. "What is your name?"
The angel paused, confusion showing in his pale yellow eyes. "My name is...Daniel," he said as if just remembering. "I wouldn't know of the relationships between demons and angels in this world. I don't come from here...I just found myself here one day, and I can't remember much."
He stood up. "Sometimes I wonder if I did something wrong. But, it's useless to dwell on the past." He stretched out his hand, remembering the humans always did this when they met another person. "As I said, my name is Daniel. And you are?"
Ah. The human handshake. The formal introduction. Epirus had to oblige.
Extending his free arm, he awkwardly shook the Angel's hand. "My name is Epirus," he said gently. "Epirus Clove."
Slipping from his grip, he returned to the woman. "Tell me, Daniel," he started, eyes still locked on his would-be victim. "Would you have me spare her life? Would that be the human thing to do? I would be breaking my oath, but that could be remedied with other means."
He tilted his head once again, golden hair shifting with the movement. "It's not my choice to decide whether she lives or dies. Even good people die young."
His eyes landed on one human kneeling in the grass; it was just a child. "I suppose a human would beg you to let her go. But I'm not a human—I'm not supposed to interfere unless told to do so."
Daniel sat back down in the grass, finding sudden interest in twirling a blade of grass. "Epirus, can only soul pipers take souls? Is it difficult?"
"I do not know, but I have not known others to be able to do so," he answered honestly. "As for the difficulty, it comes natural to us. It's not anything glamorous, but it's what we do. It's what I have always done."
He paused for a moment, contemplating his next response.
"You said you cannot interfere unless you are told to?" he asked. "Bound by orders, then. I was too once."
I was too once.
"But not anymore," he muttered under his breath. His eyes looked on the woman further, jumping from her to the child, scanning the rest of the group, and then back to her. "Daniel. I think I am going to let the good people go. Something tells me I should. What are your thoughts?"
"I too am no longer bound by orders...but somehow I can't bring myself to stop following them," Daniel explained. He pondered Epirus' following question.
"Their families would be very happy if you let them go, so I suppose you should. But didn't you say you were bound by oath? What will happen to you?"
He mustered a soft chuckle. "Yes, I am," he reassured. "It has already been written that these lives would be taken today - and this amount of souls would be collected. To break the oath is considered treasonous among my people, but they and I do not talk much these days."
His whip quickly slithered back into flute-form. He had made up his mind: he was going to set them free.
"To keep the natural order intact, a life must be taken for each one spared. For one person alone, I'd gamble my own - but that will not work with multiple souls. No," he hesitated, thinking. "I must kill the ones who ordered their assassination instead. Should be a simple solution."
A flicker of interest showed in Daniel's eyes. He was surprised Epirus had chosen to spare them knowing the consequences. "It sounds like a good plan. Shall I help you find these people, or will they come at the sound of your flute?"
"No, I will need to find them," he answered quietly. "They are all far too spread out from one another to use my flute effectively. That would take ages. And I could use my flute to draw them in individually when I'm in their vicinity, but that would be a waste of time. You are more than welcome to join, but first-"
He stopped, his eyes flashing red at the lifeless crowd in front of him.
Just then, three among the crowd came to. The woman, the boy, and another man. They each had their own variation of a reaction, but it was essentially the same. The woman looked at the ground in front of her, and then quickly glanced around in horror as she saw the man lying dead on the ground and the demon man towering over them.
'AAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHHHH!'
The women bellowed out a terrified cry, trying to get to her feet but immediately falling backward to her rear. She kicked at the ground, eyes focused on Epirus as she scooted away. "P-Please don't hurt me," she said hysterically. Finally getting her feet under her, she turned heel and ran off into the woods.
"S-Shit! What the hell is this?" the man said jumping to his feet. "Monster! Demon! Stay away!"
He too ran.
The last spared victim was the young boy. He blinked several times, confused, and walked over to Daniel. "Excuse me," he said quietly. "Where's my momma?"
Daniel blinked, feeling a familiar tug in his chest at the sight of the small boy who only came up to his torso. Where had he seen this before?
Remembering the direction the boy had come from and a small human town to the west, he picked up the child, gently patting his head to reassure him. "Shall I take you to her?"
He unfurled his large white wings which seemed to glow in the moonlight. Some of the other humans who were beginning to wake from their stupor gazed at him in awe.
"An angel! Please, save us!"
