...in the crimson grip of hell...

~

I was shocked. Dumbfounded, even. Everything in my world was turned upside down and spun around, just as my vision seemed to.

"I understand if this is hard to process," Yuko's plain voice tried to reassure me, but I wasn't having any of it. I bolted with all my might to my parents as I struggled to keep in the emotions wanting to tear themselves out of me.

"How could you?? How could you keep this from me!!"

Everyone at the old house had to dry their eyes and blow their noses at the sight of me. I guess not having to give an apology speech... yet... is a good thing. I expected my mom and dad to turn me away at the drop of a dime and tell me they never want to see me again.

I guess it's fair, considering I said the same, too.

But, much to the parental code, they were happy to see their son, a tad more grown-up than he had been before. I would apologize to each and every person here together and separately later, but for the time being: "Before we get started, I need to speak with you, father. Summon Yuko, too."

He winked and made his way to the bottom floor (we had a downstairs but then a sort of cellar below that - it's not creepy I promise), and I followed suit. Yuko, as per his usual inhumanly diligent self, was there before either of us put a foot on a stair.

"What is it, my son?" My father began as he sat before his desk, his stoic yet open nature a welcome nostalgia.

"I've come home for a reason, and it's something I want to discuss with you. I know you dropped being an adventurer a long time ago, but I need to call on you for both your wise ear and strong hands, father."

He nodded firmly.

"A great scare for the entirety of the Zurmiyis region, but our nation especially, is the rapidly-growing threat of the return of the Demon King. It's something we just can't stand to ignore anymore."

He raised his eyebrows a little, still not responding with his words, but knowing I'm not finished.

"My time away hasn't entirely been spent sulking. I have plans and people in motion to secure ourselves a powerful asset both in battle and in politics, but I wish for our family, or if possible, nation, to involve itself in this war to win favor among our neighbors."

I waited an excruciating amount of time while my father formed his reply, but I got the gist of it when he couldn't stop a small smirk from creeping its way across his lips.

"We will discuss the matter of your flee and now your return later, but all that need be said is that your mother and I, along with this family and all who are connected with it, will stop at nothing to see your wishes fulfilled."

I nodded slowly with an expression of mild surprise. Wasn't expecting that, I'll be honest.

Yuko stepped into the conversation after being completely silent all this time. "Lord Hyaru, be careful not to forget that we have raised you for this exact purpose."

"This is true," I agreed.

"So then, Sire, do tell of all that paints this picture. Your plans, accomplishments, needs, shortcomings; how can we be of use to you?"

It was now my turn to smile. "Well, I really need help with a kidnapping."

~

Vincent

My journey along the abandoned cave network brought me to one (did I mention abandoned?) mine, of course, extremely old, with support beams that had all but rotted away and I worried a collapse was legitimately possible. Thankfully I haven't had it happen yet.

Knock on wood.

Actually don't knock on wood because that would defeat the whole purpose of knocking on the wood.

I really need to think things through.

At any rate, I was a little less occupied with the thought of a potential collapse and more with the interest in the sound of clashing metal drifting into my ears. That, my friend, is the sweet sweet sound of violence, and we all know how I feel about that.

I heard the grunting of a woman and the sound of rapid fighting. My heart skipped a beat both that this could be the woman I'm searching for (don't read that the wrong way - I'll kill you) and that there's a fight for me to jump into.

I followed the sound down one path that was marginally better off than the rest, and lo and behold, a long-haired, barely-clothed woman was fought off goblins. Though, these were the big, brutish ones you don't want to toy with, and keeping them company was a demon, and then some human-like... things? that looked like demons but were clearly not sentient.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

More importantly, the woman fighting them off, despite slight differences in appearance and clothing, this was definitely the girl I saw crying outside the tomb - and in subsequent dreams and visions.

Let me tell you: she was nothing like the crying girl outside the tomb.

She was fierce, determined, and by God was she a total badass who held nothing back regardless of the fact that the tiny hide covering her torso was fighting harder than she was.

I was still basically leaned around the corner, and at this point a spectator as four giant brutes swung at her with their fists, which she merely dodged and swung around, even propelling herself off their arms and bodies to attack one another.

The sentient demon, though, was in light armor and rapidly casting spells in a strange garble, namely fire and wind-based casts that threw a barrage of obstacles her way. They were strong in numbers, but definitely not as individuals.

A walk in the park, compared to the horde I faced off against back in the ruined town.

"AGH!" shouted the human, taking a nasty blow from the brute and a magically-charged blow from one of the demon-ish creatures. At that point, I came around the corner with a scuffle, making myself known. The funny thing was that neither the woman, nor the adversaries she fought off, knew what I was doing there or what side I was on.

Well, the woman made her assumptions. She wasted no time chanting something under her breath, sending a few fresh icicles my way. I could only dodge the majority of them, but I'll take extra credit for swatting one out of the air like it was dodgeball. Yeah, dodgeball. Just, really deadly and mildly lethal dodgeball.

