The archangel prince had been tending the wounded soldiers who came in droves sporting injuries ranging from cuts to fatal injuries. His job was to bandage them up as best he could after the healers had healed the worst of the injuries.
In truth, I am glad not to return to the hell they call a ‘battlefield’. Not only would it force me to rely on my powers, but also bring back unwanted memories… Aidan thought.
In his mind, Cress asked, What if the reason we were freed was to sacrifice ourselves for this war? To save the guardians? Would you do it?
Aidan laughed, a hint of resentment in his tone.
Do I have a choice? My great-grandfather, Cassiel, swore to serve my lord Pelos. And the ones who gifted the mortals the crystals and the key were my great-grandfather’s lieutenants. I am bound by our old blood oath to aid lord Pelos’ subjects.
I am a slave to my ancestors… as are you, Cress. It was our very own ancestor who had the entire race of darkangels cursed.
A commotion broke out as a soldier ran into the makeshift healing camp with urgent news.
“The demon general, Tarbork, killed Lord Jaron and Lady Dethemina! They sacrificed themselves so that the demons would not invade. We need to go and help!”
It is too late, lad.
Nothing you can do can bring back the dead, Aidan thought.
News of their death did little to shake him, as he knew not who they were. However, the name of their killer brought about a surge of emotions so potent and so foreign, yet familiar to him at the same time. He felt a wave of rage wash over him.
Why did the name of that demon rouse such fervent emotions within him? There was something... something had been taken. Stolen.
Cress tried to calm his rising ire. But Aidan found himself unable to control his anger, or his emotions when they were set free upon him like an animal released from a cage.
His wings, previously hidden away by magic, exploded outwards in a blast of white and Aidan launched himself up into the air with nothing but rage clouding his senses.
"Archangel prince!" A human noble with pale blonde hair called desperately, "Please do not go after the demon general recklessly! Wait for us to gather the armies first!"
“That demon must be killed!” he screamed, pausing for a moment as his wings beat, keeping him afloat.
No. Aidan, please no. You will harm the people! Do not risk yourself for a cause you do not believe in! Cress cried, but to no avail.
Aidan turned around, fury contorting his face, then sped off in the direction of the battlefield.
He flew through the sky, ignoring all pain and suffering below. The wind whistled past his ears and through his feathers, causing his head to spin, forcing his eyes shut tightly against the light. His wings pumped harder and faster. When his eyes zeroed in on a large, bright red figure steadily approaching the elven army, he tucked into a steep dive and landed heavily in front of Tarbork, the impact sending the lesser demons flying.
“WHERE IS IT?!” Aidan roared, “Where is the crystal?! Return it this instant, demon scum!”
Crystal…
A surge of repressed memories flooded his mind and Aidan recalled all that he’d forgotten.
The culprit of Aidan’s captivity was none other than the demon general himself, for the sole reason of stealing a golden crystal. A memory from even earlier was of Aidan being tasked with the protection of the crystal. And the final memory he had before Lirya freed him was of Tarbork’s hand reaching for his head as magical runes appeared…
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Tarbork snorted, "Who let the chicken out?"
His lips curled into a wicked grin.
“I don’t know what crystal you are talking about,” Tarbork smirked, then drew apart two folds of his vest to reveal a gleaming golden crystal embedded in the centre of his chest, pulsing gold veins wrapping around the jewel.
“Oh, this? I’ve always had it,” He grinned, well aware of his stolen property.
Lord Pelos himself assigned the crystal in my care! Aidan thought, fuming.
Cress' presence was a calming wave soothing Aidan’s roiling emotions as he said, Aidan, the crystal is boosting his physical abilities! You won’t be able to defeat him without using more of your magic power!
A constricting feeling washed over him as he came to terms with that, not that he’d been all that surprised.
In a split second, his powers erupted and his hair and wings instantly reddened. His previously stormy grey eyes glowed the same crimson as his hair.
A brief feeling of regret flashed through his mind at using his power again, so quickly, but he quickly crushed those feelings and focused on the fight ahead of him.
The two elven commanders were, without a doubt, dead, he noted. And towering above them and Aidan stood Tarbork, wielding powers that were never meant to be his.
Raising his arms and creating a great crimson void around him, he summoned the eight swords from the void and they emerged, tips pointed at Tarbork. He stretched his arm out and pointed at Tarbork, then unleashed the swords. They flew at Tarbork so quickly the demon barely had time to react.
But Tarbork's reflexes were far quicker, so his body was still able to move in order to dodge the sharp blades, which embedded themselves into the ground behind him. A moment later, he had regained his composure and swung his fist at Aidan who was just landing near where the swords used to be, then charged forward. Aidan waved his hand and the swords flew back to him before launching another assault at the demon. With a blow of his mighty fist, Tarbork knocked away three of the swords and dodged the others. He drew in a deep breath a roared, his mouth briefly glowing before multiple gleaming golden beams of deadly light erupted from his mouth and fired at Aidan. Aidan used his magic to put up a thick crimson barrier to block the magical attack from Tarbork. At least one of the beams penetrated the protective shield but another managed to catch Aidan across his right thigh. Blood dripped down the leg. He grit his teeth in pain and clenched his fists as he prepared for another attack.
Mustering up more strength from deep within him, he stomped on the ground, channelling his magic straight into the ground. a large web of cracks immediately formed, expanding outwards at a rapid rate. Aidan leapt into the air as the ground shook and the cracks opened up a seemingly endless void beneath their feet. The succubus nimbly dodged the openings, but Tarbork's foot caught in one of them. He stumbled, but swiftly raised himself out of the chasm.
However, that moment of weakness was all that Aidan needed and he dove right down at Tarbork, his arm closing around the crystal in the demon's chest and ripping it out of the demon's body. Tarbork gave an almighty roar and flailed around, thick green blood mixed with gold dripping from his open chest wound.
Aidan flew backwards, away from the demon's claws as he held the crystal outstretched towards him.
“Give it back, angel of nothing!” Tarbork growled. “Or I swear I will kill you and your precious guardians, once and for all.”
Aidan flinched, but gathered up his magic and cast a binding spell. Blood-red chains restrained the demon general so tightly he could only roar insults cursing Aidan's very existence.
Almost immediately, the succubus crept forward, hands held up in surrender.
She inclined her head submissively and said, "With commander Tarbork captured by your excellency, I am the one in charge of the tatters of this demon army. I ask, in exchange for my life, that you give me any order! I shall do my best to carry it out."
Tarbork writhed, thrashing against his constraints and yelled, "Verulyn, you shallow, two-timing traitor! How dare you betray us?!"
The succubus, Verulyn, scoffed, "I value my own life far above yours and any demon's. So what if I betray the army? You can't do anything. 'Every demon for themselves' you said. Do you words no longer apply when it's your life on the line?"
Aidan scowled and said, "Prove your loyalty then, succubus. Kill every last remaining demon in the army, except for Tarbork here. His death is reserved for me only!"
Verulyn bowed, “It shall be done, your magnificence!”
Having tucked the crystal away safely, Aidan hauled the tied up Tarbork back to the elven camp, finding that a row of demon corpses were all that remained of the legion closest to camp. The succubus, true to her word, leapt around mercilessly turning her back upon her former allies.
What a fearsome beast… is it worth keeping her around afterwards? She could become a dangerous foe if left alone, Aidan pondered.
Aidan found the elven king and handed Tarbork over to him and told him where the bodies of the two elven commanders lay. The king nodded his head in gratitude.
Then Aidan took two steps away and stumbled, his powers rescinding and he was out cold before he hit the ground.