How sad it was that he was worshiped by the humans while Epirus was shunned despite the two not being so different at all. He turned back to the demon. "I'll make this quick."
With a flap of his wings, he took off into the night sky.
Epirus gave Daniel a quick nod as he watched him fly off. Astonishing.
His eyes converted to their blood-red state again. It was time to finish business. Calling his whip back into action, he sentenced the remaining empty vessels before him, taking their lives one after the other.
The angel flew over trees and clearings and ponds at a speed faster than any bird, the boy clutching his sleeves silently the whole time. Daniel could see faint lamplight from below and touched down at the edge of the small town. The boy seemed to recognize the place, eyes widening as he stepped down.
"Remeber, you were saved tonight, but not by me. Now go home."
The boy obliged, quickly running into the village without saying a word. Perhaps he would think the whole encounter was just a dream. Daniel watched the child go. His parents would be so happy to see him.
When he returned to the forest clearing, he noticed new bodies lying sprawled on the ground.
"You know, it's quite interesting to actually...do things. Simply observing is just too boring. I want to do more."
The demon shot Daniel a puzzled look. "What would you like to do?"
Before the Angel could respond, Epirus' eyes widened as the sound of footsteps cut through his ears. Someone had approached them from behind, but how? How did he not sense this? No ordinary human could sneak up on him undetected until now.
He whipped around to see another man, tall and silvery-haired like himself, standing there with a judging look of disappointment.
Anger flushed over Epirus' face, an emotion rarely exposed of the piper. "Chorin," he hissed through gritted teeth.
"Epirus," he acknowledged with the same dull tone that the demon typically carried. "You have broken your oath. We were expecting several souls tonight. What on earth possessed you to act in such a way?"
"I deci-"
"Don't answer that," Chorin interrupted quickly. "I do not care. The question was rhetorical. Now, are you ready to face the consequences?"
"I fully intend to replace these souls with those of the ones who ordered the hit," Epirus explained. He was tense. It was obvious that the demon man was mentally preparing for an attack in the event that this Chorin character needed to be dealt with. "You will still receive your souls tonight, Chorin. Just not the ones you initially expected. This is my decision."
"You do not have that authority!" Chorin snapped. His eyes darted over to Daniel, studying the Angel for a few brief moments. "You must be kidding. Have you no shame, Epirus? He is an Angel. An Angel. He does not belong here."
Chorin's lips curled into a sinister smile. "I have decided," he started. "An Angel will more than suffice for the humans you spared. I command you to kill him."
Daniel stood firmly in place. This newcomer, Chorin, almost bristled with hostility and contempt. Epirus has said he was no longer bound by orders...he wondered what the relationship between the two was. From the look on the soulpiper's face, it certainly wasn't a good one.
The angel narrowed his yellow eyes. "Unfortunately, I cannot be killed so easily."
"I do not take orders from you, brother," Epirus hissed before shooting Daniel a quick glance. "I warn you. I will not hesitate to kill you if you hinder my path any longer."
Chorin let out a soft, sinister chuckel and a few slow, melodramatic claps of applause. "Impressive," he said, amused. "More back bone in you then I thought."
The new demon turned heel to Daniel, approaching him. "I will take care of the boy, then."
[OOC: Also, feel free to play Chorin anyway you like! He's just an NPC I introduced for our thread]
Chorin reached into his pocket, taking out a twig-like object that suddenly elongated into a deadly looking sword. "I've never killed an angel before, but that'll make it all the more fun." He shot Epirus a smirk and turned back to Daniel, lunging forward.
The angel waited until the last moment to step out of the way, barely moving as he dodged the attack. He grabbed onto the demon's shoulders, using them as a lift to shoot off into the sky. Wings outstretched, he peered down, a frown working itself onto his face.
"You really are trying to kill me."
The demon glared, his sword turning into a spear. He threw it upwards, the tip narrowly missing Daniel's wings.
The angel dove down at the moment Chorin was unarmed, kicking his feet straight into the demon's face. "Had you just come a few hours before, I might've been more willing to give you my soul. But now, you see, I want to do things in this world a little longer."
Chorin rubbed his broken nose, blood gushing down his face.
Epirus looked upon Chorin's bloodied face with stunned, but satisfied eyes. Rarely has he seen anyone else get the best of his brother, and it felt great to watch.