I wanted answers and I wanted a good fight, so I drew Caiasiara's knife and beheaded one of the strange creatures with one clean swing, since it was nearby and unsuspecting.

The lady didn't get the message, because this time she was personally coming at me with her fists raised and her lips priming up another spell, and now the demons and goblins had their attention on the both of us. This has become complicated.

"I'm on your SI-" I was cut off by my own grunt as the woman kicked me in the abdomen and blasted a frosty wind spell of her own at me. I had to cover my eyes but all of a sudden I was a few yards away, sore, and feeling the thumps of a ten foot tall goblin charging my way.

I gave the goblin a good swing with my now bloodied knife, which I guess was too slow, because it caught my arm and went straight to kneeing me in the thorax.

Did I, perhaps, mention that it was ten feet tall?

"GUH!" I barely mustered out as a shock slapped me in the chest and I stumbled back. Adrenaline now at a top high and my need to kill this bastard raging on, I tried copying the woman's move, bouncing from the arm of the now-attacking goblin.

My foot slipped on its rather moist skin, and before I could even attempt to do something else, the sentient demon was in my face, his hands glowing. Next thing I knew, there was a thump in my chest, a hard knock from the back of my skull, and the thud of my back hitting a rock wall.

~

I came to very shortly after in a coughing fit. Except with every cough, I felt a stinging pain at my throat.

Wait a minute that's a KNIFE!

Like taking a shot of espresso, I was suddenly very, very awake, and realized the woman had gritted teeth, a furrowed brow, forward stance, and a knife to my throat with her other hand curled back to her side, a charged spell ready to fire.

"Whoah whoah whoah hey hey!" I shouted, a little less defensively than I probably should have. "I told you I'm on your side!"

"Yeah right filthy demon!" she spat, literally, with a fiery passion breaking up her voice. "Your ruse was crude and stupid and I will not take the bait again!!"

"So you'd accuse me of siding with those slimy-looking meat stacks?"

"I'd accuse you of being a conniving, worthless piece of trash!!" She was screaming now, pressing the knife into my skin. "Your gall and audacity are about the only impressive things about you."

I was certain she's the one from outside the cave, but nothing about her seems even remotely close to the crying ghost. Namely the fact that she was very much alive.

I put my hands up, an act deeply frustrating to me. "I'm only here because I saw you in a vision or a dream or... something..." I was trying to search for a word to describe how I met her, mind you while she grew even more tense at the mention of me having seen her, and I was only growing less and less convincing. "Listen just put the knife down, damnit!" It was my turn to shout, since I was growing more and more pissed at being held in a position of submission.

She groaned and grunted and screamed and I watched her grip tighten, face contort, and the glow of her charged hand intensify, until all of those things stopped and she let go of the knife, dropping it completely. I finally got the chance to breathe, and boy was it not fun.

The goblin definitely jacked something up, maybe even broke a rib or my sternum, because every breath felt shallower and came with its own sting. My head was hands-down throbbing from where I hit it.

"You put on a depressing display there anyways," she seethed, still very much attached to her own weapon. "Was that supposed to be a fight?"

I could tell she was throwing any jab she possibly could at me, but I guess being a demon now, I, too, am a part of the bottomless hatred humanity harbors towards this race. It hadn't occurred to me since anything trying to kill me really didn't care about the horns on my head and more that I was trying to kill it instead.

She threateningly glared at me to stay and barked, "I'm leaving. Don't you dare think about following or I'll end you like the rest."

I looked around to see bodies all over the floor and flicked my eyebrows.

"Couldn't if I tried."

She then stormed off in a hurry, only for me to realize moments later she'd dropped her knife there in front of me. Wasn't a very good one, either, granted I was now faced with the moral dilemma in that this was probably her only physical weapon, but I really didn't want to see her again, even if I wanted answers.

I ended up calling out, "You forgot your knife, lady!," but for a different reason entirely: I just wanted to see her pissed off again. Knife to my bleeding throat aside, it's still kinda funny listening to her stomp and shout as she talks to the thing she despises the most. Her hatred is sort of fueling for me; knowing that my very existence makes her lose sleep at night.

Seconds later came a subsequently enraged almost-naked woman who hesitated at the mere thought of having to come close enough to me to pick up her knife. I thought about kicking it towards her so she'd be rid with, but at the same time, watching her pick it up while glaring at me was so much more entertaining.

As she stood, her look of disgust faded to one of confusion as her eyes seemed to grow empty, and moments later, she stumbled and fell over completely, right over me.

So there she was, a whole woman (seriously holy shit that's a woman) laying right over me, unconscious. It was a little ironic, since she was so pissed off just moments ago, but next thing you know she's just knocked out and so peaceful.

And you know what I did?

Shoved her off of me and walked the fuck away. Show's over, folks.