This boy. Daniel. Perhaps he would prove a greater asset than Epirus had initially anticipated.
"You are outnumbered, Chorin," Epirus said with confidence. "Do you really want to go against the two of us? You should go back home now. You will get your souls, this is a promise. But, you will get the souls that I choose."
Chorin glared red at the two as he contemplated his next move.
He simply sneered, wiping the blood from his face and leaving a nasty smear on his sleeve. He wouldn't back down from an angel—and certainly not from his brother.
But he would make their lives miserable later. "You two aren't important enough for me to ruin a good shirt," he muttered, looking with disdain at the blood stain. "Have those souls before sunrise. I'll remember this, Epirus."
The demon moved to walk back into the shadows and stopped to look back at Daniel once more. "Oh, and you've done a good job of annoying me...just know that any demons you may encounter from now on won't act so kindly towards you." With that last threat, he didsapeared as quickly ad he had come.
I'll remember this, Epirus.
Epirus smiled gently at the thought of that, though he did not know why. Had he strayed so far from his path that he was now an enemy of his people? First he was enduring punishment, now was he to endure exile? Maybe it was better this way. He had long been one of the few, if not the only, to ask questions in a tribe of 'no questions asked' demons. He has always been fascinated with humans and their way of life anyway, as flawed as most of them were anyway. Maybe he could-
Well, that was something to think about for a different day. Right now he needed to focus on finishing the job he had set out to do, and to watch his back going forward. For someone void of emotion, and taught from an early age to accept death willingly when it comes, he was not ready to die. Chorin would be after him.
After several moments of silence, he fixed his gaze back on Daniel. "That was... impressive," he said slowly. "You handle yourself well. Where did you learn to fight in such a way?"
Daniel landed in the soft grass, quietly tucking his wings away until they appeared to vanish.
"I'm not sure, I really just acted on instinct. His nose was certainly an easy target," he added with a slight upturn of the mouth. "It must've been part of my job from before. With the world the way it is, I guess I needed to know how to defend myself."
He sighed, his faint smile disappearing. "I hadn't paid it much mind before, but this loss of memories is a bit of an inconvenience..." he muttered. "Anyways, didn't that...Chorin say you had until sunrise? In a few hours it will be that time."
"Right," he nodded. "That does not give me much time, does it? Although, I have a funny feeling that even if I collect all of the souls before sunrise, he will still come after me."
He cast a look over his victims, the "bad ones", as they lied sprawled in the dirt. Leaning over them, he collected an item from each one of them individually - proof of the kill.
He let out a heavy sigh. Until sunrise. "Best get going then," he said. "The first man we are to visit lives in a little cabin in this forest. That will be easy enough. But I am afraid the others will not be as accessible."
He sighed again. Worry later, act now.
"A cabin?" He faintly remembered seeing one from above. "I think I saw that one. Luckily, it's not too far."
He started in its direction. "And the others?"
Epirus dashed at an impressive speed in the direction of the cabin. He was not yet done with the bodies, but he would have to come back for them later before someone potentially stumbled across them. That's the last thing he needed.
"La'marri," he said, somehow calmly through their rapid pace, as the two headed toward the cabin. "The rest of them are there, fortunately. A handful of bitter mages looking for someone else to do their dirty work. It's a shame really, it does not fit the reputation of that free village... but I've found out that everyone has a secret."
The two unsuspecting comrades traveled a bit further until they arrived just outside of the little cabin. Epirus' sprint slowed to a walk as they drew closer, his ears picking something up from inside. Voices. Several of them.
"There are more people here than the man I'm after," he said quietly. "We need to be careful."
Daniel had followed closely behind, matching Epirus' speed. He, too, heard multiple voices from the small cabin. He concentrated his hearing on an individual voice, the loudest of the group.
"By tonight we'll be free of that goddam troublemaker. Now we'll see who else wants to meddle in our business!" This was followed by laughter.
"It sounds a bit festive in there," the angel commented. "They must be celebrating the death of the one they wanted killed...I almost hate to end their party so soon," he added with a smile. He felt almost giddy with excitement. After simply observing things for so long, he was finally allowed to act. Or had he allowed himself? Oh, well, it didn't matter. Whatever he had been doing in his past life was just that—in the past. He didn't need to follow old orders anymore.
"What now? Should we create a distraction?"
"A distraction?" he mumbled. That might not be a bad idea, he thought. He originally had intended on announcing his presence, walking inside, and killing the man - after he snipped out any potential threat from the others of course. But perhaps a distraction was indeed the best solution. It would be easiest to separate the guests from the hire.
"That should be fine," he said with a soft smile. "I like the way you think, Daniel, if I do say so myself."
Without another word, he approached the side of the little cabin and climbed to the top in almost absolute silence. He gave Daniel the signal to create the distraction, though they never discussed what exactly he would do. Epirus was still learning how to communicate clearly with others, after all.
Daniel nodded, noticing a window that lay slightly ajar. He wasn't quite sure what he would do, but perhaps he would do what angels did best.
He slipped through the window, landing softly on the floor. The mages were occupied with wine and festivities on the other side of the room, no one noticing his arrival.
He'd seen humans act in things called plays. Surely pretending wouldn't be too hard.
"Mages!"
The mages in question abruptly stopped their chatter. A glass dropped to the ground, shattering and spilling wine all across the floor. Daniel allowed his wings to show and revealed the natural yellow glow that usually surrounded him—he'd found that usually made people stop and stare.
"Hand over the one that is guilty, and the rest shall be forgiven of their sins."
"An...angel." The mages looked on in astonishment until one dropped to his knees, screaming something about his innocence.
"I'm too young to die!"
"Please forgive me!"
"You fools, this has to be a trick!"
"It's him, that's the one! Don't punish me!"
There he was. Daniel allowed his halo to show, the ring of light immediately blinding all the mages who looked on in horror and awe. They writhed on the ground, reaching blindly. Their blindness would be temporary, though. Daniel dragged the man who'd been singled out to the window. "Epirus!" He called, quickly hiding his halo.
Without a moment's hesitation, Epirus dropped from the house next to the window, and snatched the man by his neck. Pulling him through the window and out of the little cabin, he took a few steps back and tossed the man onto the ground.
As the man regained his composure, he focused in on Epirus' cold face. "Y-You!" he spat, his eyes wide with fear and sudden realization of what was happening. "W-What the hell is the meaning of this? Did you get the job done?"
"I am afraid there has been a change of plans," he said as his whip ascended from its flute form. "For the ordered assassination of an innocent life, I sentence you to death."
He lashed his arm forward, and the whip wrapped around the man's neck.
It would be so easy to kill him. So effortless to tug at his weapon and snap the man's neck. But as Epirus towered over him with eyes seeing red, he hesitated. He wanted to watch him suffer, but he didn't know why.
The man kicked his legs in the dirt, blood dripping from his neck, choking as he unsuccessfully tried to pry the whip off of him.
Daniel watched from the window, ignoring the sounds of confusion and pain from the mages behind him. They had been so quick to turn over their comrade. Were humans really so fickle?
He had completely made up everything about forgiveness, and yet most of them believed him easily. The angel wondered how far he could really go with this "acting."
The smell of blood filled the air, drawing his attention back to the scene before him. This wasn't the quick and painless death Epirus usually gave.
Epirus held the handle of his whip firm as he continued to punish the man. The victim's face was growing red, steadily losing the oxygen he needed to fight through the assault, and his prying struggles to free himself were growing weaker.
Abruptly, he released the man from his clutches. Instead of using his weapon to choke the man, he lashed his arm several times, slinging the whip across his body and cutting through the skin over and over again.
The man who hired him was now out cold, but Epirus continued the punishment for several moments more before coming to a sudden stop.
W-What the hell am I doing?
Daniel crept down from the window sill, watching the scene unfold with confusion. He approached Epirus, who seemed quite unlike himself. The demon seemed almost in a daze...
The boy stood between him and the bloody mage, placing his hands on the man's cheeks to bring him back to reality. "Epirus?"
Daniel's touch brought Epirus' state of being back to the surface. What the hell just happened? Something inside him snapped, though only momentarily. Anger. He felt so much anger against the man he just whipped senseless, but why?
Shaking it off, he lashed his whip at the man one more time, snapping his neck and delivering death in one quick motion.
"Apologies," he said quietly. "I do not know what came over me."
Daniel's earlier excitement was gone. "...Let us go." The sooner they could leave the bloodied corpse, the better. He looked down at the mage before hearing the door of the cabin open. Out stumbled two of the mages—the first to recover from the blindness.
They looked at the body of their fellow mage in horror. Strange, as they'd been so ready to hand him over.
"T-that demon was behind this! The fool should've known not to make a deal with him!" One shouted, taking out a spellbook to conjure some magic.
Epirus shot the other mages a quick look, his eyes flashing red once more as he focused in on the one attempting to conjure a spell. "I would think carefully before you do that," he said coldly. "Do you really want to end up like your friend? I have already broken code once tonight, I will not hesitate to do it again if I must."
The mage stopped in his tracks, mouth agape with wide eyes. Was this really worth it?
The mage sputtered, ending the spell he had started in defeat. It was a smart choice, too, for Daniel would have blinded him again. The two scampered away into the forest, quickly hidden by the thick foliage.
Daniel noticed that the moon had sunk lower on the horizon. "The night is almost over."
Epirus watched the men turn heel and run before acknowledging Daniel with a slight nod.
"La'marri is not that far from here, but I'm concerned that we may not make it in time," he said softly. He let out a sigh and shook his head in self-disbelief. What was he thinking. "Daniel, why are you helping me? It would be better for you to go now before you get too caught up in this. If my people come for me, they will kill you too. Is that something you are ready for face?"
Daniel pondered this for a moment. While it was true that he'd been helping Epirus because he was honesty interested in the work, he felt that there was something more.
"You're the first being in this world to really talk to me. Ever since I found myself here, I've been wandering around...but due to what I am, I haven't had much luck with humans or other creatures for that matter. It was boring...and lonely."
"As for your people, I'm quite confident in my ability to defend myself."
"You are more confidence than I am, then," Epirus said, mostly to himself.
He had no more time to think. The Angel seemed determined to accompany him, so he would just have to make do with his companionship for now. Besides, he was useful in a fight.
"Let us go, my friend."
Friends with an Angel. Surely, now, there was no turning back.
---
Knock. Knock. Knock.
There was a little house just on the outskirts of La'marri, and someone was knocking at the door. The older man inside had been waiting on his arrival, that demon he hired to take care of that cursed woman, Victoria. For years he loved her, and what did he get in return? Nothing. She met someone else, left him behind and started a family. Cursed woman.
Well, she would get what was coming to her.
Or so he thought. He did not know how much he could trust this 'Epirus' person, but based on reputation, he was the man, or rather, demon to get the job done. Despite that, he couldn't help be a little nervous - or rather feel a little weary around him. Those eyes were something not of this world, and staring into them only for a second was enough to leave an unsettling feeling in his stomach for days.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"He's here," he whispered to himself, standing up from his chair. He peered over at the few comrades he had with him in his little home, giving them a quick nod. Regardless of the hire, he was not going to deal with this demon man alone - that was for damn sure, so he called in backup prior to the deal.
The other men in the home rose from their chairs with caution, each one clutching some sort of weapon or another.
The man creaked the door open, looking around to see no one. "The hell?"
Before he had another moment to investigate, another demon dropped down in front of him and slid a blade through the man's skull. His friends watched in horror as comrade toppled over onto the ground and this demon walked over his body and entered the home.
"Hell, indeed," he said smugly.
A second demon and Chorin both followed him in just a moment after.
"Good work, Rukkai. Do you have what you need to do it?" Chorin asked.
Rukkai nodded, and his form slowly transitioned until he was the mirror image of the man he just murdered. "Will this do, my lord?"
Chorin let a sinister grin slip onto his face. "Good. Jax?"
The previously unnamed demon let out a soft chuckle as his body transformed as well. The tone of his voice changed while he laughed, going from a deep sinister pitch to that of a young boy. When his transformation was complete, he stood there as Daniel - the angel Chorin had a run in with previously that night. "How do I look?"
Chorin gave him a satisfied nod before turning his attention to the petrified men in the house. "You three," he said sternly as his eyes flashed red. "I have a job for you."
Daniel had taken to flying low above the tree line—it was faster for him to travel like that, with Epirus leading the way below.
The wind whistling through his feathers was the only sound the angel could hear as the two traveled to the next location in La'marri. Now that all was said and done, he had time to think about his decision to stay with Epirus—at least for the time being. He didn't know why he had so readily offered to help the demon, but the feeling of finally making a choice for himself felt good.
It didn't help that he couldn't remember anything. Sometimes he would see the faces of beings who looked a lot like him; sometimes the faces of humans—babies, children, adults, the elderly taking their last breaths—would flash through his mind. A young man with raven black hair and stern blue eyes would continuously show up in his mind. Each time, he would hand a piece of rolled up paper to Daniel and send him away.
Who was the man? He seemed important. He was definitely familiar. And those papers? Orders, perhaps.
He could spot a house in a clearing in the trees—that was certainly their destination. He descended, landing on a branch before jumping to the ground. "Should I go and distract them again?"
Epirus came to a stop just outside of the house. They had made good time, but time was still running out. Shit. He actually felt a little panicked, a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time. It was good he had Daniel with for this, though depending on anyone but himself was not something he was use to. It was all very... human.
"That would be good," he said. "I'll get in position."
Epirus went to the side of the house, positioning himself near the window like he had done in the previous hit.
Daniel noticed the door was slightly ajar. That was odd, but trying to open a window could cause too much of a commotion. He snuck in and was once again confronted by the surprised faces of a group of men...however, they all seemed to have weapons nearby.
Had they been expecting something like this?
Before he could even move, one man shouted "run!" before making a mad dash towards an obscure back door. The rest of the men followed suit, taking their weapons along with them. The man that had shouted the order was clearly their leader and also seemed the most nervous of them all. He had ordered the kill.
Epirus was still waiting by the window on the other side of the house...
Daniel would quickly pursue the target and bring him back. He followed them out the door, surprised to see their leader already leagues ahead of the rest of the group. The night was almost over; there wasn't any time for losing him in the woods. The angel frowned, picking up speed as he sped away into the trees.
Epirus could hear the commotion from his position but couldn't be sure exactly what was going on. It sounded like Daniel lured the others out of the house, leaving just Epirus and his target. Good work, Daniel.
He walked around the side of the house, about to make his way to the entrance when he heard more voices His eyes widened, stopping dead in his tracks. Daniel?
---
"Good work, Daniel," Chorin said with a hint of triumph in his voice. "Our plan is finally coming full circle. It was with your help that we were able to place Epirus on this earth, and it will be with your help that we will finally put him down like the dog he is."
Daniel mustered a small chuckle. "It was easy," he bragged. "That stupid fool was easy to twist around. I don't know how he managed to keep up with you guys for so long."
"It is not easy letting go of someone from your own tribe, but he dealt his own fate long ago."
"He actually thought we were friends," Daniel mused. "What kind of demon takes the companionship of an Angel so willingly? He couldn't even sniff out that I am not even a real Angel."
Chorin returned an amused laugh. "Intelligence was never his strong suit."
---
Just outside the house, Epirus' eyes burned red with anger.
The other men in the group had long since fallen behind, but Daniel paid them no mind. His sole focus was the man in front of him.
The man always stayed within sight of Daniel but just out of reach. Almost as if...he wanted the angel to follow him. Something was definitely wrong here. With one burst of speed, he kept forward, arms outstretched to grab the man by his heavy cloak. To his surprise, the target stopped abruptly and grabbed him by the collar, slamming him into a tree with inhuman strength.
Daniel gasped, momentarily stunned as the air had been knocked out of him. The man's once human eyes glowed a demonic red as his appearance shifted.
Oh.
"You're working with Chorin."
The demon simply grinned, but that was all Daniel needed to confirm his suspicions. It was no wonder now that the chase had been so long—it was all on purpose, to lead Daniel away from-
Epirus! What was going on back there?
Daniel made a move to leave, but the demon stepped forward as well. "Chorin told me I could have fun with you...you really annoyed him, you know? Why don't you show your wings? He said I could have them mounted on my wall when I kill you."
"You can come inside now, Epirus," Chorin called out from within the house. "I can hear you breathing out there."
Epirus slowly approached the front door, his chest burning with fury and hatred. He was... tricked? Daniel and Chorin were working together this whole time? This didn't make sense. He wanted to kill them both, but at this point, especially Daniel. Yet, he always wanted to know why.
He walked through the open doorway, his eyes red like fire and blood.
"Daniel," he hissed. "It was you."
"Daniel" threw together a cocky, satisfied grin and shrugged. "Finally figured it out, huh?" he asked with a boyish chuckle. "Boy, you sure are stupid."
"Don't be too hard on yourself, Epirus," Chorin teased. "We can't help the way we were born."
The demon's flute transcended into whip form. No more talking.
"I don't think so," the fake Daniel said sternly at the sign of his whip. "First, you're going to have to catch me."
With that, "Daniel" slid past Epirus and dashed out into the woods.
The real Daniel touched a finger to his forehead, looking at the golden blood that now covered it. The demon had caught him by surprise, but it wouldn't happen again.
"As much as you want my wings, I can't give them to you. They're quite useful, see?" With that, he revealed his wings and sped off into the sky. That demon could be dealt with later...who was really concerned with was Epirus. What was Chorin planning?
Meanwhile, the fake Daniel ran through the forest, hoping to lead Epirus to the real one. Then, the two "friends" could destroy each other. His thoughts were interrupted upon seeing a flash of white flying low overhead. Perfect.
The demon morphed just his voice to sound like that of Epirus's. "Daniel!"
The angel blinked upon hearing his name. Epirus? He descended into the trees only to be met with someone who was a mirror image of him. The only difference was the imposter's malicious aura. "Who..."
Before he could finish, the fake Daniel fled into the shadows, leaving the real one right in his trail.
Epirus was right on Daniel's trail, but momentarily lost him.
And then found him again. The real Daniel.
Epirus approached the Angel with fuming red eyes, his whip already ready to attack. "Daniel," he hissed under his breath, taking a few steps toward him. "I thought it was rather strange that an Angel would be so keen to accompany a demon on his work."
He didn't wait another second at that. He lashed his arm and the whip traveled directly at the boy, targeting his wings.
Suddenly, Epirus was there, a look of pure murder on his face.
The chase, the imposter, the demons...with a sickening realization, he found that the pieces were starting to fall into place. But before Daniel could say anything, Epirus lashed out with his whip. The angel stepped aside just before it could take off his wing, but the weapon still managed to graze it, sending a flurry of feathers falling to the ground.
"Epirus, stop!"
He didn't want to fight his friend. His first friend. What had Chorin done?
Epirus was beyond talking. His eyes were both burning red and cold as ice at the same time as he took another swing at the Angel. This was the nature of his true demon kind.
Anger. Hatred. Why would anyone ever bother with friendship with someone such as he. He only served one purpose in this world, and he almost lost sight of it.
To Kill.
Daniel narrowly evaded yet another attack, racking his brain for a way to calm the demon down. His stoic composure had disappeared; instead, it was replaced by the pain of Epirus's rejection.
"No! This is what Chorin was planning! He wanted to turn us against each other!"
He dodged again, resisting the urge to simply run away. If he did, Epirus would hate him forever...
((OOC: in this fight scene, Epirus can land whatever attacks he wants on Daniel. Beat him up if you want lol))
[OOC: Lol, I wasn't sure what all I could do. I'm not huge on big character vs character fight scenes, so I won't be at it too much longer xD]
"Hold still," he finally mustered to speak through his teeth.
Epirus didn't believe a word the angel said, not after what he saw back at the cabin. Not anymore. Anymore talking was just going to confuse him further, and perhaps make him hesitate. He had no time to hesitate - he was going to kill Daniel, and then he was going to kill Chorin.
There was no longer any need to collect souls now that he was banished to human form. He would not be controlled any longer. He was going to rid himself of anything and anybody that held him to that position, and move on with his life.
He jumed to the side swiftly and sent another swinging lash of his whip.
This time, it landed. The weapon wrapped around the boy's leg, and Epirus drew him in.
Daniel yelped as the whip wrapped around his leg and yanked him to the ground as Epirus dragged him back.
He knew full well the demon could kill him if he really wanted to. And it seemed like he really, really wanted to. And for the first time since he could remember, he felt real fear.
It wasn't that he was afraid of getting killed—he was afraid of the aftermath, of what else Chorin would do, of the belief Epirus would hold that Daniel had betrayed him.
From the shadows of a nearby tree, Chorin watched the scene unfold with sickening glee. He'd already planned what he would do next: after Epirus killed the angel, he would reveal the plot and watch the demon suffer.
As he was dragged across the ground, Daniel saw a pair of eyes glint in the darkness—a pair he knew well.
Chorin.
Daniel allowed his halo to appear, engulfing the area in a blinding white light.
Damn!
Epirus shielded his eyes the blinding light, temporarily losing control of his whip. The red of eyes faded back to their normal, steely blue as he tried to composure.
He still had his grip on the whip, but the control was not there anymore. He had let it slip off of the Angel's leg, and Daniel was free once again.
"Daniel!" the man yelled. "I won't let you get away from me!"
Daniel untangled himself from the whip, sliding backwards. He could still see Chorin in the shadows, but the demon was now doubled over, rubbing frantically at his eyes. Perfect.
The angel shot forward, grabbing Chorin by the throat. He gasped in confusion, but despite his momentary loss of sight, it seemed he figured out who was choking him. With inhumans strength, Daniel flung the man against a tree near Epirus's feet.
"Chorin," he said, grabbing the man's throat again, "I thought you would have learned your lesson the first time after I broke your nose. I don't really appreciate you tricking us. Why don't you explain everything?"
Chorin seethed, grabbing at Daniel's sleeves a pushing him backwards.
Through the blinding light, Epirus caught a glimpse of Daniel, though he was not alone. He was with Chorin. Were they planning on fighting him together? No, it looked like they were fighting against each other now.
Something was going on, and he fully intended to find out. With another powerful lash of his arm, the whip wrapped quickly around Chorin's neck, and Epirus pulled him to the ground, away from the Angel.
Daniel crossed his arms, his yellow eyes now clouded with anger.
Chorin blinked rapidly, his vision coming back. He knew he couldn't get out of Epirus's whip, but perhaps he could make him stall long enough escape. But then there was the angel...
"Why the hesitation, Epirus? Weren't you going to kill him?" The demon sneered, maintaining feigned confidence.
Daniel frowned at Chorin's smug grin. His face seemed healed...did demons heal fast as angels did? Oh, well, the pain he would feel would still be the same. And with that thought, the angel kicked the man's nose again. A satisfying crack rang out, and Chorin shrieked.
"As I recall...you don't like getting your clothing dirty. I would suggest you explain everything—or would you like your shirt to be red?"
The demon seethed. Things were not going as planned. But Epirus still seemed suspicious...
Epirus was tightening the whip's grip on Chorin's neck when his demon brother spoke.
Why the hesitation, Epirus? Weren't you going to kill him?
His eyes narrowed as he everything started to come together. In further frustration, he tightened the grip even more, causing the opposing man to choke and kick the dirt in resistance.
I would suggest you explain everything.
"No need, Daniel," Epirus finally spoke. "Chorin, it appears you lot have learned a new ability. Shapeshifting now, then? Is that something I can do as well?"
"Hmm...I don't know if you'd be capable enough..." Chorin drawled. His form suddenly began to change into that of a small snake, and he easily got out of Epirus's whip. If snakes could grin, he did before quickly slithering away into the foliage.
Daniel watched the demon go before turning back to Epirus.
"Epirus..."
Epirus watched Chorin slither away with a look of disgust. His instinct told him to follow, to kill Chorin and be done with it, but he had other matters to attend to. Shifting his gaze over to the Angel, he spoke in a soft tone.
"Daniel," he said as his whip transcended back down to its flute form. "I owe you an apology."
"None of this was your fault," Daniel said. His calm tone his his true feelings of happiness and relief. He didn't know what he would do if Epirus was still angry.
The sun steadily rose above the horizon, casting a yellow glow through the trees. The wound on his head had long since closed up, but the golden blood remained, sparkling in the sunlight.
"I suppose we don't need to look for those souls anymore."
"No. I suppose we don't," he replied wearily. "I don't much see the point anymore."
He took another look around. "Chorin got away," he said, stating the obvious. "And he almost turned me against you. Please accept my apologies.. I was blinded by rage."
"I accept your apology," Daniel smiled, a hint of humor in his voice.
"I hope Chorin won't bother us again...he seems to have friends all around this area."
Epirus nodded, satisfied enough.
"Chorin has connections everywhere, unfortunately," he said grimly. "But after getting the best of him, I don't fathom he will be returning any time soon. Perhaps we should go into hiding until the time being. I suggest.. hiding in plain sight."
Daniel nodded. That was an interesting thought.
"There's a land not too far from here...Serendipity, is it? Magic is prevalent among the humans there, so perhaps we will not stand out too much."
Epirus nodded in agreement. "I've been," he replied, "and you are right. That may be the best place for us right now."
With that, the two made the journey to Serendipity, one that was otherwise be a long journey for your typical human, but these unlikely companions were anything but that.
Closed - Story Continued in Serendipity